Strictly’s James Cracknell reveals he’s sweating through TEN hour rehearsals and dreaming of dance steps ahead of this week’s tango
STRICTLY’s James Cracknell is dreaming of dance steps after 10-hours training sessions with partner Luba Mushtuk.
James, 47, revealed training is taking over his life and even invading his dreams as he prepares to dance the tango with the Russian beauty.
He told Wednesday’s This Morning: “In my dreams I hear, ‘elbows, shoulders, rhythm’ and and I’m like, ‘we’ve done 10 hours already!’
And Luba admitted she’s putting James through his paces, saying: “He’s doing great. We have put in a lot of hours, taking our time to do it really well.”
Luba is a professional dancer and choreographer, who has competed professionally and played an important role on Strictly Come Dancing for a number of years.
It’s her first time on the main line-up this year and she told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that there will be a few surprises as the pair dance the tango to Spandau Ballet’s hit Gold.
And Olympian James was delighted when Luba was announced as his partner.
Of starring on the show, he said: “The biggest challenge for me is allowing myself to look stupid and fail, letting myself off the leash.”
Luba has been single since dating fellow pro Giovanni Pernice, while James recently went public with his new girlfriend, Cambridge University student Jordan Connell.
They are believed to have met during their time studying at Cambridge – as James is currently working towards a Master of Philosophy degree in human evolution at the prestigious uni.
It comes after The Sun revealed he had got a “quickie” divorce from wife of 17 years Beverley Turner, 45.
The rowing legend divorced Beverley around the same time he was seen looking close with Jordan at the prestigious Henley Regatta.
James and his estranged TV host wife Beverley dissolved their marriage with a decree nisi at London’s Central Family Court.
The couple announced their split in April and have been open about the struggles they have faced since James suffered brain injuries when he was hit by a lorry on a cycle ride in the US.
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The accident left the dad-of-three with epilepsy, a changed personality and a short temper.
Speaking about his personality after the accident, he told This Morning today: “With a head injury, people can’t see it, from my eyes the world was normal, whereas it felt like other people were treating me differently. You feel like they are judging you.”
He added that his personality did change but only for the first part of his recovery.
He said: “It definitely for the first (bit), but also how other people perceive you changes. Then you back off social interactions, and it also questions is that to do with you or the accident?”
Strictly continues on BBC One on 7pm and you can get the FULL celebrity line-up here.