A Llangollen vicar and a former Benny Hill Dancer will compete for a chance to win the Nightingale Trophy next month.
Father Lee Taylor and Julie-Kirk Thomas have been paired, and they are currently practising their Argentine Tango routine in preparation for the sensational charity event in Liverpool.
Next month, Nightingale House Hospice will take over the Titanic Hotel in Merseyside to host a special Strictly Come Dancing event to raise money. This event will involve dancers from local businesses performing a routine they have learned with a professional partner.
Father Lee Taylor, who is representing the Llangollen Group of Churches, is eager to perform with Julie, a former dancer for Benny Hill, in the hopes of winning the coveted trophy: “I’ve dug out those patent Cuban heels and giving it my best shot.
“I’m used to playing the organ, singing, and composing music. I’ve had dance lessons in London before and attended regular Tea Dances at the Floral Hall, Royal Opera House, and Covent Garden. This is a step up, however.
“Nightingale House Hospice do an amazing job on a shoestring so when the opportunity to raise money came up – I couldn’t resist.
“Julie is a parishioner at St Collens, Llangollen, and she has been brilliant, and patient. The fact that a former Benny Hill dancer is teaching me has raised eyebrows.
“We’re having a lot of fun and hopefully we will raise a huge amount of money for an amazing cause.”
Julie Kirk-Thomas starred as one of the ‘Hill’s Angels’ on the Benny Hill Show and has since been running fitness classes and musical theatre workshops in Llangollen for more than eighteen years. Julie also appeared in the Indiana Jones prequel, The Temple of Doom.
The actress and dancer’s sights will now be firmly placed on lifting the Nightingale Trophy alongside Father Taylor next month: “Father Lee is taking to the tango like a duck to water.”
“The Argentine Tango is a difficult dance to master but he is a natural. I got to know Benny Hill very well during two series with him and taught him some amazing steps. He’d have loved the idea of me training a Vicar for this amazing event in Liverpool.”
On Saturday, November 26, nine amateur dancers will compete for a trophy in the eagerly awaited event.
It costs £4,041,617 each year to run Nightingale House Hospice which is equivalent to £11,073 per day.
Tickets, which include admission to the entire event, refreshments upon arrival, and a two-course supper, are currently on sale for £60.
To buy tickets or for more information about the ‘Strictly Nightingale’ event please call the fundraising team on 01978 314292.
