Jason Kelman and Shireen Fyffe Strictly Inverness 2024 winners

Highland News & Media

Transcript

00:00 So first of all, how does it feel to have won?

00:06 Unreal.

00:07 Amazing!

00:08 We've won!

00:09 I can't believe we've just won Strictly 2024.

00:12 What a honour!

00:13 Literally unbelievable.

00:15 We did not think, two weeks ago we were saying that maybe if we try and dance okay, we might

00:20 qualify and get into the final and that was what we were trying to do, was just get into

00:25 the final and dance on the last night.

00:27 To actually go out and we danced, not too bad.

00:31 No we didn't!

00:32 And then to come out, winnerish.

00:35 Yeah, it's surreal, it's unbelievable, it's amazing.

00:39 The most amazing feeling.

00:41 It's all a blur at the moment.

00:43 But yeah, fabulous.

00:45 And what first inspired you to join the competition?

00:48 For me it was my mum.

00:51 She was at the hospice in 2021.

00:54 I said to her at the time that I would do Strictly and here I am, so this one's for my mum.

00:59 She'd be a dead proud of us I think.

01:01 I think so.

01:02 Yeah, I tell her about it all the time, she knows all about it.

01:05 She'll be watching.

01:07 And do you think you've done your mum proud?

01:09 I think so.

01:10 I think so.

01:11 You've done your mum really proud.

01:12 I think she'd be super proud.

01:14 There was obviously a table of hospice nurses there tonight, that obviously meant a lot to you.

01:18 Oh, so, so much.

01:20 And I was there for five months, so their care and love was just the most amazing thing.

01:25 So I'm doing it for them too.

01:26 And we raised loads of money for the hospice.

01:28 And we raised loads of money.

01:29 Which is the most important part of it.

01:31 And for those that don't know, how much did you raise?

01:34 £18,700 I think is what our final total was round about that.

01:40 So yeah, an amazing amount of money.

01:43 And what kind of fundraisers did you do?

01:46 So we did, I think one of our first ones was a curling event.

01:49 We did a curling event here at the ice rink.

01:52 You did a cold switch.

01:54 We did a cold switch.

01:55 We did a yoga at the townhouse.

01:57 Coffee morning.

01:58 Coffee morning.

01:59 My daughter Lily did a dance workshop for Highland Dancing.

02:06 We went out shaking tins.

02:08 We did.

02:09 We did a range of various fundraising events.

02:14 And it was all good.

02:15 It was enjoyable.

02:16 It was loads of fun.

02:17 You mentioned Lily and her dancing.

02:18 Now you're a top dancer.

02:20 Well, well, maybe not quite to Lily's standard.

02:24 But I do have another trophy to now put on the mantelpiece.

02:27 Amongst Lily's trophies.

02:29 So yeah, she'll not be able to say I can't dance anymore.

02:33 Maybe I can dance just a little bit.

02:35 You guys obviously had a connection from the start.

02:38 Do you think that's what really helped?

02:40 Yeah, I would say right from day one.

02:42 We hit it off straight away.

02:44 We had a good laugh.

02:46 We said when we came into this, when we met first, let's just have a good laugh.

02:50 Because I'd said to Shireen, I can't dance.

02:53 Shireen could dance.

02:54 And I said, look, I'm really sorry.

02:56 You've got me as a partner because I literally have two left feet.

03:00 And because I didn't want to do Strictly, I didn't apply to come into Strictly.

03:06 My wife and two daughters put the application form in.

03:10 And I didn't know that had happened until the email came through saying they'd been accepted into Strictly 2024.

03:18 Which at first hearing that was no way.

03:21 I'm not doing that.

03:22 No way would you get me in a dance floor.

03:24 Because I don't dance at weddings or parties.

03:28 I'm one of those guys.

03:30 So to think coming here was the most horrifying thought for me.

03:35 But we're here now.

03:37 We enjoyed the process.

03:39 Loved every minute.

03:40 I've got a couple of moves.

03:42 And how do you think it's changed you?

03:44 I mean, we were obviously talking about it day by day.

03:46 I think for me, dancing wise, it's probably a confidence booster.

03:51 To actually think I went up onto a dance floor in front of, what, 600, 800 people over the last few nights.

03:59 That's a horrifying thought for me.

04:02 And to think I'm out there doing it.

04:04 You've done it.

04:05 But it was great.

04:06 It was great.

04:07 And what's your message for anyone who's maybe thinking about doing it?

04:10 Well, like I said, I was, no way would I do this.

04:15 Now, after the process, I would advise anybody to do it.

04:19 It is one of the best experiences.

04:21 One of the best ones.

04:23 And I've met Shireen, and I think we're friends for life now.

04:26 Absolutely.

04:27 Yes.

04:28 And how would you explain the dancing journey?

04:33 Tough.

04:34 Pretty tough.

04:35 Lots of fun.

04:36 Lots of fun.

04:37 More challenging than I thought.

04:39 Yeah.

04:40 Well, I think our first dance lesson, they said, we're going to teach you how to do, because we did a Charleston and a Quick Step.

04:46 And the first lesson, they said, right, we're going to show you how to do a swivel.

04:49 And I think my first comment was, what's a swivel?

04:52 So I knew nothing about dancing.

04:55 It was tough.

04:57 What was your favourite dance, and what do you think made you win the competition?

05:02 I actually love both the dances.

05:05 They're both quite different.

05:06 Both different in length.

05:08 Don't think we would have a favourite?

05:10 No.

05:11 No, I don't think so.

05:12 We were Quick Step, but then we seemed to just shine through on the Charleston over the last couple of weeks.

05:19 And the last couple of nights, they seemed to like the Charleston.

05:22 Yeah.

05:23 I think we got 10s for it.

05:24 We did.

05:25 Both nights, we were doing Charleston.

05:27 So maybe that is our dance now.

05:29 Maybe.

05:30 And what do you think made you win the competition?

05:33 Hard work.

05:34 Hard work.

05:35 But everyone has said that we're just a good team.

05:37 We always have a good laugh.

05:39 Yeah.

05:40 We were always the ones at the back, whispering what's going on, and finding out, and capering about.

05:46 Our dance tutor, Lara, was always getting on at us.

05:48 We were like the two naughty school kids at the back of the class.

05:51 We just wanted to have a good time.

05:52 We had a good time.

05:53 We had a good laugh.

Category

Transcript

Recommended