SAD NEWS: Strictly’s star ‘felt dreadful’ as she opens up on ‘horrible’ experience
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Sarah Storey has opened up about her experience after having her second child, Charlie.
The Paralympian is taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing (Image: BBC)
Dame Sarah Storey has opened up about the challenging time following the birth of her second child, describing how “awful” she felt after experiencing significant blood loss. This weekend, BBC audiences will witness Sarah’s Strictly Come Dancing debut in the much-anticipated launch episode.
Prior to this, the 19-time Paralympic gold medallist discussed her journey so far on Morning Live, offering insight into the demanding rehearsal schedule by disclosing she’d spent six hours practising just one day this week. Sarah is, however, keeping her Strictly partner’s identity strictly confidential, refusing even to tell her family, determined not to accidentally spoil the surprise for viewers.
The athlete touched on her experience after childbirth (Image: BBC)
She revealed this during her Morning Live appearance alongside Gethin Jones and Holly Hamilton.
The athlete also reflected on the difficult period following her second child’s arrival and the dramatic drop in her iron levels. The 48-year-old explained: “After I had my second child, Charlie, I lost a lot of blood and my haemoglobin levels went from really high, nearly 16, which is good as an athlete, to below 10.
“I felt absolutely dreadful, trying to get those iron levels back up and ultimately trying to recover my ferritin stores was really, really hard. I don’t think I’ve ever had high ferritin stores ever since, it’s almost like a permanent change. I don’t know if that’s even a thing. My iron levels are back up and my haemoglobin, but yeah, it was really horrible because you just feel dreadful for such a long time.”
Joining Sarah on the dance floor this weekend will be the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Will Best, Lawrence Robb, John Nellis, Bethany Antonia and Melanie Walters. Singer Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Jaime Winstone, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Tabby Stoecker, and Graeme ‘The Dogfather’ Hall are also competing for the coveted Glitterball this year.
The class of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 (Image: Guy Levy/ BBC)
Before stepping onto the dance floor, Sarah spoke to the BBC about her biggest concerns regarding her involvement in the programme, stating: “The whole thing! I think nerves are always a sign that you care and are invested in giving your best.
“This is a different type of experience and competition to being an athlete, though, because the preparation is completely led by others, and as an athlete, we are used to knowing our events inside out and having more understanding of what good looks like. It’s completely out of my comfort zone to be on national TV doing a competition I know nothing about! But that’s one of the reasons I am so excited too!”
This weekend will also mark the debut of the new presenting team for BBC viewers, following the departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. Taking charge this year are Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
