19 December 2005
GOUGH WIN STRICTLY FOR THE BLOKES
By Fiona Cummins Showbiz Reporter
STRICTLY Come Dancing champion Darren Gough yesterday insisted his unlikely triumph proved "macho guys" really can strut their stuff.
And the 14-stone cricketer, who defeated Zoe Ball and Colin Jackson in the final of the BBC1 ballroom show, revealed he may now even open a dance studio of his own.
Gough, Dazzler to his England team-mates, said: "It has been such an amazing experience and I've loved every minute of it.
"I hope I've shown people that you can be a macho guy and still dance.
"I am a big bloke. I think the public has said 'well, if he can do it, I can'. I think that's why they have got behind me, they are just amazed.
"I just hope it has given people the confidence to go out there and dance because it is a great thing to do." The Essex bowler, 35, and partner Lilia Kopylova wowed the public with a John Travolta-style raunchy disco routine in the final - watched by 10million viewers - as he became the first male winner of the show.
But he admitted he had been terrified at the start of the 10-week series. The judges also gave him little chance of success in the early weeks.
Craig Revel Horwood had criticised his "spatula hands" while Bruno Tonioli said he was the "Incredible Hulk" of the competition.
But the Yorkshireman, who missed the Ashes through injury, said: "Throughout the show, I developed a real passion for dance, which I think became obvious." As he collected his glitter ball trophy on Saturday night in front of his two boys, Liam, 10, and Brennan, seven, thrilled Gough said: "I think people like the fact I started with nothing and I worked myself up."
Gough split with his wife Anna in 2002 after an eight-year marriage but friends are keeping their fingers crossed that they can be reunited.
One said: "The discipline of dancing has brought out a softer side to Darren and some of us hope it could bring them back together."
Gough said: "I would never say no. We have always got on well."
He added: "Dancers make better lovers than cricketers.
"When you dance with a partner like Lilia you have to have total trust. You have to get really close with a lot of eye contact." Latin American champ Lilia, 29, who admitted she had not even known who Gough was when first paired with him, said she thought they "didn't stand a chance" at first.
But she added: "The best thing about him is that he really knows how to work in a team.
"He has really worked so, so well, and he has worked so hard. He has just been amazing."
Former athlete Jackson was second and TV presenter Ball trailed in third after five million people voted.
Gough is hoping to be selected for England's trip to India in March, but his agent said the dance studio was certainly a "possibility" for the future.
Mirror
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