A FIREFIGHTER from Flintshire says he is 'overwhelmed; by the support he has been shown after appearing on a BBC series. 

Last week, the Leader reported that Rich Allen was set to appear on Dare To Dance.

Rich, from Holywell, decided to take part on the show, which returned on March 1, in order to try and help tackle the stigma surrounding male dancers.

Dare To Dance follows Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden as she teaches several people to dance.

Amy was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023 and had to miss out on being a competitor on Strictly during the latest series.

But, in her very own series, she is returning to the dancefloor to help people fulfil their dancing dreams.

Helping her along the way are Strictly professionals Dianne Buswell and Graziano Di Prima and Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse, a previously Strictly champion.

And series two kicked off with Rich - a firefighter from Holywell who is no stranger to being on screen, having previously appeared on the likes of SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Rich, who has worked in the fire service for the last 17 years, carried out training ahead of dancing in front of 80 of his colleagues as he looked to bust the myth that men can’t or shouldn’t dance.

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During episode one, the crew follows Rich's journey to the big dance at the annual summer party, learning some Salsa and the Cha-Cha along the way.

He talks about his 'massive passion' for street dance, inspired by his love of hip-hop and R&B.

That was, he says, he didn't tell people about when he was younger over fears he would be judged for it.

But, on Dare To Dance, his passion for busting some moves were put firmly in the spotlight.

During the episode, presenter Amy also got a glimpse into Rich's home and work life with wife Vicky and some of his fellow colleagues appearing on the show.

The team also pay a visit to Urban Fusion dance school - run by Vicky - in Mold to dance in front of the young students there.

Speaking to the Leader after watching the episode back, Rich said: "I am so pleased with how well the episode was put together.

"I'm really glad I took on the challenge, hopefully the message comes across about trying things outside your comfort zone, trying to break that stigma of inclusion in any industry that’s dominated by one sex.

"I'm also really proud of Dan and Grazi who shared their individual stories of bullying because they wanted to dance.

"I'm overwhelmed with the levels of support I’ve received on social media, and in messages from friends.

"Vicky is back teaching today and has classes full of very excited children who all got to see themselves on tv."