'Dogfather' having time of his life on Strictly

TV dog trainer Graeme Hall says taking part in Strictly Come Dancing has given him "the time of my life" as he continues his journey on the BBC show.

The Brackley-based Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly star, dubbed the Dogfather, is partnered with professional dancer Lauren Oakley and has made it to week eight of the competition.

Hall said he believing he would never be able to dance again after suffering a stroke in 2019 as a result of a hole in the heart condition.

"I'm having the time of my life, as you can probably tell when you see me dancing," he said.

Reflecting on the first live performance in September, he said: "Talk about butterflies in your stomach, I had pterodactyls."

He said that before the competition, he had hoped to be partnered with Oakley as he has "always been a big fan of Lauren's dancing".

"She's a really clever choreographer and a brilliant teacher as well," he said. "We get on really well."

The pair had a standout moment during Movie Week, when they topped the leaderboard with a waltz to The Godfather, scoring 31 points from the judges.

"Dancing is 90% confidence and 10% technique, I reckon," he said.

Hall confirmed he spends up to six hours per day training.

He said he did not expect to have to do so many interviews during the rehearsals, describing it as "bonkers but a lovely type of bonkers".

He explained: "I don't want to be progressing through Strictly on that ticket of 'he's popular but a bit rubbish'. I need to justify why people are voting for us."

Hall said his goal was to get through Sunday's vote to make it to the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, where the show will be broadcast on Saturday 21 November.

"That [would be] a dream come true," he said on The Bernie Keith Show on BBC Radio Northampton.

Building a following from a vast TV career fronting The Dog Hospital, contributing to BBC Radio programmes and ITV's This Morning, Hall said he had received "loads of lovely messages" from supporters in Northamptonshire.

He said: "I had no idea when I joined Strictly how much love comes your way from people, it's a wonderful thing.

"It's a great show and it makes loads of people happy."

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