Strictly Come Surrey 2025 – my experience!

Ballroom and Latin Dance Club is deeply important to me. When I joined Surrey back in 2019 I struggled to integrate and fit in – but I was very lucky to find a home in BLDC. One of the first things I learned about was this wonderful thing called Strictly Come Surrey!

 

My Strictly journey

 

I talk a lot about what makes Surrey so special. I talk about our community and our willingness to go above and beyond to support one-another, creating experiences that you just can’t get anywhere else. Well, I don’t think you can get a better example of our community spirit than Strictly Come Surrey. It is the ultimate collaboration project, with student volunteers across many societies pitching in to create something beautiful. So back when I was new to BLDC, I was super excited to learn some dance routines and perform on the dancefloor, with support from Stage Crew and StagTV.

 

Then COVID happened. I tend not to talk about the pandemic – for those of us who lost years of our University experience because of it, it is a sensitive thing to talk about. The time that I lost is something I am still processing. And one of the big projects to get cancelled was Strictly Come Surrey 2020, with social distancing restrictions making group routines (and partner dancing!), temporarily, a thing of the past. The pandemic was tough for clubs and societies – it stifled participation, limited the practical experience of committees, and hugely blocked the passing of the baton that is so important when running large-scale productions.

 

But the world slowly recovered from the pandemic, and so did BLDC. We arrive at 2022 – I am Treasurer of BLDC, and the committee decide it’s finally time to bring back the show. But a hangover of recent years meant that the collaborative effort between BLDC, other societies, and Students’ Union staff simply wasn’t possible. So we hired a primary school hall, I cobbled together a shoestring budget, and we did it ourselves. Introducing: Strictly Come Surrey 2022!

This first show was formative for me – giving me a taste of both performing (as a then ‘celebrity’ beginner) and seeing a show come together. Fast forward one year and we bring Strictly back to campus, with support from Stage Crew, StagTV, and students from GSA helping to bring the show together at our own Ivy Arts Centre. Strictly Come Surrey 2023 and 2024 were phenomenal returns back to the broadcasted live show, and it was a privilege to perform as a ‘professional’ at each!

 

Strictly Come Surrey 2025 – back and bigger than ever!

 

This year, the team had greater ambitions than ever before. Strictly came back to University Hall for the first time since 2019, bringing back that crucial experience of being able to dance and perform around the room. A dream that could only have been realised with the tireless work of Stage Crew and StagTV, to prepare the iconic stage and set up the masterful broadcast using industry-standard cameras. Not only that, but this year introduced live music to the event, with the help of the wonderful talent of the University of Surrey’s Big Band! I started this article talking about the community spirit that defines Surrey, and so defines Strictly. This year’s show takes that principle to new heights, coordinating an army of volunteers across different disciplines and levels of experience to deliver an incredible show.

 

Underpinning all of this of course are the performers themselves! I have been on both sides of the coin – celeb and pro – and know how much dedication and vulnerability it takes to learn or devise a routine to be performed, live, to hundreds of people. Every year, the celebrities’ dedication, whether they are a staff member or a student, is remarkable. From watching the broadcast you can see the personality and passion that each couple brought to the dancefloor, brought to new heights thanks to the live band!

 

Every minute of performance represents hours of behind-the-scenes work, though. From the creative vision set out by the production team, to the hours of rigging or rehearsal, I watched as every member of the team threw themselves at the challenges, united under the goal of putting on an unforgettable experience. It was humbling to see their creativity at work and I was, as ever, awed at the team’s level of professionalism.

 

For my own role, I had the comparatively simple job of hosting alongside one of our talented GSA students, Cara. That meant I was fortunate enough to see a slice of each team’s work and, right up until the last dress rehearsal, I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pitch into the creative vision. One of the greatest parts about the show’s pre-production was that anyone could offer up an idea, leading to many of the iconic moments of the show.

 

All in all, this is a Strictly to go down in the history books. If you haven’t yet seen it, check out the livestream on YouTube through this link. Thank you, once more, for everybody who helped create this unforgettable show. If you want to be a part of next year’s production, drop a follow to @strictlycomesurrey on Instagram!

But the show isn’t quite over.

 

…there’s more to this story, though. Like I said up top, BLDC and Strictly mean the world to me. About two hours before the doors opened for the start of the show, I had an epiphany. See, whilst I have been lucky enough to be supported by people all around Surrey, I am especially lucky for having the compassion and care of my partner, Jade.

 

I was standing on the dancefloor, working with Stage Crew to rehearse my presenting and program my spotlight. It was there that I realised that the room was going to be full my BLDC family, colleagues, and friends who have been with me through it all. So I ran to the nearest Beryl bike, sped all the way home, picked up a certain something, and headed straight for the TV Studio managing the show’s broadcasting. There, I enlisted the help of Carl Moller and Katie Martin to spring a surprise on the crowd after the broadcast ended, but the cameras kept rolling. I will forever be grateful for everyone involved in Strictly for allowing me one final gift – a gift no one else will get to give, and one for which I will forever be grateful.

 

The rest, I think, is history. Particularly for myself and my now fiancée!