Strictly Come Dancing star Craig Kelly: Just making it to Blackpool showdown will be big achievement for me

Oct 30 2009 By Rick Fulton

STRICTLY Come Dancing underdog Craig Kelly wants to wear a kilt on the show to drum up support from Scotland.

The actor, who played knicker factory boss Luke Strong in Coronation Street, is half Scots on his mum's side and with the judges slating his performances, he is hoping flying the tartan flag will get him more votes tomorrow night.

Two years ago, rugby legend Kenny Logan wore a kilt on the show and Craig, whose mum comes from Glasgow, is hoping to follow in his footsteps.

He said: "I'm trying to work out what dance I could wear a kilt on. Hopefully, if I stay in, I can wear one.

"But would I wear underpants?" Craig has had a disastrous two weeks on the show which saw him in the bottom two and only saved by the public vote.

He's seen off Lynda Bellingham and Richard Dunwoody in two dance-offs but the judges have turned on him - and if he's back in the bottom two he is unlikely to be saved again.

Last Saturday, judge Craig Revel Horwood described his efforts as "stiff" and "awkward" and he has also been likened to Humpty Dumpty by fellow judge Bruno Tonioli.

Tomorrow, Craig celebrates his 39th birthday and is hoping the judges will lay off him - because he's dancing a waltz and reckons it could be his best dance yet.

He laughed: "After some of the comments I think the least the judges could do is bake me a birthday cake.

"And if they are looking for a birthday present - letting me through to dance in Blackpool next Saturday will do."

He just shrugs offthe judges' comments as he knows it's just a television show. When it's pointed out that it beats eating a kangaroo testicle on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, Craig is not so sure.

"That would probably be easier," he joked.

Craig and his professional dance partner Flavia Cacace are desperate to stay in another week to take part in the November 7 show, which will be staged at Blackpool's famous Tower Ballroom, as he grew up just down the road in Lytham St Annes.

He said: "I'm the underdog of the show. Some people think I'm being undermarked.

"I don't think I'm a bad dancer. I might not be a natural dancer but I work incredibly hard.

"Now it's up to me to show how good I can be on the show. You can change people's opinion in one dance."

That dance, Craig thinks, is tomorrow's waltz.

The actor admits he prefers the ballroom dances to the Latin ones.

He said: "Latin is scary because you are on your own more. I feel like I've got my best chance to do my best dance tomorrow."

He is also hoping the spirit of his Scots granny will be looking over him and giving him some of the family flair at the waltz.

It was his Grandma Lennox, from Bridgeton in Glasgow, who gave him the desire to do the show in the first place.

When the actor, who played Daniel Perryman in Casualty and starred in gay drama Queer as Folk, was first approached to do Strictly, he admits he wasn't sure.

But his mum, who was brought up in Dennistoun, reminded him his gran, who died 10 years ago, was a keen ballroom dancer.

"That swung it for me," insisted Craig. "I thought 'It must be in the genes, surely I'd be good at ballroom too.' I think she'd be proud of what I've been doing.

"My grandma was a real diamond. A real character who was always smiling, and lived until she was 96.

"I have always seen myself as half Scottish and still have uncles, aunties and cousins in Scotland."

Craig says his wife Camilla has been a tower of strength.

He said: "She takes all the blows with me. She knows how much I'm putting into it. She's really proud I've got this far."

Craig has put his acting career on hold during Strictly.

Corrie have left the door open and ITV will be screening his next role in series Collision, although it's won't be screened on STV.

But what he wants most of all is to dance in Blackpool.

He added: "I don't see myself as the winner so this would be like a final for me."

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One at 7.15pm tomorrow.

The ex-Mis-Teeq warbler, 31, refused to meet fans, even though some had waited seven hours.

Acting like a diva, Alesha asked to be taken through a secret back door to avoid chatting to faithful followers.

One fan who waited in the cold at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall told us: “I’m so gutted. I can’t believe she snubbed us, it’s so rude.

“I’d waited for hours to meet her and get an autograph.”

Most artists who do gigs at the city centre venue enter through the normal stage door and stop for a quick hello and autographs.

But the Strictly Come Dancing judge had other ideas. A member of the security team told us: “Celebs and artists always go through the main door and happily meet and greet fans.

“But Alesha asked us to open a secret door around the back so she could sneak in.

“It did seem like an unnecessary request. She must have been having a bad day.”

Yeah maybe, or perhaps she’s just getting a bit too big for her boots.

Another fan said: “She’s obviously not bothered about her fans now she’s on a big TV show. We were really disappointed.”

The singer also asked Liverpool Wellbeing Centre to send two masseuses and strew candles and rose petals around backstage.

But she did give them a signed photo to hang in the clinic.

lesha’s people were unavailable for comment last night.