Strictly’s Jaime Winstone signed up to show after ‘very clear sign’ from pop star pal

Actress Jaime Winstone is doing the new series of Strictly Come Dancing and was convinced to sign up after the seal of approval from a famous pal

Actress Jaime Winstone knew she was destined for the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor – when none other than Taylor Swift praised her moves.

The star, who famously played Peggy Mitchell in a flashback episode of EastEnders, said Taylor’s kind words were a “very clear sign” that she should have a go at the Glitterball later this month.

“I went to my friend Poppy Delevingne’s birthday party a few months back and Taylor Swift was there,” Jaime, 41, says. “I was just dancing as I do, and she came up to me out of nowhere and just said, ‘Oh my lord, how do you dance so freely?’ When someone of her calibre and status says that, it’s a very clear sign!”

It wasn’t just Taylor who proved instrumental in Jaime’s decision to join the show. She also credits pop queen Madonna, whose recent album Confessions II, gave her inspiration.

“There were some clear signs that this should be my Strictly year, one of them being Madonna’s new album and its track, Danceteria, with the lyrics ‘everybody get up and dance’,” Jaime explains. “I took that as a personal sign as I’m such a huge Madonna fan. There’s not a room in my house without a disco ball!”

Well-connected Jaime, who married DJ James Suckling in 2023 and counts the likes of Harry Styles and Daisy Lowe amongst her pals, has grown up in the showbiz world, thanks to her movie star dad, Ray.

And she says the hardman – who is currently starring in Netflix drama The Gentleman – is already rolling his eyes at the prospect of her entering the ballroom.

“My dad was kind of like, ‘oh my lord’,” she laughs. “But my mum, Elaine, screamed. She absolutely loves it. Everybody’s very, very excited, my mother-in-law the most out of them all as she’s such a huge fan. I think everybody responded like: ‘you’re going to win it!’. The blind confidence of your family and friends is always just so humbling and so beautiful. Oh, and my Nan is going to lose her marbles over this. The women in my family were definitely more responsive than the men!”

This week Ray, 69, proved he was firmly in his daughter’s corner by jokingly offering to fight fellow contestant Dani Dyer ’s dad Danny in the audience.

But Jaime’s far too friendly with the former Love Island winner to take notice. “I know Dani, and she is such a mega babe, she’s so sweet and so easy to get along with,” Jaime says. “And I’ve worked with her dad, and our dads have worked together, and our kids have bonded, so I feel like I’m in really good company.”

Jaime namechecks EastEnders pal Lacey Turner too, who is also competing this year. “There seems to be a really good girl gang taking part,” she says. “I’m excited to meet new friends.”

While Jaime has fought nepo-baby allegations for years, she’s successfully forged her own independent career away from that of her famous dad. Her breakthrough role came in 2006’s film Kidulthood and she went on to star in movies such as Made in Dagenham and Tomb Radar. She is a seasoned stage actress and also appeared in The Masked Singer, in 2024, as Air Fryer.

After having son Raymond in 2016, she believes now is the right time to take on Strictly. “I have been asked before and I’ve always been working and busy or just being full-on mum, but I turned 40 last year and I’ve really got to just lean into this moment,” she says. “A lot of people in my life know how much I love dancing. Music and dance are such a big part of who I am.”

Jaime is now working hard on getting her moves up to scratch and is hoping her new skills will see her land a musical or dance show later down the line. “I’ve always said the three things that describe me are; I’m a mother, I’m an actor, and I’m a raver,” she says. “I’m not a controlled dancer, I’ve never done a dance lesson in my life and I’ve never done a routine, so I’m quite excited to see how I get on with that. I would love to incorporate this experience into my world and hopefully go and do something professionally in dance or musical theatre or film.”

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