Strictly’s Nicola Adams ‘hopes to win the show so she can honour mother Dee who she protected from her abusive father’
Nicola Adams is reportedly hoping to win Strictly Come Dancing in honour of her mother Dee Adams.
The former professional boxer, 38, has previously described her mother as her hero and recalled trying to protect her from her abusive father as a child.
A source told The Sun: ‘She is aiming to win this show not just for herself but for her mother as well.
Family: Nicola Adams is reportedly hoping to win Strictly Come Dancing in honour of her mother Dee Adams
‘They share an unbreakable bond and Nicola hopes her mum will be in the audience before the end of the series to see her take part in the show.’
Nicola, who is partnered with Katya Jones on Strictly, previously discussed her violent father in her autobiography Believe.
She wrote: ‘I just wanted to get between them, so I jumped in front of my mum and tried to protect her with a plastic sword. I thought I could keep my dad away. My mum reckons that, even then, I was brave.’
Nicola, who was only eight at the time, begged her mother to leave her father Innocent.
Childhood: The former professional boxer, 38, has previously described her mother (centre left) as her hero and recalled trying to protect her from her abusive father as a child
According to the publication, her mother left the relationship three years later and took on two jobs to make ends meet.
In her book, Nicola writes that her bond with her mother grew stronger when Dee contracted meningitis and almost died.
Nicola, who was 14 at the time, called an ambulance when she found her mother slurring her speech and barely able to walk.
The boxer recalled how she broke down when she was by herself in the hospital cafeteria, not wanting her mother or her brother to see her upset as she felt she had to remain strong for them.
A source said: ‘They share an unbreakable bond and Nicola hopes her mum will be in the audience before the end of the series to see her take part in the show’
Nicola also recalled coming out to her mother in the book, who she said was instantly supportive and simply shrugged her shoulders and suggested they have a cup of tea.
The source added that if she wins the show, Nicola will dedicate the glitterball trophy to her mother.
It comes after Nicola and Katya dazzled with an energetic boxing-inspired routine on Saturday night’s second live show – which left some viewers ‘with tears in their eyes’.
Taking to the dance floor after host Tess Daly opened the show on what she called a ‘tough night’ as a new national lockdown was announced, the fab duo wowed the judges with their moves and received an impressive score of 24.
The hit performance also came amid concerns the show would be postponed due to the Prime Minister’s delayed speech – with there only being seconds to spare before BBC news cut off and the sparkling dancing competition started.
Performance: It comes after Nicola and Katya dazzled with an energetic boxing-inspired routine on Saturday night’s second live show – which left some viewers ‘with tears in their eyes’