Emmerdale star reveals huge Strictly Come Dancing regret after show snub

Former Emmerdale star Siân Reeves, who played the unhinged Sally Spode in the long running ITV soap, has revealed she was asked to appear on the first ever series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 but turned it down - something she now hugely regrets. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk the 59-year-old said: "I can't think of any reality show I can do other than, other than Strictly Come Dancing, which they did ask me to do the first one ever and I didn't do it. So when that comes around again, and I hope it does, hopefully I'm not too old and my body's not too dead, I would love to try and do it," she said.

"I love dancing. I always wanted to be a dancer. I went to local dancing school. I used to teach there. I won all my medals...it was only my dad who said, you need to do a bit of acting and singing, because a dancer's life finishes at 20. And I was like, 'oh, you know, anything to get out of the house and come to London'. So, yeah, I do love dancing. But as you get older your ankles and your feet aren't as strong. Your hips. I would worry (about my body being up to it) because I've done a lot of gymnastics and stuff in my life."

While she might not be taking part this year she does have vested interest in the show as one of her former co-stars is taking part. "The lovely Alex Kingston is doing it, we were in Hope Springs together. She's so gorgeous, and so she's representing my era. But I'd love them to ask me again, but it is difficult. It's hard work."

While she might not be foxtrotting onto BBC One on Saturday nights this year Siân is far from resting on her laurels. She's just released her autobiography 40 Miserable Years Later, and she will be using the profits from the book to set up a Musical Theatre Award to help people financially when they are studying.

She recently lauched a podcast which she loves and admits she wants to do more radio after guest presenting on BBC Wales. She is also filming a family comedy for CBBC called High Hoops in which she plays Aunty Leena. And on the day we spoke she was packing to jet of to Guadeloupe to film an episode of Death In Paradise.

Despite her hectic schedule, the Cutting It star still finds time to give back, and she has been working with the charity Dementia Adventure to help launch its Green Letter Day experiences. It is a charity close to her heart given that her own aunt has vascular dementia.

"Dementia has impacted my life and the last of five years, or so I've been doing lots of sort of charity work. My aunty's world has got so much smaller, and my uncle's as her carer, has got so much smaller too. There's a fear of leaving the house in case something happens. The person with dementia is too frightened to go anywhere anymore in case they make a fool of themselves.

"It's such a weight on the carer. And so this Green Letter day is offering a day out, a day of respite for both of them, where you can sort of have a mini holiday. Dementia Adventure are known for doing five day supported holidays. They've been going for 16 years.

"But this new thing, the Green Letter Day is one day where you can go somewhere fully supported to do an activity like a picnic or flower arranging, boat trips, golf days. I've done a big picnic with them, and then I went to Lords with them for the cricket. And a lot of it is free. Sometimes there's a tiny bit of money you have to pop towards it.

"People can come and have a day where there's going to be volunteers around who will help when you nip off to the loo, sit with your person while you nip and get a coffee. Parking will be laid on nearby. Toilets will be nearby, and it's a day where the person living with dementia has this relaxing time and the person around them is not busy trying to make them eat or get them dressed, or get them out of the house or get them to the doctors."

Dementia Adventure have just launched their new Green Letter Day experiences for people living with dementia and their family and carers. Siân 's autbiography 40 Miserable Years Later is out now.