Sophie Ellis-Bextor On Why She REALLY Signed Up To Strictly Come Dancing

The Murder On The Dancefloor singer and mum-of-three talks exclusively to Marie Claire in our January issue, on sale today

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a little bit of a legend in our eyes. She's sold millions of records, she's a mum to three boys, and she's jiving away on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor every Saturday night – yet she's still totally grounded.

In the January issue of Marie Claire, on sale today, Sophie tells us exactly why she signed up – and it wasn't so the public could see a different side of her.

She said: 'It was more about the desire to shake things up a bit. I really had no idea what I'd be like [at dancing], so there's a bit of a risk element. It was petrifying – you get so nervous before you dance – but it's also a privilege. You don't have many experiences in life when you're really exhilarated and full of adrenaline. I wanted to push myself – it's too early in life to coast along.

When Sophie arrived for our interview, she was dressed down and in between rehearsals for the show, so her dance partner Brendan Cole came along for the ride. He jokes: 'You only have lunch with your partner during rehearsals if you're getting on. I am ridiculously inspired by Sophie and she has a fantastic work ethic – probably better than anyone else I've partnered with on the show.'

For more on our meeting, plus all the pictures and the latest on how Sophie juggles her private life – and what she has to say about THAT tattoo, pick up our January issue, on sale now.

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