West End musical theatre star Ruthie Henshall appears as a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind this weekend.
The 54-year-old actress takes questions on the film musicals of Gene Kelly from quizmaster Clive Myrie during her appearance.
Just over a year ago, Ruthie had a run on prime time TV when she was a contestant on I’m A Celebrity.
Around that time, reports revealed shocking reflections on her early life and how dancing ‘saved her’.
Ruthie Henshall ‘saved by dancing’
Ruthie reportedly told the Mirror that discovering a love for dancing saved her after she was abused as a child.
According to a 2011 interview with the Daily Mail, she noted she prefers not disclose in too much detail what she endured.
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However, she reportedly suffered sexual abuse from a trusted family friend when she was four.
Her comments to the Mirror about finding dancing were reported on MailOnline in November 2020.
She compared it to a ‘light turning on’ in her life.
Ruthie said: “I couldn’t get enough of it.”
Ruthie’s struggles
Furthermore, Ruthie explained it was “extraordinary” to find a way to channel her feelings, which she did so into performing.
The Olivier Award winner indicated she struggled with relationships in the years following the abuse and would ‘behave badly’.
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Ruthie said: “It was extraordinary to find something to channel all these feelings that were going on inside me.
“I really believe it saved little Ruthie.”
Ruthie – who’s delighted audiences with her performances on stage in Cats, Les Miserables and Chicago among many more – said she also picked up the bug from ballet at a young age.
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She apparently asked a friend in the playground why she participated in ballet classes.
And, inspired to give it a try, she soon dedicated herself to performance and later went on to train at Laine Theatre Arts college in Surrey.
Her first lead stage role came aged 26 in 1993. She starred in the Broadway production Crazy for You and it led to her first Olivier Award nomination.
With such expertise, hopefully she will put on a winning performance on Celebrity Mastermind, too.
Celebrity Mastermind airs on BBC One on Saturday, February 12 at 6.30pm.
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