Pamela Smith one of the finalists on the BBC’s Strictly Dance Fever believes that all her training and hard work at Edinburgh’s Telford College has prepared her well for the trials and criticisms that lie ahead as part of the show.

“You have to be tough in this business if you’re going to make it,” she said. “That’s what you’re taught at college. It’s not a bit like Fame at all. It’s certainly not glamorous. You train Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm – you live, eat and breathe dance classes. It’s very hard work – a real discipline.

“It’s not about dancing around and having fun, quite the opposite.

“It’s like being in the Army in a way – if you don’t get to class in time, then you’re not allowed in. You have to be a strong character to deal with criticism every day, to take it on board and use it to become a better dancer.

“It’s really mentally and physically straining.”

She adds: “But I think that’s what will get me through Strictly Dance Fever, having that strength of character and taking criticism well and using it to my advantage.”

On her new danicng partner Paul MaGuire she said: “It’s difficult when you’re partnered with someone you don’t know, but you have to get on with it,” she said.

“Paul has a very different style of dancing from me – I’m more technical with ballet and jazz styles – so we’ve had our ups and downs this week but I think we’ve got there and hopefully tonight we’ll pull it off.”