A former Blackburn pupil and presenter opens up about being ‘scared’ to compete in Strictly but says he didn’t want to miss out on an amazing experience after difficult times.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the main presenter on Channel 4 News, will be competing in the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing which launches tonight (September 16).

The journalist admitted that before training for the competition, he was “not a fit person” and never exercised so his biggest worry was about whether he could “actually physically do it”.

Explaining why he decided to go for the opportunity, he said: “I have been asked to do Strictly before and it has always been a pretty hard no. But this year I think it's maybe a combination of post pandemic, the time of my life, knowing lots of people have been going through tough times.

“I just thought you only live once and this is going to be amazing fun. Why deprive yourself from that amount of joy in your life when you don’t need to?”

From fronting worldwide events including the Omagh bombing of 1998, 9/11 and the 2008 Mumbai attacks, to donning glitter and sequins, Guru-Murthy says he is willing to be ‘Strictly-fied’ on the show.

He said: “I think when I first thought about Strictly it was, ‘well you are not going to wear any of that ridiculous stuff!’ and ‘you can’t do glittery and you can’t do sequins and you have got to maintain some dignity’ but the more I think about it, the more I think you just have to place your trust in Strictly and the process.

“If you are going to entertain then you have got to do everything that is involved, and that involves costume.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Krishnan Guru Murthy

Part of this transformation was inspired by former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Ed Balls who was on the show in 2016.

Guru-Murthy, who used to attend Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QEGS) in Blackburn, said: “I thought the way he handled it was just brilliant because my initial reaction when I heard that Ed was doing it was, that’s going to be awful,” Guru-Murthy said. “He was such a triumph and it was such a personal triumph for him and it transformed his life.”

Despite not having danced since his thirties, Guru-Murthy is ready to dust of his dancing shoes as he has his eye on the Glitterball trophy.

He said: “I used to be the twenty-something who would dance at night clubs and at parties. My sister reminded me the other day, that I think when I was about five, I went into the back of her ballet class, and I probably took part in some way, but that’s it.

“I will do absolutely everything I can to do as well as I possibly can, but I also live in the real world.”