Dani wants to bring home the glitterball
Richard Ashton • Published 22 Dec 2012 15:30
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HOMETOWN heroine Dani Harmer is having "the best time of her life" as she goes for glory in tonight's Strictly Come Dancing final.
More than 10m TV viewers have, week by week, watched the Easthampstead actress move from pre-show outsider to the brink of the title.
The star - best known for her role as Tracy Beaker in the CBBC series of the same name - now wants to bring the famous glitterball trophy home to Bracknell.
She told the News this week: "It would mean everything to win because we've worked so hard.
"I don't know how it's going to go but I just can't thank everyone in Bracknell enough for their support.
"If they can keep voting for one more week it would be brilliant. If we won it would be the best moment ever."
The 23-year-old has enjoyed an incredible journey over the twelve weeks of the BBC One series and said: "I feel like I've won already by making the final. When it first started I hoped to stay for a couple of weeks. Then I hoped to make it to Wembley (week seven).
"To be in the final is amazing. It's nerve-racking every week, but you kind of forget about it when you start dancing."
In tonight's final, Dani and her "friend for life" dance partner Vincent Simone - the self-christened "Team Smurf" because of their short stature - could dance up to three times.
The other celebrities in the final are singer Kimberley Walsh, gymnast Louis Smith and actress Denise van Outen. In the first half of the final Dani and Vincent will dance the judges' choice of the tango and a showdance.
After a first round of public voting, one of the four celebrities and their dance partner will be eliminated.
The remaining three contestants will perform their favourite dance of the series - in Dani and Vincent's case, the jive - before a final round of voting to decide the winner.
Dani's mum Jill, who lives in Crown Wood and will be in the audience tonight, said they were "very happy Harmers."
She said: "The best thing is she's never been in the bottom two and I think that means almost as much as making the final.
Dani went to Wildridings Primary School and attended Martin's Heron School of Dance as a child before going on to Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead.
Gill Twyford, who taught Dani at Wildridings, said: "The whole school has been watching and everyone's totally behind her. I just hope she can do it and we think she's done amazingly."
The final is on BBC One tonight, between 6.30-7.55pm and 8.50-10.05pm.
This article appeared in Bracknell News 22 Dec 12
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