Strictly Come Dancing contestant Graeme Hall has revealed he believed his dancing days were over after suffering a stroke in February 2019. The star, known to supporters as The Dogfather, has since made a full recovery and is currently competing on the BBC show alongside professional dancer Lauren Oakley.
Speaking about his decision to take part in Strictly, he said: "I didn't dance again after the stroke and I just thought that's something that I used to do and that part of life passed me by."
A Decade-Long Dream Realised
He continued: "I've always watched Strictly and there was always the thought that was like, 'Oh, I wonder what it's like being on Strictly, wouldn't it be great?' So when the call came I thought about it for a 10th of a second before I said yes, I was always going to say yes."
Graeme has captured the hearts of viewers by displaying a different side to his personality on the dance floor. During last weekend's live broadcast, he discussed the stroke he endured and performed a moving Couple's Choice routine intended to symbolise hope.
An Emotional Performance
"In terms of the kind of emotions that bring a tear to your eye, I had to struggle to keep it together at the end," he recalled. "It was just a beautiful dance. I've sometimes seen a dance on Strictly and I get a bit emotional. I'm the one in our house who's most likely to shed a tear at a rom-com... but to be dancing a dance that had the same effect on you, yeah, it was very emotional."
He added: "Some of these are different emotions, some are just great fun or exciting, the Samba in particular is a proper show-off dance, but in terms of lump in the throat emotions, nothing will ever top last Saturday. In fact, when I came off the floor, Aljaz Skorjanec said to me, 'You keep that dance with you wherever you go, keep it in your heart, and you'll remember it for the rest of your life,' and he's right."
Inspiring Viewers With a Message of Hope
By sharing his personal journey, Graeme has delivered a message of hope to viewers, receiving a flood of supportive messages from fans. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to tell his story, saying: "I joined Strictly for my own reasons, just because I love the show and I love dancing but then I realised that people were getting in touch and saying - and I didn't see this coming - that the dancing inspires them and that it makes them happy and gives them hope."
He went on: "I guess they see me dancing and think there is light at the end of the tunnel. So to be able to help other people doing something you love is just great. I really wanted to do that dance justice."
Reflecting on the response from viewers, Graeme remarked: "It's nice to put a smile on people's faces." He also recalled receiving a message from a head teacher at a school who is recovering from a stroke. "She said she's really going through it, and just watching me gives her hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The message really is to keep going, there is hope. Not everybody sadly makes a full recovery like me, but there's always hope."
Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6.25pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
