Erin Boag (born 17 March 1975) is a professional ballroom dancer. She has danced from the age of three, originally starting ballet and later moving into ballroom, Latin and jazz. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, she moved to Australia as a teenager to progress her dancing career, before moving to London in 1996.
She started professionally dancing and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in the UK with her partner Anton Du Beke.
Professional career Boag's regular professional partner is Anton du Beke. They met in 1997, and won the 1998 and 1999 New Zealand Championships. They turned professional in 2002, competing mainly in the United Kingdom. Their best result on the competition circuit was in November 2003 when they won the IDTA Classic in Brighton. They appeared on the first 10 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Boag has not appeared as a professional on Strictly Come Dancing since Series 10, although du Beke still appears on the show. She made a brief cameo in 2015, giving advice to contestant Katie Derham, who was partnered with du Beke that year.
Strictly Come Dancing Highest- and lowest-scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Colin Jackson 37 Ricky Groves 29 Cha Cha Cha Austin Healey 35 Julian ClaryRichard Arnold 19 Charleston Richard Arnold 29 Peter Shilton 17 Foxtrot Austin Healey 36 Richard Arnold Jive 34 Julian ClaryMartin Offiah 21 Paso Doble 38 Peter Schmeichel 19 Quickstep Colin Jackson39 Richard Arnold 25 Rumba 36 Martin Offiah 21 Salsa Austin Healey Peter Shilton 17 Samba Austin HealeyColin Jackson 32 Peter Schmeichel 19 Tango Austin Healey 38 Ricky Groves 22 Viennese Waltz Austin HealeyColin Jackson 34 Peter Schmeichel 28 Waltz Colin Jackson 37 Peter ShiltonRicky Groves 21
From 2004 to 2012, Boag competed as one of the professional partners in ten series and six Christmas specials of the BBC celebrity ballroom competition show, Strictly Come Dancing.
In the show's first series, Boag was partnered up with former England rugby league player, Martin Offiah. They were eliminated in week six of the competition, finishing in fourth place.
In the show's second series, Boag was partnered up with comedian, Julian Clary. They reached the finals of the competition, but were eliminated in third place.
In the show's third series, Boag was partnered up with former Olympic athlete, Colin Jackson. They also reached the finals of the competition, but were named the runners-up to cricketer Darren Gough and his professional partner, Lilia Kopylova. She and Jackson later competed in the 2005 Christmas special, where they finished in fifth place.
In the show's fourth series, Boag was partnered up with former Danish professional footballer, Peter Schmeichel. They were eliminated on the seventh week of the competition, finishing in seventh place. She later reunited with Jackson to compete in the 2006 Christmas special, and were voted the winners of the competition.
In the show's fifth series, Boag was partnered up with former professional snooker player, Willie Thorne. They were eliminated on the second week of the competition, finishing in thirteenth place.
In the show's sixth series, Boag was partnered up with former England rugby union player, Austin Healey. They reached the quarter-finals of the competition, but were eliminated in fourth place.
In the show's seventh series, Boag was partnered up with former EastEnders actor, Ricky Groves. They were eliminated in week ten of the competition, finishing in sixth place. She later participated in the 2009 Christmas special, where she was partnered with her former celebrity partner Austin Healey. They finished the Christmas special in joint-fifth place, alongside Ricky Whittle and his professional partner, Natalie Lowe.
In the show's eighth series, Boag was partnered up with former England professional footballer, Peter Shilton. They were eliminated in week four of the competition, finishing in twelfth place. She later participated in the 2010 Christmas special, where she was partnered with Liberal Democrats politician, Vince Cable. They finished the Christmas special in second place, losing to actor John Barrowman and his professional partner, Kristina Rihanoff.
In the show's ninth series, Boag was partnered up with comedian and impressionist, Rory Bremner. They became the third couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in twelfth place. She later competed in the 2011 Christmas special, where she was partnered with former professional boxer, Barry McGuigan. They finished the Christmas special in joint-second place, alongside Simon Webbe and his professional partner, Katya Virshilas.
In the show's tenth series, Boag was partnered up with television presenter, Richard Arnold. They became the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition, finishing in ninth place. The tenth series was her final series before being replaced by Janette Manrara in the eleventh series.
