X Factor sensation Ray Quinn was born to entertain. As a young child he was taking part in national dancing competitions and by the age of ten he was the No 1 in Britain for the under 12s Ballroom and Latin dance – later going on to be ranked 2nd in the World.
He continued to dance even when, after only the odd Saturday drama class, he landed a major role in Channel 4 soap Brookside, at the age of eight. During his four years in the show, his character ended up killing the school bully while he won prestigious awards for his acting.
But that wasn’t his only talent. Ray would take every chance he could to perform, honing his craft and learning how to win over his audience like an old pro. When The X Factor came along, Ray saw it as another chance to do what he loved and sing for a new crowd. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine where it might lead.
Within weeks, the whole country had fallen in love with Ray. They watched him go home to a hero’s welcome in his beloved home town of Liverpool, shake the hand of the legendary Tony Bennett who mentored the contestants during the show.
He may have later been pipped to the post in the final, but immediately after the show ended, Simon Cowell called Ray over and invited him to record an album of swing songs in the legendary Capitol Studios in LA, where Frank Sinatra recorded some of his most famous songs.The album went straight in at number 1 in the UK album charts, proving that Ray did not mess around.
And now Ray is ready for his role as Baby Ballroom judge…
What experience do you have with ballroom dancing?
I’ve been dancing, singing and entertaining my family in the living room since I was about three! I was always performing round the house so my mum took me to a dance class. I screamed the place down at first and hated it because I was the only lad in a class of little girls! Then I went back later when I was about six and suddenly thought, “I don’t care what people think.” Dancing has been my life and I love it, just being able to dance is the best thing. I love going to clubs when all the other blokes are sat at the bar and I’m the only one dancing.
With experience of performing as a child yourself, what was your most nerve wracking experience in front of an audience?
I fell over on the stage once! On the X Factor tour the ice machine was leaking so I slipped - I styled it out, but I fell on my bum and did a little break dance!
What are you most looking forward to?
Seeing the kids and how they progress. It’s nice to give young kids an opportunity. I think it’s going to be really good fun.
What advice can you give the contestants?
Just to go for it! Be confident, keep it cool and just have fun. I’ll treat them like professionals and I’ll also treat them like kids, it’s what they’re training for and what they love to do. They are trying to make careers so I’ll be honest, but not too honest!
There has been talk about introducing dancing like this in schools to help fitness. What do you think about that?
I definitely agree with that! I am well into my fitness but that’s just the way it’s got to be for me – fitness is a big part of my life. I think that whatever keeps you fit then keep doing it, whether it is ballroom dancing or the trampoline – anything that keeps you fit is great and I think that ballroom is top notch.
