Alex is paired up with pro dancer Johannes Radebe

Strictly Come Dancing star Alex Kingston has opened up about a difficult health battle she endured before entering the ballroom.

The ER and Doctor Who actress, 62, spoke about her medical woes on ITV‘s This Morning while sitting alongside pro partner, Johannes Radebe, 38.

Discussing their Strictly journey so far, Alex detailed the real reason she’s decided to put on her dancing shoes.
Alex appeared alongside Johannes (Credit: ITV)

Alex on Strictly Come Dancing: ‘Age is just a number’

Speaking to This Morning hosts Dermot O’Leary and Cat Deeley, Alex explained why she wanted to do Strictly Come Dancing. “I’m doing it for women of a certain age – anyone over 60,” Alex said. “You know, age is just a number. And to prove that.”

Alex added: “After a certain age, you are not dead below the navel, no. It’s just that thing you hear over and over again, which is, ‘Life is too short’. If there’s anything you want to do, be brave and just go and do it and no regrets.”

While discussing her reasons for joining the star-studded Strictly line-up, Alex also mentioned a hidden health battle she recently had to endure.

“I had quite complex health issues last year, and which I have recovered from,” she revealed. Alex kept her cards close to her chest and did not say what was wrong. But she reassured Dermot and Cat she is fit and well again.

Alex and Johannes’ next Strictly dance

Alex and Johannes will next take to the stage during Saturday evening’s show on BBC One. They will be taking on the Samba, a dance Alex says she is “finding really hard”.

The pair will be dancing to La Bamba by Connie Francis and will hope to come out on top ahead of Sunday’s Strictly The Results show. “Our next dance. This is trial by fire, and I’m finding it really hard,” Alex explained on This Morning.

Johannes added: “Well, listen, it took me years and years to master. So to be expected to learn it in a couple of days and be amazing is a big ask. Yeah, okay, but she’s handling it.”
Alex and Johannes are back on Saturday (Credit: BBC)

Alex and Johannes secret connection

Before being put together on Strictly Come Dancing, it turns out Alex and Johannes had already worked with each other. The two appeared together, alongside actor Ncuti Gatwa and fellow Strictly judge Shirley Ballas, in an episode of Doctor Who.

The 2024 episode was titled The Devil’s Chord. Johannes and Shirley played themselves. Alex was in character River Song, which she portrayed on the BBC show from 2008 to 2015.

Together, she performed a sequence celebrating the defeat of villain, Maestro.

Talking about the Doctor Who episode, Johannes said: “We did an episode. I mean, that was just a cameo situation, but this lady is the legend. That’s what I said when I first met. I was like, she doesn’t know that I’m the huge fan.”

On their connection, Alex added: “We’re having a really good time. I think the thing is that actually, as personalities, we click, which is also something that’s quite important. And the producers, I think on the whole, they get it right.

“They you may think you want somebody, but they they see that actually maybe the chemistry is better with somebody else. I mean, I always wanted to have Johannes as my partner.”