Strictly Come Dancing 2016: Ed Balls confirms he is having a mid-life crisis
One that he is fully embracing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.For anyone wondering what could compel a politician to throw caution to the wind and relaunch their career with an appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Ed Balls can explain.
The answer is as many suspected: a midlife crisis.
Mr Balls, the former Labour cabinet minister whose legacy will forever be overshadowed by the eponymous tweet he accidentally sent on that fateful day, has been criticised for his decision to join the show, with more unforgiving commentators branding the move “tragic”.
But he is determined to make the most of his new-found passion and waltzed down the red carpet with Laura Whitmore in tow at the official Strictly red carpet launch.
“Definitely a mid-life crisis, but I think you’ve got to embrace it and enjoy it,” he told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.
“I’m quite worried about the jive because my hips don’t really move in quite the right way, but I have a great professional partner, and I have three weeks to train. “But it’s a chance to say that politics is about human beings, and that those of us that come out of politics, in my sort of retirement phase, can do things that are quite exciting.
“We’ll get to see whether I can do something big again in the future, but in the mean time, what could possibly be bigger than going on Strictly?”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments