My mum and dad gave me strong warning when I told them I’m doing Strictly, says Molly Rainford
SHE was Britain’s Got Talent’s youngest ever finalist a decade ago, and now singer and CBBC star Molly Rainford is back on prime-time TV with her sights firmly set on the Strictly glitterball.
In her first exclusive interview since she was unveiled as a contestant on the dance contest this week, the 21-year-old could barely contain her excitement.
But Molly, who plays the intergalactic pop-star title role in kids’ TV series Nova Jones, is adamant that she won’t fall for the famous Strictly curse.
She said: “I’m only 21, so I’m not looking for a relationship on Strictly. That’s not in the picture right now. I want to focus on my career.
“My parents don’t want me to be distracted or worrying about boys just yet. I’m single and don’t plan on changing it.
“Being offered a massive show like Strictly is life-changing. It was really out of the blue for me, I was so surprised to be asked.
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“I couldn’t believe it when I got the call — everyone in my family loves Strictly. The glitz and glamour is the most exciting part to me, I love the idea of all the costumes.
“I’m no stranger to wacky outfits with my job on CBBC, so I’m going to throw myself into it. I’m excited for people to see Molly perform rather than Nova.”
In 2012, aged 11, she wowed BGT head honcho Simon Cowell with an astonishing rendition of One Night Only, from the Dreamgirls musical, so she isn’t fazed about facing acid-tongued Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood.
Molly, who also got a standing ovation from the BGT judges when she belted out the classical song Ave Maria, said: “I‘m hoping to charm the judges with my hard work. My plan is to just be myself.
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“Craig Revel Horwood doesn’t scare me — I managed to get on the right side of Simon Cowell. Everyone talked about how scary he was, but he is a big softie deep down.”
Asked what she is most nervous about, Molly said: “I’m a perfectionist at heart, so I’m hoping I don’t get caught up too early on with trying to perform the hardest and more technical moves.
"My gut tells me that simplicity is key with dancing. I hope if I can nail the basic moves, the rest will follow.
“I want to be the best I can be, so if my dancer cracks the whip, I don’t mind. I can be competitive, I’ve got that streak in me. I’m not a sore loser though.”
Mature beyond her years, Essex-born Molly soaked up every nugget of experience from her BGT stint.
She recalled: “Simon was a massive softie. Every time I see him he is so friendly and interested to see what I’m doing. He always told me to be myself, be humble and nice.
My gut tells me that simplicity is key with dancing. I hope if I can nail the basic moves, the rest will follow.
Molly
“I’ve been singing since I could talk, so performing has always come naturally to me.
"But taking part in a show like Britain’s Got Talent at such a young age gave me a confidence boost.”
Plus, she has one trick up her sleeve.
She said: “I want to be the first contestant to sing on stage while dancing my routine.
“That would be my ultimate dream, but I’ll need to get my stamina up for it.
"If I got to week nine or ten I could try to pull that out of the bag.”
Molly is close to her mum Sarah and dad David, a former semi-pro footballer.
Wacky costumes
She said: “We’re a football-loving family and support Arsenal. We try to watch all the games together.”
She added: “I think they’ll get really emotional seeing me perform.
“I’m also really close to my mum. Our guilty pleasure is RuPaul’s Drag Race — we love binging the show on the sofa. I’ve watched every episode.”
Molly, who landed the role of singer Nova Jones two years ago, would still love to become a real-life pop star.
Ahead of her performance at the Carfest festival in Hampshire this month, she said: “I think I’m pretty well behaved — I’ve been doing CBBC since I was 13 so I’ve never had to change too much.
“I don’t actually get recognised as Nova much, as in normal life I have blonde hair and minimal make-up, whereas in the show I have wacky costumes and different hair.
“Sometimes I notice little kids looking at me, not sure if it’s me.
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“My on-screen character is the Beyonce of space. I basically travel around different planets in the universe. It’s the best role I could have asked for, I’m so lucky.
“I want to replicate it in real life one day. I still want to fulfill my dream of becoming a singer.”
