If there was ever a shift that felt like gliding into a completely different world, it was this one. On January 30th and 31st, the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour waltzed into the First Direct Arena — and I was on the night shift clean-up team.

From sequins to spotlights, the whole event screamed glamour. The arena was transformed: glitterballs hanging from the rafters, light shows spinning across the crowd, and a floor so polished it looked like glass. By the time the music faded and the crowd filtered out, it was our turn to step in — no judges, no applause, just gloves on and brushes in hand.

What stood out? The confetti. So much confetti. Gold, silver, pink — embedded in every seat row and tucked into every corner. And glitter… everywhere. It clung to everything, even days later. We swept, vacuumed, and wiped our way through makeup wipes, forgotten programs, and the occasional feather boa left behind in the rush.

Despite the sparkle overload, it was honestly one of the most upbeat clean-ups I’ve worked. The crew was in good spirits, probably catching some of that Strictly energy in the air. There’s something weirdly satisfying about restoring that level of extravagance back to bare floors.

Strictly brought the glam, and we brought it back to earth — one sweep at a time.