Stacey Dooley urged Strictly co-star Claudia Winkleman to accept project away from BBC

express.co.uk:

Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman has told how Stacey Dooley encouraged her to take on a project away from her BBC Radio 2 show.Speaking on the Postcards From Midlife podcast, the TV personality, 50, revealed that she had the flame-haired star's full support when it came to embarking on a tour, away from her Saturday morning radio show.Speaking about turning 50 this year, the TV star spoke to the podcast hosts Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin about doing something "new and scary".Claudia said: "Well it makes no sense and even as I say it I'm a little bit sick."The presenter went on to tell how a flippant remark led to her upcoming one-woman Behind The Fringe tour.She explained: "I said to a lovely girl who's in charge of me, quite casually, in the same way that I would say to one of you two, 'Do you know what, I might buy a navy jumper.'"But casual, just throwing it out there, let me just pop that in."And I said, 'I'd quite like to try, 'An evening with,'" she shared.However, the Strictly presenter explained that she made the comment without truly thinking about what it meant.Claudia went on: "I must have said it in November, in the middle of also talking about how we felt about chestnut stuffing."It was one of those, the stuff I've got to do. (sic)"The mother-of-three relayed her surprise when a colleague asked her to finalise details, claiming that she had no idea what it was for.Claudia continued: "And then all of a sudden two weeks ago she said, 'We've got your dates, can you tell me what you'd like to call it and can you approve the poster.'"And I was like, 'What are you talking about?'"You have to understand when I speak I don't mean stuff, but anyway, there it is," she added.Nevertheless, the BBC star.