It’s taken many many years but Liberal Democrat Vince Cable is finally going to fulfil a lifetime ambition; no, not become a cabinet member, but become one of the contestants on BBC1’s hit show ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.A long-time ballroom dancing fan, Mr Cable, now the Business Secretary in the coalition government, first revealed he wanted to appear on the show three years ago when he was the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Upon the news leaking out tonight, Mr Cable said: "I am delighted to be taking part in this year's ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Christmas special. Strictly has always been a secret, or not so secret, passion of mine.
"I hope that by taking part in the show I can inspire others to get up and do something they have always wanted to have a go at."
In appearing on the show, he will become the most high-profile government figure to appear on a TV reality or talent show. But he is certainly not the first:
Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe is currently embarrassing herself (to phrase it lightly) on the current series of the dance show, former Labour MP George Galloway appeared on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, and former Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik is becoming sort of something of reality-TV veteran since he is currently out in the jungle on ITV1's ‘I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!’ and has previously appeared on ‘Come Dine with Me’ and ‘All Star Mr & Mrs’.
But this tale has another particularly nice twist in the tail: Mr Cable was introduced to dancing as a means of keeping fit by his late wife Olympia.
