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Strictly Air Ambulance

Thank you for joining us at the Brentwood Centre for Strictly Air Ambulance 2024.
Early bird tickets for 2025 will be available for purchase very soon!

Date: Saturday 15th March 2025

Venue: Brentwood Centre, Essex

Time: Starts 7:00pm

Tickets: On sale soon

Following an unforgettable evening of dance and entertainment, and with glitter still in our hair and the fake tan barely fading, we are already looking forward to next year. Check back soon to get your early bird tickets for next year’s show!

Strictly Air Ambulance 2024 was a huge success

Thanks to all the generous people who supported this spectacular event, from contestants and sponsors to those who bought tickets or donated prizes. Each and every one has helped raise more than £40,000 which enabled us to put on this fantastic event and support our life-saving mission.  Hosted by Lisa Snowdon and David Whiteley and with show-stopping performances by celeb judges Nadiya Bychova and Kai Widdrington it was a dazzling evening of dance and glamour.

Thank you to our couples – you were all fab-u-lous!
Congratulations to Sarah and Hayden who were crowned Strictly Air Ambulance 2024 champions!

Read more >

More about Strictly Air Ambulance 2024

2024 Hosts & Celebrity Judges

Celebrity Hosts:  Our celebrity ambassador Lisa Snowdon and David Whiteley from ITV, will guide you through the evening’s festivities.

Dancers: Five captivating couples are poised to grace the dancefloor alongside their professional dance partners, as they compete for the coveted Strictly Air Ambulance Glitter Ball.

Judges: Joining us as celebrity dancers and judges are the sensational Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington from Strictly Come Dancing.

Event program

Auction & Raffle: Brace yourself for a whirlwind of thrills with an exhilarating auction and a chance to win amazing raffle prizes, including dance lessons with Colchester’s Planet Katy!

VIP Experience: New for 2024, indulge in our VIP stage-side tables for the best view in the house. A fully stocked bar will be at your service all night to keep the celebration going.

Supporting a Life-saving Cause: Your presence at this star-studded event directly supports our life-saving mission. Every penny raised on the night ensures that Essex & Herts Air Ambulance can continue to be there for patients and their families in their hour of need.

Exclusive After-Show Party: As the final curtain falls, keep the excitement alive at our epic after-show party! Dance the night away to tunes spun by our DJ, and enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly upon entry. Tickets for this unforgettable experience are available for only £10.

2024 Dancers: Steve Drew & Katie Harrison

Steve Drew & Katie Harrison

Steve, from Rochford, Essex is a former volunteer blood biker, who has helped to deliver blood products to Essex & Herts Air Ambulance airbase to treat patients. At work he is a project manager for a logistics business and at home a husband and father. Steve’s family have been directly influenced by Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, in his own words “Gaynor and the EHAAT team saved my boy’s life in 2017. I simply owe them everything. No words can describe how big a challenge this is going to be for me but If I can help raise funds, whilst dad dancing through the competition with the grace of an arthritic rhinoceros, then bring it on!”

Dancing with Steve, Katie completed her Masters in Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics September 2023 and is currently utilising her knowledge of the dance industry working as a secretary at the British DanceSport Association. Dancing in the open circuit since age 12, at the top of her competitive career, she has had success such as being World Amateur 10 Dance finalist (2021), English Closed Ballroom and Latin Under 21 Champion, British Open U21 Ballroom quarterfinalist and even had the honor of dancing for Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the P&O Britannia. Katie is looking forward to being part of the competition and says “I thought it would be exciting teaching someone to learn how to dance whilst helping out an amazing cause, the Air Ambulance.”

2024 Dancers: Richard Willis & Jody De’Ath

Richard Willis & Jody De’Ath

Rich is a co-founder of Attract & Engage, a Billericay based marketing & comms agency he runs with his wife of 15 years. Essex born & bred, a love of fast cars & snowboarding means we’re expecting some high-energy moves on the dance floor. His late-(motorcycling)-father was a huge EHAAT fan, so Rich grabbed this opportunity to support the charity without hesitation. “My daughter will be mega embarrassed at the thought, let alone, sight of me trying to shuffle around the dance floor. I enjoy dancing on nights out (and always attempt a cheeky moonwalk after a few drinks) but have never had any kind of formal training”.

