If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Zara McDermott!
The Strictly star has revealed she is planning to become a real-life ghostbuster. It’s rumoured the studio in Elstree, Herts, is haunted after a series of spooky incidents including unexplained noises, and some stars have begged bosses to bring in an expert.
But Zara, 26, plans to launch her own investigation to see if there are any spirits. She says: "I haven’t seen a ghost at the studio. But I’m going to watch out for one. It’s always really busy and I’m not sure you’d see one when it’s like that. So I’ll wait until it’s a bit quieter I suppose it would be a bit eerie if you did it when it’s quiet at night."
The ex-Love Islander is in no doubt that ghosts exist. She adds: "I do believe in ghosts. I’ve never seen one myself but I just do. I believe in the spirit world." Whether it’s chasing ghosts or dancing on live TV, Zara’s pro partner Graziano Di Prima, 29, is always a lifeline when she gets scared.
Zara says: "Dancing is really nerve-wracking. When we’re about to perform I get nervous. But I just tell myself that it’s not live. I tell myself that no one is watching. Graziano gives me a little pep talk and tells me to breathe and says things like, ‘You’re going to be fine'.
While many of her rivals had professional dance training before signing up, Zara is having to work extra hard to keep up. She admits: "There are so many incredible people in this competition who are incredible dancers and I know and recognise that I am starting from scratch, from literally zero. I’ve watched Strictly since I was seven and this is what Strictly is all about. I keep telling myself this. It’s not about being the absolute best dancer in the whole world. It’s about that willingness to learn, listening to your partner and growing this new skill set."
Despite her best efforts, Zara was in the dance-off last weekend although the judges chose to save her over radio presenter Nikita Kanda, 28. But she insists having to perform her paso doble again wasn’t all bad. "In a weird way it was actually a good thing to experience it,” says Zara. "I think I proved to myself that I can do a performance again, well and under pressure.
"I don’t really remember doing it. I just remember being so in the zone, so focussed. I really am proud of us for what we did. It is teamwork." Zara got through it thanks to support from Graziano. "He didn’t let me feel any stress or pressure," she adds.
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"He just said, ‘You’ve done it once, you can do it again, you’ve got this’. And it’s so important to have someone like that by your side." Doing so much dancing has given her physique and fitness levels a boost. She says: "It's getting my cardio in check. Doing some of the faster routines like the quickstep involve a lot of running and jumping around. I’m handling it OK. I have the stamina required."
Zara and Graziano are hoping to dodge the dance-off this weekend with their Viennese Waltz to Brenda Lee song You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me. "I’m trying to keep myself really positive," says Zara. "I'm remembering my feedback from the judges from my quickstep, which was about staying in frame. I know the frame and I get it, but it’s holding that frame for an extended period of time that I struggle with."
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, October 15 at 6.30pm on BBC One
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