Jo Wood declares Strictly Come Dancing as one of the best things she has done
Jo Wood took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, and she is proud to have done the hit BBC Latin and ballroom dance show.
Strictly Come Dancing is one of the best things Jo Wood has done in her life.
The 70-year-old TV personality panicked about her future after splitting from Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, 78, in 2008 over allegations he was unfaithful, with Jo filing for divorce in 2009 and it being finalised in 2011.
But the former model breathed a sigh of relief when bosses of the hit BBC Latin and ballroom dance show asked if she wanted to do the programme in 2009.
Jo wrote in her guest column in the new issue of Woman's Weekly magazine: "When I became single, I remember thinking, 'What am I going to do with my life now?'
"I thought my future was all planned out, but it wasn't to be.
"The best thing for me was being offered Strictly Come Dancing."
On Strictly Come Dancing, Jo's professional dance partner was Brendan Cole, 49 - whose last series was in 2017 after the corporation did not renew his contract, citing an "editorial decision" in January 2018.
She finished in 11th place - the sixth celebrity to be booted off the show - after her and Brendan's samba in week six was branded a "dance disaster" and scored 14 points by the then-judges, Craig Revel Horwood, 60, the late Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, 46, and Bruno Tonioli, 69.
Jo admitted she was petrified about doing the show, but decided to do Strictly Come Dancing after her mum Rachel Lundell encouraged her to do the programme.
She continued in her magazine column: "I was so scared about it, but my mum said, 'Come on, Josephine, if you don't do this now, you'll regret it.'"
Jo's experienced on Strictly proved to her why you should always try new things.
She added: "And that's one thing I've never wanted in life: regrets.So, I began to emerge from my shell and attempt something I'd never done before.
"Whatever it is in life, I think it's so important to try new things.
"I even went back to the gym and got into boxing. It was great at releasing tension in my body."
The 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing begins on September 20, with the launch show - the annual pre-recorded programme at Elstree Studios, in which the show's hosts Tess Daly, 56, and Claudia Winkleman, 53, will pair up the 15 celebrities taking part in the programme with their professional dance partners.
The 15 celebrities battling it out to win the coveted Glitterball Trophy are 36-year-old Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey - also known as Nitro from BBC's Gladiators - Love Island star Dani Dyer, 29, retired footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, and Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston, 62.
Also, YouTuber-and-podcaster George Clarke, 25, EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal, 46, trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein, 23 - the first model with Down Syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue magazine - and RuPaul's Drag Race UK star La Voix, 45, will grace the ballroom floor.
In addition, retired England rugby player Chris Robshaw, 39, The Apprentice 2019 candidate Thomas Skinner, 34, former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, 37, and Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis, 66, were also confirmed to be taking part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
And completing this year's line-up are Lorraine and Good Morning Britain's Los Angeles Correspondent Ross King, 63, former England women's football player Karen Carney, 38, and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, 30 - who replaced Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn, 49, after he withdrew from the series for medical reasons.
