More Than The Score - Do sport stars make better dancers?

Download Do sport stars make better dancers?

Dancing with the Stars, or Strictly Come Dancing in the UK, is a global TV phenomenon. Since 2004, the format that challenges professional dancers to turn celebrities into ballroom champions has been exported to more than 60 territories worldwide, and sports stars have been a huge part of the show's success. Athletes like Darren Gough, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Anton Ohno and Louis Smith have all triumphed underneath the glitterball, but there have been plenty of others who've struggled to translate their sporting prowess into dance stardom. So what does it take to teach a champion athlete to dance?

Raimondo Todaro is a five-time champion on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars, whose victorious partners have included world champion long jumper Fiona May, Olympic fencing champion Elisa di Francisca and Paralympic sprinter Giusy Versace. He tells John Bennett why he prefers working with athletes to other types of celebrities, and what it takes for them to adapt to new ways of moving their bodies. He also recalls what happened when football legend Diego Maradona took part in the show's first season.

Annika Sjöö faced one of the most unusual challenges of her career on the third season of Swedish TV show Let's Dance, when she was paired with former World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Samuelsson - but they went on to lift the title. She explains how she helped him adapt to an environment unlike anything he'd previously experienced, and reveals what it's like to get lifted in the air by someone who's more used to picking up cars and boulders.

More than the Score is the BBC World Service's daily podcast exploring stories from all over the world of sport. Every Monday to Friday, we're telling stories beyond the scoreline, from athletics to Formula 1, boxing to bobsleigh, and football to the NFL. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like pole vault titan Mondo Duplantis, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and tennis legend Boris Becker, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from top football scouts to physios who keep NBA stars in peak condition. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.

And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

Published on Wednesday, 17th December 2025.

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