Danny Mac Feels 'Physically Sick' Returning to Blackpool Tower Ballroom for Strictly Come Dancing 2025

When Danny Mac stepped onto the Blackpool Tower Ballroom floor in 2016, he didn’t just dance—he conquered. Now, nearly a decade later, the Danny Mac—37-year-old actor from Hollyoaks and Strictly Come Dancing 2016 finalist—is trembling at the thought of returning. Not from nerves about choreography. Not from fear of the judges. But because, as he put it bluntly to reporters, “I feel quite physically sick.” The Strictly Come Dancing 2025 results show airs Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 7:15pm GMT on BBC One, and Mac is one of four former finalists set to reprise their routines in a rare, emotionally charged group performance.

Why Blackpool Still Haunts Him

It wasn’t just any stage. It was the Blackpool Tower Ballroom—a venue steeped in history since 1894, where lights dim, strings swell, and dancers become legends. For Mac, this was the place he earned his first perfect 40 from the judges in 2016, dancing a fiery samba with professional partner Pasha Kovalev. He remembers the roar. The tears. The disbelief. "That night changed everything," he told Daily Star. "I didn’t sleep for three days. I kept replaying it in my head like a movie." But now, standing on the same floor, the memory doesn’t comfort him—it terrifies him. "I walked in yesterday to rehearse," he said, voice cracking slightly. "And I just… froze. Like my body remembered before my mind did."

A Rare Return, A Heavy Weight

Strictly Come Dancing doesn’t invite back former contestants lightly. Since 2006, the Blackpool Tower Ballroom has hosted an annual special, but only champions and fan favorites get the call. The last major return was the 2022 twentieth-anniversary show. This time, Mac joins Jay McGuiness, the 2015 champion, alongside actor Layton Williams and Ashley Roberts, former Pussycat Dolls singer. McGuiness, now 35, admitted he’s reliving his own pre-show panic. "I had nightmares last week," he confessed. "I woke up in a cold sweat thinking I forgot the steps. Who gets this chance? It’s like being handed a second life."

Mac’s anxiety isn’t just about performance. It’s about legacy. He finished second in 2016 to Ore Oduba, a result that still stings. "I didn’t win," he said quietly. "But I gave everything. And now? I’m scared I won’t be able to give it again."

Elstree Studios: The Calm Before the Storm

The Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, are where BBC Studios Entertainment Productions film the bulk of Strictly Come Dancing. Mac spent weeks there rehearsing for the 2025 return, watching the current season unfold on monitors. "It’s pure joy," he said. "Watching the new couples grow, the mistakes, the breakthroughs—it’s like watching your younger self." But the moment he’s asked to step onto the practice floor himself? "It’s like the room shrinks. My heart pounds. I can’t breathe."

His 2016 partner, Oti Mabuse, now a global dance icon and Strictly Come Dancing judge, reached out with a simple text: "You’ve got this. But don’t forget to breathe." Mac keeps that note taped to his mirror.

The Show Must Go On—And So Must He

The November 23, 2025, results show will feature each finalist revisiting their most iconic routine before uniting for a collaborative number. Mac’s samba with Kovalev will be replayed, but he won’t be watching. "I can’t," he admitted. "I’ll be too busy trying not to cry in front of the crew."

Adding to the emotional weight: Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi will perform live, backed by the Strictly Come Dancing pros. The crowd will be electric. The cameras will be rolling. And Mac? He’ll be standing center stage, heart racing, palms sweating, wondering if he still has it.

McGuiness offered some advice that stuck: "Listen to the music. The clues are all in the music." Mac took it to heart. He’s been listening to his 2016 samba track every morning. Not to memorize steps. But to remember why he fell in love with it in the first place.

What This Means for Strictly’s Future

This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a statement. BBC One is signaling that Strictly Come Dancing isn’t just a show—it’s a community. For viewers who grew up with Mac’s 2016 run, seeing him return isn’t just entertainment. It’s closure. It’s hope. It’s proof that even after years away, the magic still lives.

And for Mac? He’s not sure he’ll ever dance on TV again. But for now, he’s doing it—not for the trophy, not for the ratings, but because the music still calls.