And judges Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke are always looking for good posture when they award their scores. “She makes me work my glutes, that’s my buttocks!” exclaims Eddie, 40. “I have a six-pack on my bottom right now that I’m really proud of. I’m sore! If I’m not sore, Karen’s not happy.”
“We do a 30-minute workout,” explains Karen, 41. “Right now I am doing core but we do legs and posture, too. We focus on different things every day to make him strong. People think dancing gets you fit, which it does with stamina and cardio, but it’s important that your muscles are strong so you can hold the frame and create line.”
The training is intense but Eddie is already feeling the benefits. “I feel fantastic,” he says. “I feel different. I feel more energy. There is a difference in the way I’m walking. This morning I felt my triceps. They said, ‘Hello, we’re here for you!’ And my traps on my back, because I’ve been working on my posture, my traps are so strong!”
“Karen is hilarious,” says Eddie. “We have similar personalities. Sometimes she is more immature than me.”