Mother and son take on TV ballroom challenge

The Secret Life of the Ballroom follows ten everyday people as they prepare to embark in competitive ballroom dancing for the first time.

Contestants include Roberta from Hove, who's roped in her 18-year-old son Harry, as her dance partner.

They will be joined by flamboyant Mike from Birmingham, who has left his husband and beloved dog at home to tread the boards with his best friend Donna.

Also believing they’re ready for the challenge are Heidi and Deej, a pair of award-winning freestyle dancers from near Portsmouth.

In London, young sporty couple Ben and Laura see the competitive challenge as something they can do together, whilst in Bristol, consultants Vanessa and Paul are juggling dance training with their busy working schedules.

The series follows the five pairs of amateur ballroom dancers over three months as they attempt to master six classic routines, including samba, jive and the quickstep, while pulling together show-stopping outfits to help them impress the competition judges.

The Secret Life of the Ballroom airs on Sunday, September 17 at 8pm on W, a satellite channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable, BT TV, TalkTalk TV, and TVPlayer.

Q&A with Roberta and Harry

Whereabouts are you both from?

Roberta: I’m from the Lake District originally and came to Brighton to live 15 years ago via living in London. We live just past the Brighton border in Hove, right by the sea… it’s beautiful and I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Harry: I was born in London and live at home with my bonkers family …

Why did you both decide to take part in the show?

Roberta: I have always loved dancing, and I’m always up for a challenge, and I’ve always loved dressing up. I loved learning to dance with Harry … and all of this was what being part of the show was about. But the biggest part was doing something for just me and Harry before he flew the nest.

Harry: (Laughing) I didn’t decide to do any of it. I was forced into it by my Mum!

Roberta, how difficult was it getting your son Harry to participate in the show with you as your dance partner?

Roberta: Hahaa! VERY! … no not really … at first Harry was totally not up for it. I had applied for the show without telling him, so by the time I told him we were at the audition process he said “we are too far down the rabbit hole now to back out aren’t we Mum!” and yes, we kind of were!

Bless him, he did it all for me and I can never thank him enough. It was one of the best times of my life and it was all down to him. I'm a very VERY lucky Mum.

Harry, what’s it like having your mum as your dance partner? What have your friends said about you appearing in the show?

Harry: I haven’t told my friends yet about the show! It’s alright dancing with my mum, but so embarrassing having to dance the Samba and Tango. Those are two dances that you really DON’T want to be dancing with your mother!

How much dance training did you both have before participating in the show?

Roberta: I have had no dance training, but used to go to vintage tea parties where I would watch people dance and wish I could. So, last year, I made it my New Year’s resolution to learn to dance and enrolled myself into a beginners’ ballroom course. I went for a couple of months without a partner, wishing I had one when I had a brainwave of bribing Harry with £5 for each lesson to get him to come with me… it did the trick!

Harry: I have danced before at drama classes but never ballroom/Latin

Does dance place a role in your day to day life? Do you go dancing anywhere in particular in your local area?

Roberta: I'd be lost now without ballroom and Latin in my life! I dance twice a week in lessons, but not with Harry anymore as he hung up his dance shoes after the last competition. I have just qualified to dance at the ISTD Grand Finals at BLACKPOOL this year in November … it’s a dance dream come true!

Harry: I’d never say never to dancing again, but at the moment my dance shoes are staying in their dance bag for the foreseeable future!

What was your favourite dance you had to learn on the show? Why?

Roberta: I love them all! I love the party vibes of Cha Cha and Samba, but I also loved the flow and romance of the waltz. Plus, both of the dresses I was lucky enough to wear made me either feel like a show girl or a Hollywood movie star, which helped!

Harry: The jive was my favourite dance as I felt the most comfortable dancing it. It’s similar to rock and roll, which is a dance I had learnt before for a school production of Grease.

What was the hardest dance to learn?

Roberta: I find it really hard to learn steps … I have to repeat a step about 30 times before muscle memory kicks in and then when nerves kick in on the competition dance floor I’ve had it and forget everything. Luckily, Harry finds steps easy to learn and remember. He’s a very good lead, so he pushes me in the right direction if I forget! In a way, all the dances were hard, but if I had to choose one it would be the tango. Having a moody, stern face is not really my strong point.

Harry: I found them all quite easy to learn. It was keeping control of my mum that was the hard bit.

What did you enjoy most about participating in the show?

Roberta: There wasn’t one thing I didn’t love about the whole experience. The dresses, the dances, but mostly doing it all with Harry.

Harry: The last dance! Also knowing I wasn’t off to dance practice three times a week with my mum!

Tell us in no more than five words why people should tune in…

Roberta: It will make you want to dance (sorry that’s seven!) … and shows you that anyone can do it, even a Mum and teenage son!

Harry: Watch a son get embarrassed. lol!