Rachel's six-year countdown to Strictly: Maths whiz joins dance show which inspired her wedding and 21st birthday
- To prepare for the first dance at her wedding she rehearsed with one of the programme’s professional dancers
- And she marked her 21st birthday with a party themed around the popular BBC show
By EMMA LOWE
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Tonight she will swap the word and number puzzles of Countdown for the sequins and sparkly gowns of Strictly Come Dancing.
And looking at these pictures, it’s clear that Rachel Riley has been dreaming of this moment for some years.
Not only did she mark her 21st birthday with a party themed around the popular BBC show, but for the first dance at her wedding she rehearsed with one of the programme’s professional dancers.
Countdown's maths genius Rachel Riley said choosing her outfits for the Strictly Come Dancing programme had been 'absolute girl heaven'
The 27-year-old Oxford graduate is pictured below left at the Strictly birthday party she organised with two university friends. She is wearing a black velvet dress which she decorated by hand with silver sequins.
‘We were students, so the girls had a chance to dress up more glamorously and to be in a nice frock and have a good dance,’ she said. ‘For the boys it was a chance to get a bit silly.
‘We had all types of dancing from different genres. I always loved the Strictly dresses, so I wanted to recreate that.’
Rachel Riley pictured left during her Strictly-themed 21st birthday party and, right, during her wedding dance, also Strictly inspired, with husband Jamie
Last year Miss Riley sought inspiration from Strictly again when she married Jamie Gilbert, whom she met when studying mathematics at Oriel College.
To prepare for their first dance at the wedding reception she had an intense one-hour session with Izabela Dance, a professional who appeared in series three of Strictly.
It meant that she and her new husband were able to take a confident spin around the room to the Andy Williams hit Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
Countdown presenter Rachel: 'These dresses are stunning,' she said. 'It's going to be really boring when I go back to Countdown!'
Miss Riley, who will join 14 other celebrity contestants as Strictly returns for its 11th series tonight, said that choosing her outfits for the programme had been ‘absolute girl heaven’.
‘These dresses are stunning,’ she said. ‘It’s going to be really boring when I go back to Countdown!’
But in what could be considered a warning for whoever partners her on the show, she admitted: ‘I’ve never had any grace, I’ve always been clumsy.
‘I have a ridiculous amount of bruises already from kicking myself. I would just like to learn to control my limbs.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2414530/Rachels-Rileys-countdown-Strictly-Maths-whiz-joins-dance-inspired-wedding.html#ixzz2eE5569uT
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