She wowed us all in Strictly Come Dancing, leading Ore Oduba to glitterball success in 2016, but Joanne Clifton has plenty more strings to her bow.
She won the World Ballroom Showdance Championship in 2013, and the European Professional Ballroom Championship and World Dancesport Games have been thrilled by her too.
Now she is thrilling audiences across the country in her latest stage role - starring alongside Ben Adams in The Rocky Horror show.
She shared her love of all things theatre with Total MK...
Tell us about your first memory of the theatre
It was either Cats or Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
I don’t remember much about it other than I loved it and would listen to the songs over and over in Dad’s car on the cassette!
And the moment when you realised the theatre was your calling
I’ve always loved singing and always listened to musical theatre songs.
Dad had a musical theatre cassette of Marti Webb we used to listen to and I think I just fell in love with story-telling through song.
Many a time I’ve wanted to give up dancing to pursue Musical Theatre but I decided to carry on and I’ve ended up doing it now!
Any dreadful calamities, or funny happenings on stage that you would care to share with us?
I can’t ride a bike and that’s the first thing I had to do in Flashdance.
I fell off the bike sideways and the whole cast was just trying not to laugh! It was hilarious and I didn’t leave the stage for the first 40 minutes. Soooo hard when all you want to do is laugh.
Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?
Imelda Staunton is my idol. I went back to see her five times in Gypsy in the West End and all times she did it different and still managed to move me to tears.
I also know she never misses a show. I would ask her what HER inspiration is/was.
Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?
I have key words I’ve always said before any performance or competition.
I can’t tell you what they are. Plus I have my grandma's rings on which calm my nerves.
And I have a sparkly pair of shoes which I try to wear at some point in every show I do.
The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business
That if you can’t move the audience to tears in a Rhumba, you’ve not done a Rhumba. In other words... perform from the heart.
What do you think has been your steepest learning curve
I’ve had the same feedback through my whole career. Don’t overdo everything!
How do you fill your spare time while on tour
I have my Disney Kingdoms game on my laptop.
I take acting lessons and am also working on a new secret project with Ben.
Joanne, above left, in Flashdance last year
Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?
EXCITEMENT! Although I always have tummy ache at the beginning of a show!
How can the future of theatre be safeguarded? What would you do to entice new blood to audiences?
Keep the classics but keep the new musicals coming too!
Finally, why should people come and see The Rocky Horror show?
Rocky Horror is a show about being who you want to be – and that’s what we’re all striving for.
It is such a loved show and the funniest show to work on!
To book your seat click here
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