Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley, famed as the fierce competitor Fury, is set to light up the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special with a performance dedicated to her late father, who died just days after she signed up for the show.
A decision made through grief
The 24-year-old athlete and TV personality faced an unimaginable tragedy when her father, former West Yorkshire Police inspector Phil Ounsley, collapsed and died during a hike on Pen-y-ghent in North Yorkshire. The devastating news came shortly after it was announced she would join the festive line-up.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Jodie confessed she was "in two minds" about whether to continue with the special. Her world had been turned upside down, and she seriously considered pulling out. It was her mother who encouraged her to carry on, reminding Jodie how excited and proud her dad had been about her taking part.
"I think if my mum had not encouraged me to carry on, I wouldn't have," Jodie admitted emotionally. "It sounds cheesy but he was literally my hero. We trained together all the time."
Dancing in his memory
Jodie, who is partnered with professional dancer Neil Jones, decided to honour her father's memory by going ahead. She revealed her dad's initial surprise at her taking on a dancing challenge, which quickly turned to excitement at seeing her try something completely new.
"I do feel like he's kind of not left me," she said. "I'm just gonna imagine that he's there watching and I'm gonna dance like he's there and then do my best." She acknowledged that Christmas will look "very, very different" this year, hoping her performance can bring some positive festive joy.
From the Gladiators arena to the ballroom
The Dewsbury-born star is no stranger to competition, having had a successful career in Rugby Union before joining the BBC's reboot of Gladiators. However, swapping her athletic gear for sequins has presented a unique challenge.
"My persona as Fury is very aggressive, tackling people, being serious, but with dance I do have to try and be a bit more... elegant, which I find the hardest!" she explained. Jodie sees it as a chance to show young girls that you can be both "strong and sexy", embracing a softer side often hidden in her Gladiators role.
Overcoming deafness to dance
Jodie faces an additional layer of complexity in her training: she is deaf. Like former Love Islander Tasha Ghouri, who danced on the show last year, Jodie has had a cochlear implant since she was a toddler after being born premature.
She cannot hear the music clearly and instead relies on feeling the beat through her body and closely following her partner's lead. "I don't really hear music much, to be honest," she said. "I just follow Neil and remember the steps."
She has received supportive advice from both Tasha Ghouri and 2021 Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, the show's first deaf champion. Their message was simple: "just enjoy it" and "have fun".
A festive challenge with heart
Despite the lack of a dance-off in the Christmas special, Jodie is tackling her Commercial routine with her trademark competitive spirit. She admits the training has been a shock to her system, using entirely different muscles from her usual athletic pursuits.
"After our first rehearsal I was in absolute bits. And to say I'm an athlete!" she laughed, detailing a recovery regime of hot baths and salts. She hopes to make her father proud with a winning performance, feeling they will have truly earned it given the difficulty of their routine.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special airs on BBC1 at 5.30pm on Christmas Day, featuring Jodie and Neil alongside other celebrities including Scarlett Moffatt and Brian McFadden.
