Dancefloor king Chris Hollins, set to foxtrot his way to the SECC, tells MAUREEN ELLIS why Strictly is simply child’s play...

Donning a sequinned shirt slashed to the waist is once again allowing Chris Hollins to relive the best days of his life ... and it has nothing to do with lifting a glitterball trophy.

The unlikely hero of the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing, whose partnership with Polish pro dancer Ola Jordan melted the hearts of the nation, is warming up at a North London rehearsal studio for the live tour of the hit BBC show.

“I think we’re like a bunch of naughty schoolboys and schoolgirls,” he laughs. “We all have a very similar sense of humour, we’re all looking forward to going on the tour and having a big giggle out there.”

The five-week “school trip” will take the Strictly cavalcade of eight celebrity dancers and their professional partners across Britain, beginning tomorrow in Manchester.

And the choreographers tasked with refreshing the couple’s most popular Latin and Ballroom routines, in addition to a group dance, have an unruly class of jokers to control – including dancefloor prefects Ali Bastian and Zoe Lucker.

Chris adds: “I think every one has the ability to be the class clown. Trying to teach us steps is an absolute nightmare!

“Ali is very quiet, but she can get naughty because I think she gets everybody else in trouble.

“Zoe on the surface looks mature and should be one of the leaders, but she’s always nipping out for a cigarette with James [Jordan] and plotting the next giggle.”

The motley crew is stopping off for six performances over four days at Glasgow’s SECC, during which the 38-year-old presenter hopes to squeeze in a round of golf, perhaps with the tour’s fellow sporty types, cricketer and series four winner Mark Ramprakash and English rugby icon Austin Healey.

Last month, Chris became the third male celebrity with a sporting background – cricketer Darren Gough was crowned series three champ – to win Strictly.

Although he’s now to be found presenting BBC Breakfast sport, Chris played professional football with Charlton and first-class cricket while a student at Durham and then Oxford universities. His dad John played football for Chelsea, Arsenal and England.

But one name has become a bugbear to Chris, it’s Scottish rugby hero and kilted paso doble exponent Kenny Logan.

“When I first teamed up with Ola, all I heard was that Kenny did this, Kenny did that, he was brilliant at this or that,” said Chris, who on an earlier trip north cycled from Glasgow to Edinburgh on a tandem with weathergirl Carol Kirkwood for Children In Need.

“I thought: ‘Oh, my God, am I ever going to get past the Kenny Logan effect? I heard that when he went on tour he won every single time in Glasgow!

“We’re not expecting to win any glitterballs on tour – Ola and I have used up all our luck.

“It’s a great way to go around the country and say ‘thank you’. This was a no brainer for us.”

Having managed to escape the dreaded dance-off during the 16-week dance endurance, despite some wobbly scores, it was clear the public was rooting for the sparkling relationship between Chris and Ola.

Their “Team Cola” moniker, those “Yeah baby” t-shirts, the wit in their training room footage, cosying up on the sofa of It Takes Two with Claudia Winkleman, and Ola’s diminishing costumes all helped win over the millions who voted the underdog to victory over Hollyoaks hunk Ricky Whittle.

Chris said: “It’s obvious that Ricky Whittle was by far the best dancer. He was outstanding – a brilliant talent and a brilliant guy and if it was dancing alone then he would have won.

“But I don’t make up the rules of Strictly, and somehow we managed to win it.

“We were really good friends – I think people watching at home loved that. They loved that we enjoyed each other’s company, that we enjoyed dancing with each other.

“Whether it’s a dance competition or a popularity competition is a very difficult question to answer. All I know is that we won, and I can’t quite believe it.”

At just that point, Austin, who lost in a series six dance-off to Lisa Snowdon, interrupts for a joke about training.

The 2010 tour is dominated by names from the most recent series, including The Bill actress Ali reunited with partner Brian Fortuna and Footballers Wives’ star Zoe paired with Ola’s husband James.

But that’s as far as the recognised couplings go, with five celebrities being partnered by new dancers for the live tour. From last series, EastEnders favourites Ricky Groves and Natalie Cassidy team up with Aliona Vilani and Darren Bennett respectively.

Kelly Brook pairs up with Dixon’s pro partner Matthew Cutler. Mark Ramprakash, who scored a joint-highest 39 with the Argentine tango and an unprecedented 40 for a salsa, is sure to set pulses racing with his moves with Kristina Rihanoff, while Austin, who holds the record for the highest-scoring paso doble, is joined by Lilia Kopylova, who lifted the glitterball with Darren Gough.

In other twists on the format of the 2009 show, hosting duties in Glasgow will be taken over by Total Wipeout presenter Amanda Byram, judge Arlene Phillips misses February 13 and head judge Len Goodman sits out February 11-12.

While the show’s official tour takes place in Finnieston, Anton and Erin, the only pro couple to have lasted all seven series, present their stage show at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on February 13.

And some of the pro dancers take up residence for one week at Edinburgh’s Playhouse in June with Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals.

Chris, who joined BBC in 1999 after stints at Sky Sports, GMTV and Five, is no stranger to a hectic schedule, having moved house with girlfriend Sarah towards the latter stages of the TV contest.

It was because of the move that those infamous “Yeah baby” t-shirts were printed – just to give him something to wear while rehearsing.

He will take two-and-a-half weeks’ holiday for the tour, and juggle his BBC Breakfast News commitments for the remainder, to relive the Rumba and Foxtrot in the live show. Rumour has it that their Charleston to Bugsy Malone’s Fat Sam’s Grandslam which earned them a perfect score in the final might provide the inspiration for the group effort.

He said: “I’d love to have a pound for every time someone said: ‘God, Chris, you were useless at the start, but you really give it everything you’ve got. If you can do it then it makes me think that I can do it.’

“I think that’s also why people voted for us.”

lStrictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour is at the SECC from February 11-12 at 7.30pm, February 13 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, February 14 at 1.30pm & 6.30pm. Tickets priced £42.50-£65 available from 0870 040 4000 or www.strictlycomedancinglive.com