Delta Goodrem has addressed questions about her dance experience after a show-stopping Strictly Come Dancing debut left viewers wondering whether she had trained before. The Australian singer and professional partner Kai Widdrington earned 29 points for their Samba on Saturday's first live show, finishing second on the leaderboard.
Delta's explanation was clear: she attended dance classes as a child, but has no formal ballroom or Latin training. Despite years of performing around the world, the 41-year-old said dancing had rarely been part of her job.
No formal ballroom training
Speaking to new Strictly host Emma Willis in a BBC interview, she explained why she did not believe her stage experience would give her an advantage. She told Emma: "I love dancing, but I don't get to dance. It's never been my role. My music doesn't sit in the space where I do a lot of choreography. I don't do a lot of dancing, and I don't think people associate me with dance. I've never done ballroom. I didn't even know there was a difference between Latin and ballroom until yesterday."
There was little sign of that unfamiliarity when Delta closed Saturday's show. Having waited backstage for more than two hours, she delivered a confident routine that brought both Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas to their feet. Motsi said: "I just got, for the first time this season, really, this is not a lie, I got goosebumps. You turned around and I'm like, 'This is a queen'."
Viewer reactions
One viewer on X questioned whether Delta's ability was fair on her fellow contestants, writing: "Delta has obviously danced before, once again @bbcstrictly it's not fair". Others rushed to praise her. One supporter posted: "Just did some research and apparently Delta has no dance training so that was even more impressive whewwww."
Another commented: "Delta was fantastic.. episode 1 and dancing like that? Wow imagine what delta will be like in 2 months time because she will be going far.. and I will say potentially final." [Sic]
Past humiliation and new confidence
Delta's new-found confidence on the dance floor follows a much less comfortable moment in the public eye. In 2014, American actor Marlon Wayans shared a viral video mocking her dancing at a Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert.
Reflecting on the experience on The Life of Bryony podcast in 2025, she said the ridicule had been difficult at first, but ultimately helped her stop worrying about how she looked while dancing. "There's always been that little bit in me that was a little bit shy to dance," she shared. "That freedom that moment gave me, it's like if someone keeps pressing on a certain point where they're like, 'You can't dance.' And you're like, 'You know what? Awesome.'"
"Now I could dance in the street, I could dance right here. I could show you all my dance moves. I have no fear when it comes to dancing. All because I'd been completely humiliated. Thank you, now I can do an entire dance routine in my shows. I love it. I am ready to go."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.
