Faye Tozer hits Blackpool for special Strictly Come Dancing show

Faye Tozer arrives in Blackpool for the rehearsals for Saturday's special Strictly Come Dancing show at the Tower Ballroom. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

This Saturday will see the eight remaining stars of the pro-celeb dance show strut their stuff on the famous sprung dancefloor at the seaside town's Tower Ballroom.

Trooped by a team of backing dancers, each couple will take to the historic venue's floor for their own routines as well as a number of group dances.

The Tower Ballroom was the home of the BBC's original Come Dancing series for many years, and has twice hosted the live finals of Strictly since it made TV dance shows popular again.

The show is one that money literally can't buy tickets for - seats were only available by entering a special ballot, which closed in August.

Thousands of people want to see it, and the BBC operates an online random draw system each year to make the allocation of tickets fair.

Related: Who is Faye Tozer? The pop star with a North East connection topping the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboardFaye, who lives in West Boldon with husband Michael Smith and their son Benjamin, revealed why appearing at such an iconic venue with her professional dancer partner Giovanni Pernice is so special.

The former Steps singer, who turned 43 this week, said: "[Blackpool] is bigger and better, there's more thrown at it, costumes are bigger, there's more dancers. It's a big thing, a big affair.

"Mum and dad are going to come, and obviously my husband, who has been there every single week.

"For mum and dad it's a really big thing. They are the people who put me on the stage to start off with.

"When you are in a pop group you are part of a package. This is something I have been doing on my own.

The Tower Ballroom in Blackpool being transformed for this weekend's Strictly Come Dancing.

"It's kind of like when mum and dad saw me do my first musical on my own. It's a different sort of pride because it's their little girl doing it."

Celebrity-spotters and photographers alike have been getting into the spirit out on the streets of Blackpool.

Catching a glimpse of the celebrities and a shot of one of the contestants has become one of the town's most popular pastimes when Strictly time rolls round.

:: Strictly Come Dancing's special Blackpool show is on BBC One at 6.45pm on Saturday, November 17.