Erin Boag

Last updated

Erin Boag
Anton du Beke and Erin Boag -Symphony Hall -Birmingham 27j2008.jpg
Boag and Anton Du Beke at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, January 2008
Born (1975-03-17) 17 March 1975 (age 49)
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityAustralian (New Zealand)
OccupationProfessional ballroom dancer
Known for Strictly Come Dancing (2004—12)
SpousePeter O'Dowd (m. 2009)

Erin Boag (born 17 March 1975) is a professional ballroom dancer. She has danced from the age of three, originally starting ballet and later moving into ballroom, Latin and jazz. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, she moved to Australia as a teenager to progress her dancing career, before moving to London in 1996.

Contents

She started professionally dancing and is well known for being on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK with her partner Anton Du Beke.

Boag is an honorary patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Professional career

Boag's regular professional partner is Anton du Beke. They met in 1997, and won the 1998 and 1999 New Zealand Championships. They turned professional in 2002, competing mainly in the United Kingdom. Their best result on the competition circuit was in November 2003 when they won the IDTA Classic in Brighton. They appeared on the first 10 series of Strictly Come Dancing . Boag has not appeared as a professional on Strictly Come Dancing since Series 10, although du Beke still appears on the show. She made a brief cameo in 2015, giving advice to contestant Katie Derham, who was partnered with du Beke that year.

Strictly Come Dancing

Highest- and lowest-scoring performances per dance

From 2004 to 2012, Boag competed as one of the professional partners in ten series and six Christmas specials of the BBC celebrity ballroom competition show, Strictly Come Dancing .

In the show's first series, Boag was partnered up with former England rugby league player, Martin Offiah. They were eliminated in week six of the competition, finishing in fourth place.

In the show's second series, Boag was partnered up with comedian, Julian Clary. They reached the finals of the competition, but were eliminated in third place.

In the show's third series, Boag was partnered up with former Olympic athlete, Colin Jackson. They also reached the finals of the competition, but were named the runners-up to cricketer Darren Gough and his professional partner, Lilia Kopylova. She and Jackson later competed in the 2005 Christmas special, where they finished in fifth place.

In the show's fourth series, Boag was partnered up with former Danish professional footballer, Peter Schmeichel. They were eliminated on the seventh week of the competition, finishing in seventh place. She later reunited with Jackson to compete in the 2006 Christmas special, and were voted the winners of the competition.

In the show's fifth series, Boag was partnered up with former professional snooker player, Willie Thorne. They were eliminated on the second week of the competition, finishing in thirteenth place.

In the show's sixth series, Boag was partnered up with former England rugby union player, Austin Healey. They reached the quarter-finals of the competition, but were eliminated in fourth place.

In the show's seventh series, Boag was partnered up with former EastEnders actor, Ricky Groves. They were eliminated in week ten of the competition, finishing in sixth place. She later participated in the 2009 Christmas special, where she was partnered with her former celebrity partner Austin Healey. They finished the Christmas special in joint-fifth place, alongside Ricky Whittle and his professional partner, Natalie Lowe.

In the show's eighth series, Boag was partnered up with former England professional footballer, Peter Shilton. They were eliminated in week four of the competition, finishing in twelfth place. She later participated in the 2010 Christmas special, where she was partnered with Liberal Democrats politician, Vince Cable. [1] They finished the Christmas special in second place, losing to actor John Barrowman and his professional partner, Kristina Rihanoff.

In the show's ninth series, Boag was partnered up with comedian and impressionist, Rory Bremner. They became the third couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in twelfth place. She later competed in the 2011 Christmas special, where she was partnered with former professional boxer, Barry McGuigan. They finished the Christmas special in joint-second place, alongside Simon Webbe and his professional partner, Katya Virshilas.

In the show's tenth series, Boag was partnered up with television presenter, Richard Arnold. They became the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in ninth place. The tenth series was her final series before being replaced by Janette Manrara in the eleventh series.

SeriesCelebrity partnerPlaceAverage
Score
1 Martin Offiah 4th23.0
2 Julian Clary 3rd24.5
3 Colin Jackson 2nd33.7
4 Peter Schmeichel 7th24.7
5 Willie Thorne 12th23.5
6 Austin Healey 4th34.5
7 Ricky Groves 6th25.8
8 Peter Shilton 12th20.3
9 Rory Bremner 26.0
10 Richard Arnold 9th22.6
Series 1 - with celebrity partner Martin Offiah; placed 4th
Series 2 - with celebrity partner Julian Clary; placed 3rd
Series 3 - with celebrity partner Colin Jackson; placed 2nd
Series 4 - with celebrity partner Peter Schmeichel; placed 7th
Series 5 - with celebrity partner Willie Thorne; placed 13th
Series 6 - with celebrity partner Austin Healey; placed 4th
Series 7 - with celebrity partner Ricky Groves; placed 6th
Series 8 - with celebrity partner Peter Shilton; placed 12th
Series 9 - with celebrity partner Rory Bremner; placed 12th
Series 10 - with celebrity partner Richard Arnold; placed 9th

Personal life

After they were introduced by Camilla Dallerup, Boag became engaged to business consultant Peter O'Dowd on Christmas Eve 2007. The couple were married on 17 June 2009, in Italy. On 24 April 2014, Erin gave birth by emergency caesarean section to a baby boy, named Ewan Robert Geoffrey O'Dowd. He was born on his father's 50th birthday; Boag's professional dancing partner Anton du Beke is the child's godfather. [2]

Dance tours and other professional engagements

In August 2017, Erin and du Beke announced a three-month 2018 UK Tour From Broadway to Hollywood.

