Will Best has been warned by his Hits Radio co-star Sam Thompson not to get "sucked in" to Strictly Come Dancing, as the presenter prepares to juggle the dance show with Big Brother hosting duties.
Sam, who hosts the Staying Relevant podcast, has watched the show closely through his best friend Pete Wicks, who competed in series 22, and his former girlfriend Zara McDermott, who joined in 2023. He shared his advice during a recent podcast interview with Will.
Advice from someone who's been around Strictly
Sam said: "Bit of advice for you, and I've not done Strictly, but my God, have we been around it, from Pete and ex-girlfriends and whatever, I would say it consumes your life. And the best thing that you have, and I think Fleur probably has given you this as well, the best advice you can ever get is stay in the real world as much as you can. Do not get sucked in."
He added: "Because they try to suck you into - and 'they' doesn't mean anyone - that's not the BBC, or anything. It's just the zeitgeist. It tries to suck you into, 'This is life'. And the best thing you can do, I think, is remain in real life."
Sam also said his experience on Big Brother and at Hits Radio would "massively help" Will handle what's ahead, adding he's "lucky" to have those past roles to draw on during the competition.
Will's approach to the competition
Will hinted he might need to take a similar mental approach to the one he uses for Big Brother, confessing he has to flip his brain into "Big Brother mode", immerse himself in the programme, and absorb the online chatter surrounding it. He explained: "Otherwise, I would just sit there stewing and being like, 'I can't remember the steps. I'm gonna be s**t.'"
Sam responded: "It's the worst thing you can do. And then you can't get out of that hole. It's really, really (tough) - in the best possible way, by the way, cos it's such a huge, amazing, brilliant show."
Balancing Strictly and Big Brother
As the latest series of Strictly gets underway, some viewers have wondered how Will could manage the show's gruelling rehearsal schedule while continuing his Big Brother hosting duties. One Facebook user asked: "Just curious… how will Will Best going to host Big Brother if he's also in Strictly Come Dancing?"
The BBC has revealed his packed timetable will see him rehearse for Strictly before presenting Big Brother live on Friday nights, then returning for the Strictly live show on Saturday.
The conversation follows Will's announcement that he'll be temporarily taking a break from his radio commitments while juggling Strictly and Big Brother. His presenting partner, Fleur, broke the "sad" news during the live Breakfast Show. She announced: "Now, we all know right now our very own Will Best is the busiest man in show business. Hits Radio Breakfast, Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing. Will, we're going to give you a little break... A gift from us to you."
Will replied: "Oh, that's really sweet, thanks guys! [I'm going to] polish up the dancing shoes, get the twinkly toes ready to go. And that means that I can represent you guys to the best of my ability."
