STRICTLY Come Dancing star Jayde Adams has revealed the heart-breaking tragedy behind doing the show.
The 37-year-old comedian has joined this years line up and has revealed she signed up in honour of her sister.
Jayde Adams has revealed the heartbreaking reason why she signed up to Strictly
The comedian’s sister Jenna loved to dance but sadly passed away from a brain tumour 11 years ago at just 28
Jayde’s sister Jenna tragically passed away 11 years ago from a brain tumour at the age of just 28.
Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “I think my sister’s definitely orchestrating things for me. It all feels so serendipitous.
“It’s such an emotional thing for me.”
Jayde and Jenna took part in freestyle disco dancing from the ages of five to 17.
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She recalled: “I really held Jenna back in freestyle disco-dancing. Even though I had pizzazz and something about me, back in the 90s if you were chubby you weren’t a dancer.
“My sister wasn’t like that and she was really good – but what it gave me was this real ease on stage which was really useful for stand-up.”
The sisters were very close and Jayde was devastated when Jenna suffered a seizure out of the blue in 2005.
It was then revealed she had a brain tumour, and six years later she passed away aged 28.
Jayde was the fifth celebrity to be announced for Strictly, and shared her excitement with fans.
She said: “Since I watched the first series in 2004, I feel like every step I’ve taken in my career over the last 11 years was to be on Strictly.
“I cannot begin to express the emotions I am feeling, this means so much to me and my family. I’ve always watched it, apart from a brief hiatus in 2011 as I was relentlessly gigging every weekend (to try and get on Strictly).
“I’ve been a massive fan of the show for years. I feel like I’m watching myself in a dream and I can’t believe I’ve manifested this. Holding this in has been torture for me!”
Strictly Come Dancing begins on Saturday, September 17 on BBC One.
