Lochwinnoch teenager Jacob wows judges on Sky1 show Got to Dance

Dec 30 2011 by Alison Rennie, Paisley Daily Express

A TWINKLE-TOED teenager will dance his way into millions of homes across the UK as he stars in the new series of a hit TV show.

Got to Dance is returning to Sky One for its third series, starting on New Year’s Day.

And one of the stars of this year’s show will be 14-year-old Lochwinnoch lad Jacob Connor.

He has enjoyed a love of dance ever since he could walk and, despite being bullied for his choice of hobby, he insists nothing is going to stop him.

Jacob’s proud mum Janice said she is often moved to tears when she watches him dance.

She told the Paisley Daily Express: “When Jacob dances, he loses himself in the music.

“He feels happiest when he’s dancing.”

Jacob’s ambition is to become a professional contemporary dancer and his dream is to perform at the Apollo Theatre.

As he takes part in the first round of auditions on Got to Dance, he is out to make a big impression on the judges – West End star and actor Adam Garcia; singer and trained dancer Kimberly Wyatt; and Ashley Banjo, who is lead dancer and choreographer with Diversity.

Earlier this year, the judges scoured the country to look for talented dancefloor divas, including solo stars and the best crews and troupes.

Eight audition shows have been filmed in Glasgow, Dublin and London, with judges now handed the task of selecting 30 contestants who will compete across five live semi-final shows.

From there, members of the public will be asked to vote to decide the eight finalists.

If Jacob makes it through to the final, he’ll fight it out in front of a 6,000-strong audience at the Kensington Olympia, in London, for the life-changing top prize of £250,000.

This is the third series of Got to Dance and Renfrewshire has featured strongly in previous years.

In the debut series in 2010, Emily Crow made it through to the live final, as did her cousin Jay Carr, from Renfrew, and Paisley teenager Michelle Kelly, who were part of Glasgow-based dance troupe The Box.

And, a year ago, Erskine teenager Amanda King made it through to the semi-finals as part of Tap Attack, while solo performer Lauren Hair, who is a pupil at the Le Dance Studio in Barrhead, performed in the final but missed out on the top prize.

Got to Dance host Davina McCall said: “I am literally beside myself with excitement at the return of our third series.

“Just you wait until you see the auditions – this year, the bar has been raised even higher, with so many acts worthy of winning £250,000.”

The new series of Got to Dance starts at 6pm on Sunday on Sky One and Sky One HD. You can see the second audition show at 6pm on Monday, January 2.