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Strictly professional Carlos Gu has revealed he is a big fan of the Royal Family - as their style and poise showed him how to be "classy and presentable" in the ballroom. The reigning champion of the BBC dancing contest, along with former England footballer Karen Carney, grew up in Taiyuan in China, where he says he had no real role models.

But when he moved to the UK in 2022 to join Strictly, he was in awe of how the British royals dressed and carried themselves in public. And these are qualities that help his performances on the dance floor and saw him lift the coveted Glitterball trophy in December.

Carlos, 32, said: "I grew up in a small town in China where we have no sense of (style)... our lifestyle is so different compared to you. But I love anything posh. I like very classic English culture.

"And the Royal Family is a great example on how to be classy and display (themselves) in their own way. How they present themselves.. everything is very presentable. You don't be grumpy! And in dancing, it is the same. If we dance, everything should be presented. Everything should be well managed, well organised, the music, the costumes, the style that I have as a dancer, I would be a very classic dancer. That is the style that I like."

He added: "So the Royal Family would be like something I was like, 'Oh my god I want to learn. I want to know. It makes me feel like I am alive'. Maybe it's because you don't live life like that but you are dreaming about that lifestyle. You'd like to be like them."

Since joining Strictly four years ago Carlos has become a viewer favourite - reaching the TV final twice. And the UK now feels like this his home, even though his mother, who still lives in China, is not happy.

He said: "This is now home. Even my mum knows. She calls me a traitor. She says, 'You are a traitor to your country' and I said, 'I know but I cannot help it'. I felt at home and had a sense of belonging when I moved here. Even on a rainy day, I say, 'I love a rainy day'."

• Carlos is going on a UK tour with fellow Strictly professional Amy Dowden in a new show called Reborn, which starts in Dartford on May 29 and will visit towns including Basingstoke, Poole, Southend and Cheltenham