Strictly Come Dancing pro reflects on career as she details ‘backup plan’

Since 2022, Strictly Come Dancing fans have seen professional Michelle Tsiakkas impress on the dancefloor.

Last year, Strictly Come Dancing professional Michelle Tsiakkas was paired with her first celebrity partner on the BBC show, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick.

The duo danced their way through the competition until week 10, when they were eliminated, missing out on the chance to lift the Glitterball trophy.

This year could see Michelle waltzing her way to the final as anticipation builds for the new series, with celebrities already beginning rehearsals.

Reflecting on her career this week via Instagram, the Strictly pro admitted that choosing dance was a ‘tough’ decision after earning a degree in a completely different field.

She shared a collection of photos from her university days, where she studied Architecture, explaining that despite her early love for dance, she had aspirations for an academic career, reports Wales Online.

Strictly Come Dancing pro reflects on career as she details ‘backup plan’

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Her post read: “This was something that was encouraged by my school and my family. Dancing can be seen as a risky career and I wanted to have a backup plan.

“Architecture seemed to me the perfect mix of logic and creativity and something I would really enjoy.”

However, the 29-year-old pointed out that her degree course was seven years long.

She confessed that her passion for dancing overpowered her desire to complete her degree and qualify as an architect.

Michelle continued: “Dance was calling me back louder than ever and I couldn’t ignore it. The choice to leave architecture and delve into a professional dancing career again (considering I had stopped dancing for many years) was a tough one and one that was not supported or encouraged by many, even those closest to me.

“It was scary and definitely not the safe choice, but it’s a decision I took purely based on my heart. I knew deep down that if I didn’t try, I would live with regret.”

Confessing that she listened to her heart, Michelle revealed to her supporters that she understood it would require enormous effort to reach her goals.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas(Image: Michelle Tsiakkas Instagram)

She continued: “I was ready to give it everything I had. Within two years, with a mixture of hard work and luck, the stars aligned and I landed my dream job with @bbcstrictly. The moral of the story? Dream big and follow your heart!! It’s never ‘too late’.

“Life’s too short to ignore what truly lights you up. Believe in yourself and have no fear of failing because if you don’t try, you’ll never know what could have been. Sometimes the riskiest step is the one that leads you exactly to where you’re meant to be.”

Whilst it remains unconfirmed whether Michelle will be paired with a celebrity partner this year, supporters won’t need to wait much longer to witness her comeback on the BBC programme.

Strictly Come Dancing is set to air later this month on BBC One.