The one-off festive programme follows Sharon Pallister, a self-conscious cleaner from Wales, who enjoys a quiet life with husband Tony. They rarely go out and if they do it’s for a night of bingo. But Sharon’s life is about to change. She is leaving behind her feather duster and moving to London to be trained as a fan-waving, hip-shaking, show-stopping Burlesque dancer.

Self-confessed wallflower and incredibly body conscious, 34-year-old Sharon has just four weeks to turn herself into an ultra-confident Burlesque dancer. With the help of Britain’s top Burlesque performer, Immodesty Blaize, and ballet legend Wayne Sleep, Sharon’s task is to convince a panel of judges that she has been dancing all her life. As Sharon reluctantly swaps her feather duster for a feather boa and prepares to go head-to-head with some of the country’s top burlesque dancers, will the judges spot her as a fake and pan her performance?

Inhibited Sharon is incredibly body conscious, resulting from surgery that has left her stomach scarred. So the thought of exposing her body terrifies her. “I wouldn’t be seen dead in a bikini,” she explains.

Sharon’s life is about to be transformed, as she leaves behind her life in Wales to enter the seductive world of Burlesque – the climax of which will be a sexy striptease and nipple-tassle routine.

Helping to turn Sharon into a commanding show stopper is West End star and Britain’s Queen of Burlesque, Miss Immodesty Blaize. “I want to create the ultimate bombshell.” Immodesty will tutor Sharon on the art of tease and seduction and, most importantly, how to remove her clothes sexily. “She’s got to sashay around like she’s been taking her clothes off in front of people all her life.”

But after Sharon watches Immodesty perform, she is terrified about the momentous task ahead. “I will never ever be able to do that. I’m ashamed of my body and I’m ashamed of my scars” she exclaims.

And it’s not only Sharon’s poor body image that’s causing problems. To become a Burlesque performer she will have to learn a complicated dance. But it slowly becomes apparent that Sharon has no rhythm. So, ballet legend Wayne Sleep steps in to try and choreograph her two left feet.

In a last ditch attempt to help her charge, Immodesty whisks Sharon off to Hollywood to watch a spectacular performance from Burlesque’s most notorious star and fiancé to Marilyn Manson, Dita Von Teese. Dita has a very clear idea of what Sharon should be doing “You can’t just put on a feather boa, fish net tights and red lipstick and do the same things you would see a girl doing in a strip club. Burlesque is the slow reveal and the pay off at the end.”

FAKING IT Airs On E4 on Wednesday 27 December 2006

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