Dancing with strangers
Marianne Macdonald fo The Scotsman interviews Wayne Sleep

The ballet dancer Wayne Sleep is, by now, deep in the heart of the Australian rainforest, starring in I’m A Celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here! I wonder if it is a good idea. There is something a bit undignified about being decanted into the jungle for a television show. Fine if you are a D-list celeb with a failing career. But the man Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet, said was the greatest virtuoso dancer the Royal Ballet ever produced? A man who is in his mid-fifties? Who knows all the royals?

Sleep, when I meet him as he prepares to leave London, does not seem to give a hoot. "George didn’t think I should go," he admits airily, referring to his long-suffering PA, George Lawson. "But I’m dying to get away from London. I love working with other people as a team, and I want to see how I cope.

"Normally I go on holidays with all the trimmings. Of course, George is going to be in the hotel where the partners are put up, leading the life of Riley."

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and a very brief update:

Viewers rat on ballet star
From The Scotsman

FORMER ballet dancer Wayne Sleep was today preparing to don a "rat-food suit" and crawl amongst 300 live rats in I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here!

Sleep took the news calmly after he received the most votes from the British public watching last night’s show.

Unofficial figures revealed I’m a Celebrity has already pulled in as many viewers as the climax of the first series. Almost 11 million people saw the first programme in the second run of the jungle survival show.

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And don't you think he is doing rather well??I have been voting to keep him in , i would like him to be king of the jungle.What does everyone else think??
I don't think he should change careers to trampolining though,not if last nights antics were anything to go by!!

spf, I haven't seen the TV programmes, but I'm glad he's still in there. I read that he hurt a foot recently and hope it heels quickly.

Here is the link to the TV show website.

<small>[ 09 May 2003, 06:27 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

aahh...i'm so disappointed that he was evicted last night i was hoping Phil or Linda would go , but alas it was Wayne.I now hope Fash wins!
I wouldn't mind being stuck in the jungle with Wayne as we could have done a class together , as he did some basic barre exercises and showed us some dance moves whilst he was there.
Everyone seemed to like him , but he said he was glad to get out of the jungle(he was actually thinking of quitting earlier but stayed to help raise money for charity,what a nice guy).

Yes, I like Wayne Sleep too. Apart from being a brilliant dancer, I enjoyed the touring show I saw from him about 3 years ago. It was helping out some "resting" dancers, illustrated some important aspects of dance history and technique and avoided the spotlight always falling on Sleep, despite the fact that he was the name selling the show.

He's done his bit for charity on "I'm a celebrity..." and I'm sure we all congratulate him for his endeavours.

<small>[ 12 May 2003, 05:35 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

For those who have not heard - Phil Tufnell, an ex-Test match left-arm spin bowler, was the winner of this contest.

<small>[ 13 May 2003, 12:59 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Stuart - don't tell me you have become addicted too.

Don't worry Joanne - I don't have a TV. But this story does keep cropping up in my newspaper searches. If a dancer can't win, then a cricketer is a good second best.