Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian are HUGE fans of Strictly Come Danciing

Caroline Quentin has revealed Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian are huge fans of strictly Come Dancing and will be tuning in to support her on the new series.

The two actresses are starring alongside each other in the upcoming film Father Christmas Is Back and Caroline admitted no one is more excited for her chances on Strictly than Elizabeth and her son.    

Asked about the response she has got from people since she was revealed to be a contestant, Caroline said: ‘I’ve been so surprised. 

‘Until you’re in the eye of the storm you don’t really know how much people love something. I’ve been working with Elizabeth Hurley and she’s more excited about it than anyone I’ve ever met. 

‘She has told me so much information about the programme that I didn’t know, past years and winners, what’s happened and how to go about it. 

‘She and her son Damien have been extraordinarily supportive. In my local grocer, I got a round of applause when I went to buy some fruit!’   

When asked who her biggest competition is, Caroline replied: ‘I think anyone under 60. Anyone with a pair of knees that function really well, I think might be my competition. Youth and energy are going to be the thing that might hold me back. 

‘It might be my stumbling block when you look at people in their 20s who are sports people, and then you look at me and you think there might be a bit of a discrepancy here. But I’m not, I’m going to give it my best shot.’ 

Caroline said that the coronavirus lockdown was one of the motivating factors in her decision to do Strictly.  

She said: ‘It’s definitely something to do with the times we’re living in. I was about to do a play at the National Theatre which was cut short as we all went into lockdown, so I was reeling a bit from that. 

‘Then Strictly came, and I thought, this might be something just delightfully fun. It’s pretty bleak out there for people at the moment and I wanted to do something for myself that was joyful, but also for all of us, my family and friends and, God Almighty people love it. It was definitely the right choice.’

When asked what she’s looking for in a dance partner, Caroline joked she’ll need someone with big muscles.

She said: ‘I’m looking for expertise, a problem solver, someone who knows if I’m struggling with something and can find a way around to make it excellent. 

‘Someone with a sense of humou ,r. If there’s any lifting involved, I’m going to need someone with a bit of bicep action.’

Caroline is also not afraid to admit she has a competitive streak, adding: ‘It’s really not a secret. There’s little point in going into anything, whether it be a game of snap or Strictly Come Dancing without some intention to do well and I really want to do well.’

Strictly Come Dancing’s launch show premieres on October 17 while the live show start the following week on October 24 on BBC One.