‘Never, ever again’: Burnham performs bum-shaking dance in unseen ‘Strictly’ routine

From cheaper gherkins to £2 bus fares to fixing potholes – Andy Burnham has wasted no time in his first 100 days as prime minister delivering policy pleasers.

But last Friday, an even greater gem arrived for the public’s pleasure, or not, with footage of the former Manchester mayor awkwardly performing moves across the dance floor.

Rigidly dancing to Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca, Mr Burnham showed the country that he should not give up his day job as a politician with an out-of-time, dad-like salsa routine that will leave people either laughing or cringing.

The footage emerged during Channel 4’s Stand Up to Cancer Googlebox special when the prime minister, appearing alongside mayor of Liverpool Stever Rotheram, admitted to feeling a “clang of anxiety” whenever hearing the Strictly Come Dancing theme song.

The previously-unseen clip was from a fundraising dinner organised by Rob Burrow for motor neurone disease charities. Former rugby league star Mr Burrow, who had the condition, died in 2024.

Dancing alongside professional dancer Cara Tighe, Mr Burnham, wearing a dark shirt and trousers, is seen first diagonally crouching with Ms Tighe before standing straight, clasping his hips, shaking his bums and “rolling” his hands as he twisted in the clumsy routine.

Toward the end, as Ms Tighe moves away, Mr Burnham appears to clap to the beat while performing an awkward jiggle on the spot.

Yet despite the toe-curling performance, the audience saw the fun side and give the pair a warm round of applause for their efforts.

Speaking on the Googlebox special, Mr Burnham said: “When I hear this music I get a clang of anxiety. And I’ll tell you why, because I did this for the great Rob Burrow. Never, ever again.”

Politicians hitting the dancefloor on the nation’s television screens is nothing new, with many trying and ultimately failing to get to grips with the art.

From Ed Balls and Ann Widdecombe’s efforts on Strictly Come Dancing to Theresa May shaking energetically to a performance at a primary school in South Africa, the move to dancing rarely works out well.

But that did not stop Mr Burnham joking he could be the next person to step from the Commons into the Strictly studio. Speaking on Googlebox, he visioned: “I could do it with a Mancester icon. I think i’d do Sit Down by James.”

Not now, Andy.