{"id":85361,"date":"2023-09-12T07:17:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T07:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/?p=85361"},"modified":"2023-09-12T07:17:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T07:17:27","slug":"nigel-harman-i-quit-casualty-for-strictly-come-dancing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/tv-movies\/nigel-harman-i-quit-casualty-for-strictly-come-dancing\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigel Harman: I quit Casualty for Strictly Come Dancing!"},"content":{"rendered":"

One Strictly tradition that never changes is soap stars transforming into dance stars during the show. One heading into the competition this year is EastEnders and Casualty actor Nigel Harman. He found fame playing doomed Dennis Rickman 20 years ago and Nigel reveals he\u2019s already left his role as Max Christie in Casualty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left at the beginning of August and I\u2019m on screen until the end of February, with no plans to return at the moment,\u201d he says. \u201cI dedicate my life to sweating and feeling anxious!\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Nigel, 50, does have a way of battling pre-show nerves and helping his fellow contestants \u2013 he\u2019s a certified meditation coach.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a little bit of meditation today because I could feel my heart going fast,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen the Saturday shows come and you\u2019re in the stream of this brilliant show, finding the time to take for yourself \u2013 a little breath here and there \u2013 can do wonders.\u201d<\/p>\n

The celebs started training prior to the launch show and Nigel confessed it was tougher than he thought it would be.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit overwhelming, he says. \u201cLike being fired out of a cannon and you\u2019re not sure where you\u2019re going to land and hoping it\u2019ll be safely and sometime soon. At the moment, I feel like I\u2019m chasing my body down the road going \u2018come back!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After appearing in EastEnders, Nigel has been used to public attention, but says it\u2019s calmed down since he left the BBC soap in 2005 – until now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite full on when I was in EastEnders, I haven\u2019t had that for a while,\u201d confesses Nigel. \u201cBut even dipping your toe back in, suddenly it\u2019s like vum, everyone\u2019s really excited. And if you can keep them on side, that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have got in contact with me who I haven\u2019t spoken to for 400 years going \u2018can I get a ticket to the show?\u2019. Everyone suddenly wants to be a part of it. And there\u2019s brilliantly with the public, a sense of ownership with the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nigel has some dance experience, saying, \u201cI did a diploma in musical theatre when I was 16, so I\u2019m used to dancing. I wasn\u2019t in A, the top stream. I was in C and ended up in B. When I left college, I was on a cruise ship for six months \u2013 as a dancer, I hasten to add. Not just doing the bingo.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n