Ready to prepare Richard for the show, Jody works in London full time as a Business Development Manager for a large Facilities management company. In her free time she competes in Ballroom and Latin competitions around the country and also teaches a kids dance class on weekends. Jody says “I love getting involved in charity events and have recently finished an ultra marathon for Macmillan Cancer Support, so I jumped at this opportunity to support the Air Ambulance with my passion for dance.”

2024 Dancers: Laura Bannister & Andrew Lingard

Laura Bannister & Andrew Lingard 

Laura is online personal trainer & the founder of LKB Fitness. Laura is super passionate about women moving their bodies and staying strong mentally & physically and has recently launched her own fitness app through which she has helped hundreds to stay fit and healthy. Laura is a mum of two children, aged 12 and 7 and has an amazing, supportive husband Mark. Together they enjoy being outdoors, spending time with friends and family and getting away on family holidays! Laura says “firstly I have huge respect for the Air Ambulance service so I would always be keen to support any event being held by them. Secondly – how exciting it is to learn to dance like a pro! As active as I am with my job, learning to dance is a whole different ball game and something I see as an amazing opportunity!”

 

Laura’s dance partner Andrew started dancing at the age of five and after discovering this passion he went on to take dance medals as a Juvenile, Junior and Adult. Since then Andrew has been on the competition circuit as an amateur and professional, including same sex competitions in the UK, Germany, Holland, Spain and Australia. After taking his professional dance teachers’ exams in Ballroom and Latin with the IDTA he now has his own dance school where he teaches everyone from social dancers up to medals and competitor levels. After hearing about the event through one of EHAAT’s chaplains, Andrew leapt at the chance to support the event “what’s a pleasure and honour to be able to dance in this show but most of all to raise money for a good cause.”

2024 Dancers: Sarah Ridge & Hayden Wise

Sarah Ridge & Hayden Wise

Hayden and Sara dancer photo

Sarah is the founder of The Sisterhood Networking Group. She offers relaxed and informal meetings for women in business across Essex and the rest of the UK. She’s a born and bred Essex girl, having lived most of her life in Leigh-on-sea. “I have always had a love of dance but I’ve never tried Latin or ballroom before! ! am a HUGE Strictly Come Dancing fan so when the opportunity came along to appear in this year’s show, I jumped at the chance!! I’m an avid supporter of EHAAT since meeting the crew in my former role as ‘Saz’ the travel girl on Essex FM and I have been in awe of them and the amazing work the charity does ever since.”

Teaching Sarah, will be Hayden, he has been dancing since the age of 4 and competing since he was 6. Hayden says “over the 15 years I have been dancing I have developed a love and passion for it. Currently I compete as an amateur competitor on the open circuit which allows me to compete against dancers from all over the world. I am now able to pass on my passion and knowledge of dance onto the next generation of dancers which I am very thankful that I get the opportunity to do. I am looking forward to being part of this unique experience and sharing my passion for dance while supporting a Charity which does great work”.

 

2024 Dancers: Kerrie Barker & John Dengri

Kerrie Barker & John Denegri

Hayden and Sara dancer photo
Kerrie is Head of Partnership Development for Mid and North East Essex Mind, working with her wonderful colleagues in ensuring we have services that our local community can access for support with their mental health. Kerrie has been married to husband Phil for almost 10 years, is dog mum to miniature dachshund Rufus and step mum to Finley. Kerrie says “I’m a strictly fan and watch eagerly each week with my husband. When the opportunity to bid for a chance to take part in support of EHAAT I jumped at the chance (fuelled by Prosecco!) This will be a personal challenge for me physically and mentally but ultimately who doesn’t want to wear a beautiful dress and be glided around the dancefloor!”.

Dancing with Kerrie is John, a Technical Contracts Manager for Essex County Council who found dancing in later life when he was asked by his son of 15, dad I want to learn Ballroom and Latin dancing. A phone call to a local dance school and many classes later, where he wasn’t permitted to sit and watch, he got the bug, dancing was so much fun, he met his wife at this time who happened to be the principle and teacher. John partners and supports the school when able outside of his normal busy weekly duties and is excited to have this opportunity to share his enthusiasm of dance with Kerrie, let the fun and party begin!

Our Sponsors

Birkett Long Solicitors
Proud Sponsor of the Strictly 2024

Rig Equipment Ltd
Proud Sponsor of the Strictly 2024

G+G Gallo Enterprises Ltd
Proud Sponsor of the Strictly 2024 After Show Party

London Southend Airport
Proud Auction Sponsor of Strictly 2024