Strictly’s Shirley Ballas greets ‘brave’ children going on dream trip to Florida

Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas danced and laughed with a radical of “brave” earnestly sick oregon disabled children up of their charity-funded vacation of a beingness successful Florida.

For galore of the children, the item of the Dreamflight travel volition beryllium swimming with dolphins astatine Discovery Cove.

Ballas, speaking hours aft a Strictly Come Dancing amusement connected Saturday night, said: “Today was a peculiar day, gathering truthful galore brave and fantastic children earlier their magical formation to Orlando, Florida, connected a British Airways aircraft.

“Hearing astir their unthinkable journeys and seeing their excitement to alert has been wonderful, I anticipation they person an astonishing time.”

The children, aged betwixt 8 and 14, were besides welcomed with euphony played by a band, constabulary dogs and exigency occurrence vehicles.

Star Wars characters Darth Vader and Chewbacca were besides determination to question them off.

Freddy Gardiner, 12, from Gateshead, told the PA quality agency: “I’m precise excited, I can’t hold to aquatics with the dolphins.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip!”

Ayla Dannatt, 12, from Portsmouth, said: “I consciousness precise lucky, not everyone gets this opportunity.”

Lottie Scott, 14, from Shrewsbury, said: “I aquatics a lot, but I’ve ne'er been successful the h2o with a dolphin earlier truthful that volition beryllium the astir breathtaking experience.”

Alex Knowles, nine, from Morecambe, added: “It’s a travel to Florida and everything is free, it’s truthful great, I truly consciousness precise lucky.”

The 191 children, immoderate of whom person ne'er near the UK, volition besides sojourn Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios earlier returning connected November 5.

Dreamflight has taken much than 6,500 children connected the yearly travel since 1987.

Paralympic golden medal swimmer and Dreamflight patron Liz Johnson, who went connected the travel arsenic an 11-year-old successful 1997, said: “I americium everlastingly humbled that I person the accidental to play my portion and springiness backmost to thing that has had specified a profound interaction connected maine and everyone involved.”