Nicola Adams: Strictly is out of my comfort zone... but I really want to be dancing in the final

Nicola Adams has had to leave Strictly Come Dancing after her partner Katya tested positive for Coronavirus.

Olympic boxer Nicola Adams admits that trading the boxing ring for the Strictly dance floor will put her far outside her comfort zone.

But she says it will be worth it to land a knockout blow for gender equality, when she becomes the first contestant to dance in a same-sex pairing.

“I wanted to do something different and didn’t see what the big deal would be to partner with another female,” said Nicola, 37, whose girlfriend Ella Baig will be a rock of support throughout the competition.

“We go to nightclubs and dance with other girls all the time, and professional dancers dance with other girls all the time, so I don’t think it’s a big deal!”

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Olympian would be paired with professional dancer, Katya Jones. Nicola added: “It’s good to show diversity and for the younger generation to see somebody from the LGBT community on Strictly and think, ‘that could be me one day’.”

Strictly star Nicola Adams with her gold medal at London Olympics in 2012

It was watching re-runs of Muhammad Ali winning Olympic gold that inspired Nicola to take up boxing in her youth so she could emulate her hero, even though there were no Olympic women’s boxing events at the time.

Nicola achieved her childhood dream in 2012 when she became the first woman to claim an Olympic boxing gold medal, winning the flyweight competition for Team GB at the London Games. She defended her title at Rio in 2016 and, in the same year, became the world flyweight champion.

While she retired from boxing last November, with an undefeated record, Nicola isn’t fazed about coping with the gruelling Strictly schedule. She also hopes her years of boxing training will give her a competitive edge.

“I’ll have the fitness side down. I’m quite light on my feet and used to being on my toes, so I’m hoping that will give me an advantage,” she said. “I’m super-competitive. I want to be in the final, so I’ll be working as hard as I can every day to make that happen.

“This is going to be a huge challenge for me because it’s totally out of my comfort zone. It’s going to be exciting, though. I’m looking forward to it.”

As always, the contestants will face feedback from judges Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Craig Revel Horwood. Bruno Tonioli will share his thoughts via a live video link from LA but he will not be scoring contestants.

Nicola intends to take any constructive criticism on the chin. “I’m used to having tough coaches telling me what I’m doing wrong. It’s important to be able to take criticism because that’s how you progress and move forward.”

The self-described tomboy also plans to be open-minded about her glitzy Strictly outfits. She added: “My wardrobe is looking glittery and sparkly and I’m committed to that this season. I’ll be in trousers and shorts but I’m hoping to surprise people.”