Donna Richardson Travel Journalist

By Donna Richardson

The new season of Dancing with the Stars Australia is back tonight (Sunday 7 July) and available to stream on 7 and 7plus. Former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Ian Waite opened the show with a red hot tango paired with actress Lisa McCune of Blue Heelers .

This season features a fresh line up of stars like Ant Middleton, Ben Cousins, Hayden Quinn, James Stewart, Julie Goodwin, Nadia Bartel, Nikki Osborne, Nova Peris, Samanda Jade, and Shane Crawford, who are all striving to support their chosen charities on the show alongside their professional dance partners.

This year is 20 years since Ian made his TV debut on Strictly Come Dancing but as he appears on Dancing With the Stars Australia he is still in tip top shape:  He said:

“I never thought I would return to the show as a dancer, but the opportunity for Dancing with the Stars Australia (the first series) came just at the right time for me.”

Ian immersed himself in the show and fell in love with Australia. He was particularly fond of Melbourne and loved to drive down the coast with his dogs and surfboard in the back. He spoke highly of Sydney, praising its amazing city and nearby beaches.

He also took the chance to work on his fitness with personal trainer Tony McFadden, who has helped him to transform his body from 50 percent fat/50 percent muscle to 80 percent muscle. This means that at the age of 53 he is still in tip top shape.

“Even in Australia, I followed an online program he provided, working out four to five times a week. As a 53-year-old dancer, I prioritised staying lean and pushed myself, especially during Dancing with the Stars Australia. Wearing Lycra on the big show motivated me to lose weight and gain muscle. It’s taken me two years to shed the weight gained during the lockdown and another two years to transform my body. I focused on rebuilding muscle and strength through weight training. I’ve got a fitness brand called Fit Steps that also keeps me supple.”

During Strictly, 20 years ago. he was hesitant to publicly come out as gay because he was worried it might affect his chances of success on the show, but now he says the show is much more inclusive.

“Nowadays, it’s great to see that being open about one’s sexuality is embraced and accepted. It’s heart warming that kids growing up today can witness same-sex dancing on TV and view it as a normal and wonderful thing. Last year, we saw fantastic dancers like Layton and Nikita on the show, proving that talent and dedication are what really matter. It’s amazing that the younger generation won’t see same-sex dancing as unusual or strange, unlike 20 years ago.

Ian has always been creative, his passion for drawing helped him focus at school, and he even won a drawing competition at the age of 13. Interestingly, Ricky Gervais also lived in the same area, went to the same school and happens to be married to his mum’s cousin, so it’s a small world indeed.

But he might never have pursued dancing, if it weren’t for his parents’ divorce. After his parents split, his dad took him to dance classes, because a friend had told him that he had a good chance of meeting someone new. He ended up falling in love with the dance teacher, who became Ian’s stepmother.

When a 10 year old Ian Waite accompanied his younger brother to a Saturday dance class, it didn’t take long to see just what a natural born performer and dancer he was. Ian credits his step mum for recognising his potential and pushing him to succeed. With her guidance, he had the opportunity to train with some of the top coaches in the world at a young age. By 18, he became the European youth champion in dancing, and a successful dancer and coach on Strictly Come Dancing.

Winner of the Dutch Professional, UK Ten Dance, Amateur Latin American Championship as well as countless other international achievements, Ian has proved again and again to be an immensely talented and respected performer, teacher and choreographer.

Reflecting on his 20 years since appearing on the show, Ian said: “The process of selecting contestants by the producers is wonderful. They consider who will pair well with whom, aiming for chemistry. I’ve been matched very well in Australia, it’s been fantastic. The producers need to find the right match between the celebrity and the professional because it truly enhances the show.

“You can’t train with somebody for four months non-stop, eight hours a day, without forming a great relationship. You always have that special bond with your dance partners as you spend so much time together. I’m very close to my ex-dance partners, I see Jodie Kidd and Penny Lancaster regularly and Denise Lewis, my partner in 2004 and I came second on the first series. I was dancing with Zoe Ball in the final against Colin Jackson and Erin Boag.”

Denise and Colin will also be on tv presenting the Olympics later this month and coincidentally, Ian got to hang out with them in the sunshine along with his Strictly Come Dancing colleagues James and Ola Jordan after they put on a celebrity launch at the new 150 million Euro five-star Anda Barut collection resort in Turkey, which also included Olympic presenter Rebecca Adlington.

“The Olympians held boot camps and private classes so they were busy but they still found time to check out my Fitsteps dance classes. That was phenomenal.  Like everyone else, I am excited for the Games looking forward to watching it on the BBC this summer and then of course, Strictly is back in the autumn.”

Ian joined Strictly during the show’s second series after moving back to England from Holland, where I  was a champion dancer. The show has brought ballroom dancing back into the modern day, showing that classic arts are timeless. I wanted to be part of it because the people on the show were my former competitors. I bumped into Camilla Dallera, who had split up with her dance partner Brendan and asked me to start dancing together. She also mentioned that the BBC was looking for new professional dancers for series two, so that was that. Ian danced on the show for five years and then appeared regularly on its sister show, ‘It Takes Two.’

I believe Strictly Come Dancing’s enduring success lies in its honesty and diverse celebrity performances. The live, competitive nature of the show allows audiences to witness contestant growth and exceptional performances. The producers’ ability to keep the show fresh and wholesome has contributed to its popularity as a glittering Saturday night entertainment staple.

Ian is also preparing for the Legends of the Dancefloor – The Men of Strictly tour which takes place at venues across the country from 1 October.

“It’s been a long time coming. Now Brendan Cole, Vincent Simone. James Jordan and Pasha Kovalev have all had kids and I’ve just had dogs. We are twenty years older but we are still fit and ready to rock the dance floor.”