Strictly Come Dancing season is upon us, which means that the nation is fixated on finding out all they can about the contestants on the 2024 line-up. For Sarah Hadland, Strictly Come Dancing has been a long time in the making, considering BBC bosses have tirelessly campaigned to snap her up.
Sarah recalls that she was first asked to give the famous dance show a shot in 2009, the year she and best friend Miranda Hart first shared the screen in the latter's self-titled BBC sitcom.
The actress tells Grazia, 'A show like [Strictly] is a massive commitment and I always feel when I watch it, I don’t want to see people there who don’t really want to be there. I really wanted to do it this year. I turned it down quite a lot. I think I first got asked the year that Miranda went out which is a long time ago. My mum has also been badgering me and she was ecstatic.'
When pressed on how many times she was approached to take part in Strictly, Sarah says, 'At least ten.'
Sarah doesn't believe her thespian roots are going to benefit her on Strictly because of the number of people watching.
She explains, 'When you're in a live theatre, you’re in control and it's not being filmed so it’s just in that moment. The only people watching are in the theatre so 2,000 people maximum. Also, when you’re acting on television you can do another take so you're always in control. You can't do that on Strictly. I might be the first person to stop and ask to start again.'
Sarah's mum in particular is delighted that her daughter is taking part, with the actress laughing that it's the happiest she's ever been about a job. Of the Strictly appeal, Sarah says, 'Families love watching it because the grandparents can watch, parents can watch, kids can watch, and it unifies a family. It's quite a rare thing, which is why I think Strictly is so popular.'
In Miranda, Sarah's character Stevie Sutton is famed for her incredible impression of Heather Small singing Proud. Would she like to dance to the song, if the opportunity presented itself? 'I think I probably have to. I've had so much on social media about that,' she laughs.
Who is Sarah Hadland's Strictly partner?
Sarah is paired with Italian dancer Vito Coppola, who's the reigning Strictly champ, having lifted the Glitterball trophy with actress Ellie Leach last year.
How is Sarah Hadland's doing on Strictly?
So far, Sarah and Vito have impressed the judges and viewers with their partnership. The couple have consistently been near the top of the leaderboard, with a high score of 33 out of 40 for their Harry Potter-themed Viennese Waltz.
How old is Sarah Hadland?
Sarah was born on 15 May 1971, making her 53 years old. She hails from Hertfordshire and trained in dance from the age of three, going on to train at Laine Theatre Arts College in Epsom before kickstarting her theatre career aged 19.
What has Sarah Hadland been in?
Sarah is renowned for her TV roles as Stevie Sutton in Miranda and Trish in The Job Lot. But she also trod the boards in the early days of her career, as well as nabbing a small role in Quantum of Solace as an Ocean Sky receptionist.
Sarah was also one of the original cast members of the multi award winning series Horrible Histories, with shows including Waterloo Road, Casualty and Peep Show also featuring on her credentials.
As she prepares for her next sparkly venture, Sarah reveals just how invested she and her friends have been in past series of Strictly Come Dancing.
She explains, 'There’s quite a hardcore WhatsApp group. Traditionally every year, there’s a group of us, including Patricia Hodge and Clare Balding, that all go to Miranda’s house to watch the final. It’s very strict - you're not allowed to talk during the dancing.
'I also have another Strictly group chat with Sian Gibson and James Lance from Ted Lasso, so I’ve [got] quite a network. They’ve all been desperate for me to do it for years. Every year they’re like, "Come on do it." Sian has been obsessed with me doing it because she’s like, “I can’t dance, you do it for me.” So she’s got quite a lot of responsibility to get me through this.’
Who is Sarah Hadland dating?
Sarah has always kept her romantic life completely private and nothing is known about her current relationship status.
Does Sarah Hadland have children?
While Sarah might keep her romantic life under wraps, she did reveal on the show that she has a child. In week four, Sarah and Vito danced to Billie Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather', with Sarah revealing that the song meant a lot to her as it was about her and her 'little one'. 'This song is special to us because we sing it together, and we also have a picture of us as birds,' she explained, holding up a child's drawing of two birds labelled 'me' and 'mummy'.
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 continues on BBC One & BBC iPlayer.
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.