November 16th 2024.
Tommy Blaize, a beloved star on Strictly Come Dancing, has been a fixture on the show for an impressive 20 years. However, despite his long tenure on the show, many viewers may not even know what he looks like.
Tommy, a talented singer with a career spanning five decades, joined the BBC's popular dancing series when it first premiered in 2004. Since then, he has been a consistent presence on the show, performing live every week as a part of the show's talented band.
While the show's spotlight usually shines on the celebrity contestants, their dance partners, and the judging panel, Tommy is often heard but not seen. However, after his first solo tour last year, Tommy has grown more comfortable with the idea of gaining a public profile.
When Strictly first started, even those involved were not convinced it would last. Tommy recalls a conversation with Len during the show's opening where Len asked him what he would be doing the following week, hinting that he didn't think the show would have a long run. However, 20 years later, the show is still going strong.
Despite his years of experience, Tommy admits that each week on the show can still be nerve-wracking. Along with the other singers and the band, he learns up to 18 songs each week, practicing them around 10 times each. It can be a hectic and chaotic schedule, but Tommy embraces the challenge.
Of course, with the show's massive popularity comes a fair share of pressure. One of Tommy's biggest fears over the years has been tackling songs in different languages. However, he has conquered this fear by singing in Korean, German, Spanish, French, and even Tamil on the show.
Despite the demands and pressure of the job, Tommy cherishes his role on Strictly. He describes it as having the best seat in the world, getting to witness the couples' performances from the front and center. When asked about some of the most memorable moments from the show, Tommy mentions Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's performance to "You'll Never Walk Alone" as one that stands out to him.
However, with live television comes the possibility of things going wrong. In a 2006 episode, Tommy experienced one such moment when cricketer Mark Ramprakash and his dance partner Karen Hardy's microphones became tangled in their clothes. But, as always, the show must go on, and Bruce Forsyth came to the rescue, as he always did.
Last year, after years of performing in the background, Tommy decided it was time to step out on stage as a solo artist. He had 51 shows around the country and has more scheduled for 2025. Despite his success as a solo artist, Tommy has no plans to leave Strictly anytime soon. He loves being able to perform in front of the whole nation and work with such a talented band every week.
Tommy's journey in the music industry started when he was just nine years old, performing with his two siblings as part of the Blaize Brothers group. He has since worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Stevie Wonder, Queen, and Amy Winehouse, to name a few.
With a career spanning five decades and counting, Tommy's love for music and performing is still as strong as ever. And we can't wait to see what he brings to the Strictly stage in the years to come.
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