Toyah Willcox says it's fabulous being part of the the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 line-up, and is determined to be brilliant and her best during the 20th anniversary series.
'I’m flying the flag for pensioners,' Toyah jokes with Grazia. 'I'm the shortest, I'm the oldest. I've just got to accept who and what I am and enjoy it.'
She adds, 'I've lost a lot of weight. I'm incredibly fit, but I think I'm just going to drop more weight because it's so exciting and it's such a happy place.'
The 80s icon explains how she is going to embrace every element of the show. She says, 'I think you come into this show with a completely open attitude - it's not going to last forever. It's incredibly special to people. I just want to take the whole opportunity to work with this award-winning team, including the costumes. They said to me, "What do you want to wear?" and I said, "You tell me, you're the expert!"'
How is she feeling about performing live to millions every Saturday? There's mixed feelings, it seems. She says, 'Part of me will absolutely excel because I'm a natural show off. I must admit, when I arrived for our first day, I couldn't even speak. I was so terrified I sat in my dressing room, thinking, ‘What have I done?" I think there's a sense of imposter syndrome as well, which I've always had to battle with. Even on stage at Glastonbury, I was like, "Why am I here?"'
Strictly Come Dancing is the latest in an impressive list of pursuits to Toyah's name. So before she faces the famous BBC ballroom, here, Grazia takes a look back over the singer and actress's stellar career.
Who is Toyah Willcox?
Toyah is an actress and singer who hails from Birmingham. She has performed across stage and screen for over five decades, and achieved great success as a solo singer after initially fronting the band Toyah in the late 70s and early 80s. Some notable tracks from her discography include It's A Mystery, I Want to be Free and Brave New World. She has amassed thirteen top 40 singles, recorded twenty-five albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in over twenty feature films (The Tempest, Ghosts of Borley Rectory, Quadrophenia) and presented many television programmes.
In 2018, Paul McCartney presented Toyah with a Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Companionship for Outstanding Achievement in music, drama, performance and media.
How old is Toyah Willcox?
Toyah turned 66 in May, celebrating her birthday on the 18th.
How tall is Toyah Willcox?
Toyah told The Guardian that she is 'barely five foot'. Her Strictly shoes will be a bit of extra elevation!
What is Toyah Willcox's net worth?
Thanks to the longevity and wide-ranging nature of her career, Toyah's net worth is reported to be around the $15 million mark (£11.8 million).
Is Toyah Willcox married?
Since 1986, Toyah has been married to a fellow musician Robert Fripp, a guitarist who founded the now-disbanded progressive rock group King Crimson. The duo took to the stage together at Glastonbury Festival this year.
In a chat with The Mirror earlier this year, the couple offered a rare insight into their long-lasting marriage. When asked what it's like touring together, Robert replied, 'It's exactly the same as being married for 38 years, it's good. We both come from very different genres. But we complement each other well, I have a wonderful time being out working with my wife, may I say, even having greater fun than when we were at home together.'
They don't have any children.
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.