In September 2018, Erin announced she would be appearing with du Beke at Donahey's Dancing with The Stars Weekends. The tour was to comprise three weekend breaks in England and Wales in 2019, and to feature the stars of Strictly Come Dancing teaching and performing.

Related Research Articles

<i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> British television series

Strictly Come Dancing is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of judges. The title of the show is a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing. The format has been exported to 60 other countries under the title Dancing with the Stars, licensed by BBC Worldwide, and led to a modern dance-themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever. The Guinness World Records named Strictly as the world's most successful reality television format in 2010. The series is currently presented by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Bruce Forsyth co-presented the series with Daly until 2014.

Brendan Cole is a New Zealand ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin American dancing. He is most famous for appearing as a professional dancer on the BBC One show, Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2017. From 2005 to 2009, he was a judge on the New Zealand version of the show, Dancing with the Stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Du Beke</span> English dancer and TV presenter (born 1966)

Anthony Paul Beke, known professionally as Anton Du Beke, is a British ballroom and Latin dancer, author and television presenter, best known for being a professional dancer and a judge on the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing. His professional dance partner since 1997 has been Erin Boag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavia Cacace</span> Italian British professional dancer

Flavia Cacace-Mistry is an Italian British professional dancer. Her professional dance partner is Vincent Simone, and between 2006-2012 both partners appeared on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

<i>Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two</i> Companion weeknight show on BBC Two

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. First aired on 25 October 2004, it is broadcast from Monday to Friday during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30 pm.

Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristina Rihanoff</span> Russian dancer (born 1977)

Kristina Rihanoff is a world finalist professional ballroom dancer, instructor, choreographer and author. She has a degree in Tourism and Hospitality; after finishing public school she studied with St Petersburg Branch of Modern Humanitarian Academy which has several colleges around Russia including Vladivostok.

Janette Manrara Škorjanec is a Cuban-American television presenter, choreographer and professional dancer from Miami, Florida, US. Born to her Cuban parents Luis and Maritza, Janette is the oldest of three. Originally a singer, learning from her Cuban family, she formally studied dance from the age of 19. Manrara is best known for her appearances on the US series So You Think You Can Dance and British dance reality television competition, Strictly Come Dancing. She is married to Slovenian dancer and co-star Aljaž Škorjanec. In June 2021, it was announced that Manrara would co host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two with Rylan Clark and later Fleur East.

Karen Hauer Wyn-Jones is a Venezuelan-American professional Latin dance specialist and World Mambo Champion, best known for her appearances on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, having served as a professional dancer on the show since 2012. She is currently the longest serving professional dancer on the show. She also featured on the American TV series So You Think You Can Dance, and was a principal dancer in the touring live dance show Burn the Floor.

Otlile "Oti" Mabuse is a South African talent show judge, presenter, dancer and Latin dance champion currently based in the United Kingdom. She is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent, Let's Dance. She was a Dance Captain on The Greatest Dancer. Since 2021, she has been a panellist on The Masked Dancer and became a judge on Dancing on Ice in 2022.

Giovanni Pernice is an Italian professional dancer based in the United Kingdom, best known for his appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. He is also an Italian Open Latin Dance Champion (2012), and the Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, as well as Charleston swivels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianne Buswell</span> Australian ballroom dancer

Dianne Claire Buswell is an Australian professional dancer. She is best known for her appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. After competing on Dancing with the Stars in Australia, she joined the British series in 2017, reaching the final in 2018 and 2023 with Joe Sugg and Bobby Brazier respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Dowden</span> Welsh dancer (born 1990)

Amy Dowden is a Welsh professional ballroom and Latin American dancer from Caerphilly, Wales, best known for her appearances on the BBC One television show Strictly Come Dancing. Dowden joined the series in 2017, and in 2019, she was a finalist in the seventeenth series with TV presenter Karim Zeroual. Dowden and her partner Ben Jones are former British National Latin Dance Champions. She has the Guinness World Record for the most back-Charleston kick-steps in 30 seconds (2022). She has a twin sister and an older brother.

Johannes Radebe is a South African dancer and choreographer.

Strictly Come Dancing Live! is a nationwide arena tour in the United Kingdom which was first staged in 2008 and has continued every year since. It is directed and co-choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its eighteenth series with a launch show on 17 October 2020 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 24 October. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series launched a month later than usual and ran for only nine weeks instead of the usual thirteen. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. Clark-Neal was replaced by Gethin Jones for four shows after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its nineteenth series with a launch show on 18 September 2021 on BBC One, and the live shows beginning on 25 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Rylan Clark-Neal returned to host Strictly: It Takes Two alongside new presenter Janette Manrara, who replaced Zoe Ball. In June 2021, the BBC announced that Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood would return to the judging panel. Anton Du Beke, who served as a guest judge in the previous series, joined the panel in place of Bruno Tonioli, who did not return for the second year in a row due to travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

<i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> series 20 Season of television series

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its twentieth series with a launch show on 23 September 2022 on BBC One, with live shows beginning the following day on 24 September. The launch show was originally scheduled to be broadcast on 17 September, but was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Rylan Clark and Janette Manrara returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

<i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> series 21 Season of television series

Strictly Come Dancing returned for its twenty-first series with a launch show on 16 September 2023 on BBC One, with live shows beginning on 23 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman returned as hosts, while Janette Manrara returned to host Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, alongside Fleur East, who was announced as the new co-host after Rylan Clark's departure in April 2023. In April 2023, the BBC announced that Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood would return to the judging panel.

References

  1. "Vince Cable to star in Christmas Strictly Come Dancing". BBC News. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  2. "Up Close and Personal".