Series Celebrity partner Place AverageScore1Martin Offiah4th23.02Julian Clary3rd24.53Colin Jackson2nd33.74Peter Schmeichel7th24.75Willie Thorne12th23.56Austin Healey4th34.57Ricky Groves6th25.88Peter Shilton12th20.39Rory Bremner26.010Richard Arnold9th22.6
Series 1 - with celebrity partner Martin Offiah; placed 4th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "Come Away with Me"567725No elimination2Rumba / "Hero"357621Safe3Jive / "Great Balls of Fire"555621Safe4Foxtrot / "Let There Be Love"6576Safe5Samba / "Crickets Sing for Anamaria"556622Safe6Quickstep / "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"Cha-Cha-Cha / "Smooth"566666762424Eliminated
Series 2 - with celebrity partner Julian Clary; placed 3rd Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "I'm Outta Love"445619Safe2Quickstep / "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"677727Safe3Tango / "Roxanne"677727Safe4Paso Doble / "Les Toreadors"456520Safe5Samba / "Conga"557724Bottom two6Waltz / "You Light Up My Life"Rumba / "You're Still the One"767777772827Bottom two7Foxtrot / "Fever"Jive / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"54538767Safe8Quickstep / "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"Samba / "Conga"75758776Third place
Series 3 - with celebrity partner Colin Jackson; placed 2nd Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Save the Last Dance for Me"888832Safe2Quickstep / "Nice Work If You Can Get It"9999Safe3Tango / "Ride It"757726Safe4Paso Doble / "Thriller"878831Safe5Samba / "Naughty Girl"888832Safe6Foxtrot / "New York, New York"888832Safe7Viennese Waltz / "Stop!"998834Safe8Rumba / "You're Beautiful"American Smooth / "Me & My Shadow"999109999Safe9Waltz / "I Will Always Love You"Jive / "Footloose"97971089830Safe10Quickstep / "Nice Work If You Can Get It"Rumba / "You're Beautiful"99109109109Runners-up
Series 4 - with celebrity partner Peter Schmeichel; placed 7th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "The Greatest Love of All"657725Safe3Tango / "Tango Notturno"689831Safe4Paso Doble / "Mission Impossible Theme"2566Safe5Viennese Waltz / "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"678728Safe6Samba / "Use It Up and Wear It Out"3466Safe7Foxtrot / "Something's Gotta Give"6677Eliminated
Series 5 - with celebrity partner Willie Thorne; placed 13th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "Run to You"557724Safe3Tango / "Obertura"566623Eliminated
Series 6 - with celebrity partner Austin Healey; placed 4th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodPhillipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "The Rainbow Connection"7898Safe3Jive / "You Can't Stop the Beat"8899Safe5Samba / "Move Your Feet"889833Safe6Viennese Waltz / "Send In the Clowns"8899Safe7Quickstep / "S'Wonderful"89109Safe8Rumba / "When You Tell Me That You Love Me"587828Safe9Tango / "Libertango"99101038Safe10Cha-Cha-Cha / "It's Raining Men"899935Safe11Foxtrot / "L-O-V-E"Paso Doble / "España cañí"81091098101036Safe12American Smooth / "The Best Is Yet to Come"Salsa / "Johnny's Mambo"88899109936Eliminated
Series 7 - with celebrity partner Ricky Groves; placed 6th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Waltz / "What'll I Do"Cha-Cha-Cha / "Jump (for My Love)"466767562126Safe3Paso Doble / "One Vision"778729Safe4Foxtrot / "All of Me"687728Safe5Jive / "The Boy from New York City"677525Safe6American Smooth / "Chim Chim Cher-ee"787729Safe7Rumba / "Licence to Kill"4875Safe8Salsa / "Acuyuye"676625Bottom two9Viennese Waltz / "Nights in White Satin"787729Bottom two10Tango / "U Got The Look"5665Eliminated
Series 8 - with celebrity partner Peter Shilton; placed 12th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Waltz / "Take It to the Limit"466521No elimination2Salsa / "Mambo No. 5"355417Bottom two3Quickstep / "Lullaby of Broadway"677626Safe4Charleston / "Cabaret"2564Eliminated
Series 9 - with celebrity partner Rory Bremner; placed 12th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Waltz / "Weekend in New England"677727No elimination3Salsa / "Vehicle"466622Safe3Quickstep / "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails"788831Safe4Cha-Cha-Cha / "Dance to the Music476724Eliminated
Series 10 - with celebrity partner Richard Arnold; placed 9th Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total Result HorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"557522Safe2Cha-Cha-Cha / "Love Shack"365519Bottom two3Quickstep / "9 to 5"676625Safe4Paso Doble / "O Fortuna"557522Safe5Foxtrot / "Big Spender"3554Bottom two6Charleston / "Pencil Full of Lead"787729Safe7Salsa / "Club Tropicana"5676Eliminated
Personal life After they were introduced by Camilla Dallerup, Boag became engaged to business consultant Peter O'Dowd on Christmas Eve 2007. The couple were married on 17 June 2009, in Italy. On 24 April 2014, Boag gave birth by emergency caesarean section to a baby boy, named Ewan Robert Geoffrey O'Dowd. He was born on his father's 50th birthday; Boag's professional dancing partner Anton du Beke is the child's godfather.
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