"And that's what made me say yes."
BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing is underway as celebrities take to the dancefloor to show off their skills to the judges and viewers.
Among those celebrities is Punam Krishan, who is partnered with Gorka Marquez.
Her first performance saw her in 11th spot and she will be hoping to improve and win the coveted Glitterball trophy.
On why she decided to sign up for Strictly 2024, Punam said:
“I have been a fan of the show for years.
“It’s something that my son and I have watched together and we always looked forward to. My job entails quite an intense week, with a lot of pressure.
“And you feel quite drained at the end of it, so to have something to look forward to that just has magic, sparkle, dance, dreaminess is exactly what I fantasise about when I watch it on the TV from my sofa.
“So, this year, to have the call to do it, I literally feel like I’m just about to jump from my sofa into a complete dream.
“And that’s what made me say yes.”
Strictly Come Dancing fans will recognise Punam for being the resident doctor on BBC daytime show Morning Live, where she shares intel on the medical world.
The Scot is a real GP who specialises in maternal and family health as well as mental health.
She first hit TV screens in 2019 when she presented the BBC Scotland production Laid Bare, where patients were given a comprehensive medical check-up.
By 2021, Dr Punam Krishan began appearing on Morning Live and BBC Radio Scotland.
In 2022, she published her first children’s book titled How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs. She’s since been commissioned for two more children’s books which are set for publication in 2025.
Punam is trilingual, being able to speak English, Hindi and Punjabi.
She even played the cello as a child.
In a statement, she said: “This still doesn’t feel real, I am overjoyed to be a contestant on this year’s show.
“I have watched Strictly every year with my family, and it feels extra special that it’s the 20th year. I can’t believe I will be the one getting Strictly-fied now.
“This is so out of my comfort zone, but I’m up for the journey and will give it my absolute all.”
In an interview with BBC Radio 2’s Vernon Kay, she said:
“As somebody who was raised on bhangra, doing ceilidhs, the odd bit of hip-hop back in the day… Waltz, cha cha cha and the rest of it is a whole new learning curve.”
Punam and Gorka have performed the Cha-cha-cha and Foxtrot so far but the medic is most excited to try her hand at the Paso doble.
She explained:
“I just love the drama, I think it’s so sexy, it’s fiery, it’s all of that that life serves up sometimes.”
“I think it will be really challenging but it’s the one that I look forward to watching the most every year.”
Punam has also been seeking advice from fellow Morning Live presenters Helen Skelton, Sara Davies, Kimberley Walsh and Kym Marsh, who have all competed on Strictly Come Dancing in the past.
Punam and Gorka are in the third week of the competition.
The remaining 14 couples will take to the dancefloor for the movie week special on October 5 at 6:25 pm.
The results show will be on October 6 at 7:15 pm.
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