Strictly Come Dancing’s Clara Amfo heads to rehearsals with pro partner Aljaz Skorjanec

She previously told how she hopes to take home the Glitterball trophy in honour of her late father who passed away five years ago. 

And Clara Amfo cut a casual figure as she and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Aljaz Skorjanec arrived to rehearsals ahead of Saturday’s live show.

The Radio 1 DJ, 36, and the pro dancer, 30, made sure to put safety first as they both sported face masks on their way to the studio as part of the show’s strict Covid-19 guidelines. 

Clara donned a light grey T-shirt and a pair of black leggings which she wore with navy trainers.

The presenter also sported a dark green bomber jacket while she carried a leopard print bag with her.

Meanwhile, Alijaz was also dressed casually for the outing, sporting a black hoodie with matching tracksuit bottoms and a leather jacket.

Clara previously said that she intends to honour her father’s memory by busting out some moves on the ballroom floor for the hit BBC TV show.

She recalled the heartbreaking moment she discovered her microbiologist father, Emmanuel, passed away from the heart attack which changed her life forever.

Clara was in Paris, France, about to compete in a half marathon when she had a foreboding premonition, and her worst fears came true when she received a series of missed calls from her sister. 

She said to The Mirror: ‘That morning I felt compelled to call him. I then looked at my phone and saw all these missed calls from my sister.

‘In that moment I thought, “I bet my dad has died”. I knew I needed to answer the phone but I really didn’t want to.’

According to Clara, she picked up the phone to a ‘visceral and guttural’ wail from her sister who revealed the devastating news.

She added: ‘I said “Susan, what? what?” I had to hear her say it. She said: “Dad has died,” and I screamed. I’ve never had such a deep ­reaction as I had that day.’ 

Emmanuel-originally from Ghana- arrived in the UK in the 1970s with just £25 pounds in his pocket. Clara also told how her father had always had a love for dancing. 

Now, the Radio 1 host has the opportunity to make her dad proud and dance in his memory on the current series alongside a host of other celebs.

Strictly had its highest ratings in three years after 9 million viewers tuned it for Saturday’s pre-recorded launch show. 

Viewing figures averaged at 8.6 million during the episode and it is the show’s highest ratings since 2017. 

During Saturday’s episode of Strictly, the 2020 pairings were revealed where celebrities including Nicola, Jamie Laing and Maisie Smith discovered which professional dancer would put them through their paces in the upcoming weeks.