Strictly Come Dancing's Kirsyt Gallacher vows to overcome trauma with Brendan Cole

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Sky Sports presenter is one of the favourites to win the glitterball
39-year-old has been paired with professional dancer Brendan Cole
In 2013 contestant's father Bernard suffered a near fatal heart attack
Last year she divorced her rugby player husband Paul Sampson

By Mail on Sunday Reporter

Published: 17:12 EST, 5 September 2015 | Updated: 02:21 EST, 6 September 2015

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The Sky Sports presenter is one of the favourites to win the glitterball

Strictly contestant Kirsty Gallacher has revealed she hopes her dance partnership with Brendan Cole will help her forget personal heartache.

The Sky Sports presenter –one of the favourites to win the coveted glitterball trophy – said she felt the time was right for her to undertake her ‘Strictly journey’.

The 39-year-old’s father Bernard, the former Ryder Cup captain, suffered a near fatal heart attack in 2013 and last year she divorced her husband Paul Sampson, a rugby player.

She said: ‘I have been approached to be in the show before, but didn’t feel it was the right time to do it then.

‘But it feels right now. The thing that’s changed is my last year. It’s been a difficult period. I just thought, “Why not? What have I got to lose?”

‘I am single and I want to have fun. I know it’s cheesy but it’s a journey.’

Kirsty, who was speaking just hours before she was paired with Cole, the show’s resident heart-throb, said that she had been talked into signing up by her friend, TV presenter Caroline Flack, who won the competition last year.

And she revealed her biggest fear while taking part: ‘I am scared of being spray-tanned – I’ve never had one before.’

More than 10 million viewers tuned into last night’s show to discover which professional dancers the stars would be paired with.