Bobby Brazier admits BBC Strictly Come Dancing changed him in a way he never expected

Strictly Come Dancing finalist Bobby Brazier has detailed how the show has changed him.

The EastEnders star is just one of the celebrities in the final – alongside Ellie Leach and Layton Williams – and he is grateful to have made it all the way to the last hurdle after nearly missing out on a semi-final exit.

Bobby has loved being partnered with Dianne Buswell and has previously spoken of his love and adoration for her, but he recently admitted that the show has changed him in ways he can’t even imagine. Opening up on his time on the show for the last few months, he has vowed to take a little bit of Dianne with him after the show ends.

Speaking to The Mirror and other press, Bobby revealed: “I’d like to think that hopefully I’ve taken a little bit of Dianne – like the resilience and the determination and the vision and the creativeness. More than just being able to move so well, it is the resilience and the determination and all those things. I really hope that I can take those things with me too.”

Dianne then chimed in to add what she had learned from her time with the actor: “I’ve definitely taken a little bit of zen from Bobby,” before Bobby quipped back: “I think I’ve probably lost a little bit of zen.”

As part of the final, he will re-perform a routine he had previously danced to, dedicated to his late mother Jade Goody.

Speaking about the significance of the song, he said: “To me, this song is just perfect. My dad used to play it when I was young, maybe about eight or nine, and it was really impactful for me. The lyrics are really profound. Maxwell sings, ‘I should be crying, but I just can’t let it show’, and when I was younger, I’d never cry… I’d never let myself feel vulnerable enough.

“Those lyrics were the only thing that did make me cry because I knew they were so true. At the time, it was easier to be angry or resentful or fearful. I have definitely learned to let go of the anger now. I don’t want to be angry. Why would I?”

He added: “For me, this dance is about the difference between the vulnerability of being honest with yourself, and allowing yourself to grow through love. Or doing what’s easy, and being angry and resentful because it’s too hard to change. My experience of that has been through the loss of my mum but as humans, I think we all experience those things, so I think everyone can relate to it.”