Strictly legends returning to Glasgow with hit dance show in September

And no one could be more pleased than the happy hoofers themselves.

Says Vincent Simone: “We knew we had a hit on our hands last year when most of the tickets for the tour were sold within 48 hours. That’s why we’re doing double the dates this time round.”

So, how does he explain this success? “I think some of it has to do with when the five of us were on Strictly. The show is still hugely popular but in its first 10 years or so, it was getting TV audiences of around 15 million. We were the first: for instance, I danced the first Argentine tango on British television, a truly emotional moment.”

But it’s not just that. “In a two-hour show in the theatre, we can demonstrate so much more variety. We bring dances from around the world: the tango from Argentina, the rumba from Cuba, the samba from Brazil, the Viennese waltz and so on.”

And then there’s the humour. “Audiences love to hear the stories behind Strictly and they really seem to enjoy the banter between us. We’re five big characters with five big egos and we all tease each other. It’s so nice to be working with such good friends.”

He’s 46 now; this is going to be a demanding tour. How’s his stamina? “I’m sure I’ll feel some aches and pains during the first few days of rehearsal. But I’ve been dancing since I was a child – it’s my passion – so a combination of muscle memory and experience will see me through. I can’t wait!”

Pasha Kovalev is also raring to go. He believes that last year’s tour went down so well because five popular professional dancers had never toured together in one show.

“It was such fun – for the audience but also for us. If I wasn’t performing, I’d watch the others from the wings and I was blown away not only by the standard on stage but by the laughs, too.”

It's more than that. “Because it’s a live show, no two performances are ever the same. And that’s what keeps it so fresh. There’s a lot of energy from the dancers but then there’s a huge amount from the auditorium. We all feed off each other.

‘I particularly enjoyed the opening number of the second act when we were all dressed as cowboys in a Wild West saloon. And I loved the dance-off with James Jordan with me as Patrick Swayze and him as John Travolta.”

Pasha, 45, was paired with Countdown maths whizz Rachel Riley in 2013’s Strictly. They fell in love and married six years later. Will she be bringing daughters Maven, five, and three-year-old Noa to see daddy dance on the 2025 Legends tour? “Of course,” he says.

“Last year, Ola brought Ella, her daughter with James Jordan, to see the show in St Alban’s and Rachel came along to the same matinee performance with our two. It was so incredible to look out into the audience and see them there. Something I’ll never forget.”

James Jordan never doubted the 2024 Legends tour would be a great success. “I just thought the nostalgia attached to five older guys, famous from Strictly, on the same stage at the same time, couldn’t miss. Even so, I didn’t think it was going to sell out quite so quickly.

“Most of us left Strictly over 10 years ago and yet, people wanted to come and watch us old boys doing our stuff. We’re all either knocking on the door of 50 or past it. Amazing. The reaction exceeded all our expectations.

“And, of course, we could indulge in a level of banter not possible on TV. In the woke world in which we all live now, it’s genuinely refreshing to go to a show and have a good laugh, sometimes at each other’s expense. We’re all at an age now when we don’t care what we say although it’s still child-friendly family entertainment.”

At 47, he thinks he’s mentally and physically better prepared this time round. “For rehearsals last year, I had to take in four t-shirts every day because I was sweating so much. There were occasions when I thought I was going to pass out.

“Unlike the other four, I hadn’t toured for a long time. But now, I’ve got a real thirst to get back on the road especially as there seems to be such an appetite for it. I hadn’t appeared before a live audience for some years until the first Legends tour. I must admit, the reaction made me quite emotional.”

Veteran dancer Ian Waite agrees. “What amazed me,” he says, “was that, some 20 years after we all started on Strictly, give or take, we can still fill a theatre and very often with exactly the same audience that enjoyed us on TV in the noughties.”

This time round, the Legends will be visiting many venues that weren’t on the 2024 tour. “We’ll be performing a number of new routines under Scott Coldwell’s excellent choreography along with some of the most popular dances from last year. But it’s going to feel like a whole new show.” His personal highlight? “A classic Viennese waltz, such a beautiful dance.”

How’s his level of fitness? “Well, the three weeks of rehearsal from nine in the morning until six at night will be crucial. But I’ve recently done another three months of Dancing With The Stars in Australia. My partner and I won it last year, two decades after I first appeared on Strictly. I never dreamt I’d still be performing as a pro dancer at 54.”

He's currently on tour with his fitness brand, Fitsteps, dreamt up with former Strictly professional Natalie Lowe in 2013. “We’ve developed it as a way for people to learn the dance styles they love from Strictly, in a fun fitness class. So, put it this way: I’m going to be pretty much match-fit for the Legends 2025 tour.”

At 49, Brendan Cole is no stranger to touring. “As an artist, there’s nothing I like better than performing in front of a live audience. I think I was born to be on a stage. But would people want to come and see five old fellers from Strictly with five gorgeous girls in the same show?”

The answer, of course, was yes. “We were quite overwhelmed by the reaction. But then, I think we created a bit of magic together and part of that was down to the obvious camaraderie on-stage.” His favourite moment? “The rumba, such an intense experience, so full of raw emotion. And I loved the tribute from all of us to the late Robin Windsor.”

Another bonus for the pro dancers is the crowd waiting outside each stage door. “I’m old school. If someone can take the time to ask for a selfie or an autograph, I’m happy to oblige. We couldn’t do what we get to do if there was no audience.”

So, no doubting, then, the commitment to this new tour from all five Legends. At this rate, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be embarking on a third tour in 2026 – and every year afterwards. “Absolutely,” laughs Ian Waite. “We’ll carry on for as long as we enjoy it as much as UK audiences seem to.”

Adds James Jordan: “And how nice, in these sometimes difficult times, to offer people two hours of unashamed, unabashed escapism.”

For tickets to Vincent Simone, Pasha Kovalev, James Jordan, Ian Waite and Brendan Cole star in The Return Of The Legends at The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on 9th September go to www.legendsofthedancefloor.com