Melanie Blatt reveals Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special left her self-esteem shattered after only two hours of filming in the UK

Melanie Blatt, the 50-year-old All Saints singer, has revealed that her stint on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special left her feeling emotionally raw and deeply vulnerable.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping UK, Blatt admitted that the two-hour festive special almost wiped out years of work on her self-esteem.

Paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, she was one of six celebrities taking part in the pre-recorded Christmas edition, which aired annually on BBC One.

The show was eventually won by presenter Scarlett Moffatt and her partner Vito Coppola, but for Blatt, the experience was far from celebratory.

“I felt extremely vulnerable,” she said.

“It’s taken me 50 years to feel as good as I’ve ever felt about myself, and Strictly stripped it away from me.

Nothing dodgy went on – they were on their best behaviour – but I just didn’t feel comfortable in a dress.”

The All Saints Legacy

Blatt rose to fame in 1993 as a founding member of the girl band All Saints alongside Shaznay Lewis and sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton.

Their second single, I Know Where It’s At, reached number four in the UK charts in 1997, and hits like Never Ever, Under the Bridge, and Pure Shores topped the charts.

Despite commercial success, Blatt says she felt conflicted about the band’s mainstream direction, having been inspired by hip hop and R&B artists like Timbaland and Missy Elliott.

“I didn’t want to release Pure Shores – I was always making a fuss, I was always upset – and I was wrong.

It became our biggest song,” she said.

For years, she struggled with shame over being in a pop band, though she’s now more comfortable revisiting All Saints’ music.

Personal Pressures and Early Motherhood

Blatt also reflected on the intense scrutiny surrounding her personal life.

She and Nicole discovered their pregnancies around the same time while in a hotel room in Canada.

While Blatt embraced motherhood, giving birth to her daughter Lilyella in November 1998 with former partner Stuart Zender, Nicole chose to have an abortion.

“I’d only been dating Lily’s dad for a couple of months and the pregnancy was unplanned, but I knew that having the baby was absolutely the right thing for me,” she said.

The sisters never fully discussed their decisions, highlighting the pressures and communication gaps that came with public scrutiny.

The Band’s Tumultuous Journey

All Saints disbanded and reformed multiple times over the years.

Their 2001 split was followed by a reunion in 2006, producing Studio 1, but tensions led to another breakup in 2008.

A 2016 comeback with Red Flag was again short-lived, and the final reunion in 2017 resulted in the release of Testament and a national tour before an indefinite hiatus was declared in 2022.

Blatt admits the relationships within the band were complicated.

“It’s always a difficult relationship between the four of us,” she explained.

“We didn’t fake it. We didn’t pretend we were okay.

And we certainly didn’t stay in the band for money.”

Looking Ahead Beyond Music

Now, Blatt is turning her focus away from the music industry.

She has set her sights on pursuing personal happiness and new creative ventures.

Her dream? A cookery book or television show — perhaps something like Cheeses of the World, traveling through Africa and Asia exploring culinary traditions.

“My motivation in life is just to be happy,” she said.

“I’ve got to 50 and I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but the main thing I want from life is peace and happiness.”

What’s Next?

Blatt’s revelations highlight both the pressures of celebrity life and the long-lasting emotional impact of reality television.

Fans can expect to see her embracing new projects away from the music spotlight, with a focus on travel, food, and personal fulfillment.

Her interview appears in the April edition of Good Housekeeping UK, on sale from 26th February.

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Summary

Melanie Blatt, former member of All Saints, has opened up about the emotional toll of participating in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, saying it took only two hours to destroy decades of self-esteem.

She reflected on the pressures of her early career, including the shame she felt over the band’s commercial success and the challenges of early motherhood.

Now 50, Blatt is focusing on happiness and new ventures outside music, including a potential cookery book or travel show exploring global culinary traditions.