[Red Moon]

Of course I fancy Flavia (even though she's so old), admits Strictly's Matt

Matt Di Angelo has been talking nine to the dozen about how wonderful it is to be recognised as Matt Di Angelo, suave star of Strictly Come Dancing, rather than Deano Wicks, his less dashing soap opera alter ego.

"EastEnders has been great for me, but it's fantastic to have people coming up clapping me on the back and recognising me for myself," he says.

A few moments later he is accosted by a starstruck fan, who wants an autograph.

As he signs, and she simpers, she asks him what his future career plans are.
He mutters: "Not sure yet. I'm just concentrating on Strictly Come Dancing at the minute."

"Oh, are you in that?" comes the response. Ouch. Still, she must be about the only female in the country who doesn't know that Matt Di Angelo is now more than "that bloke off EastEnders".

The 20-year-old actor is down to the final two in the hit BBC series, and will battle it out with singer Alesha Dixon on Saturday, full of confidence after scoring a perfect 40 out of 40 for his performance at the weekend.

Not bad for a guy who skived off all his dance classes at stage school because he couldn't bear the thought of having to don a leotard and some leg warmers.

"I don't think I went to a single dance class at school," he admits. "I was too self-conscious.

"I didn't want to have to get into tight leotards. I'd just have felt stupid."

Little wonder his old tutor is feeling so gutted.

She came along to filming last week and told him that had she known there was a potential twinkle-toes in the ranks, she would have dragged him on to the dancefloor herself.

He laughs. "But I couldn't have predicted this myself.

"I never thought I would have the confidence to get up there and do this. I'm as shocked as anyone."

For Matt hasn't just pulled off a passable pasa double, or shuffled his way through a convincing chachacha, he has positively wowed the audiences - and sent judge Arlene Phillips a little giddy - with his sexy steps and trademark hip swivels.

So much so that he has been dubbed "Justin Trousersnake" by his EastEnders colleagues.

But it is the chemistry between him and his professional dance partner Flavia Cacace - she of the awesomely developed six-pack - that has really set tongues wagging.

The pair have positively sizzled their way through their performances, leading to much speculation that there is some naughty tango-ing going on off-stage, too.

Earlier this month, even presenter Tess Daly commented on how close they were getting.

Introducing the rumba as the "dance of love", she said: "That should be a walk in the park for you two."

Alas, for the ten million Strictly viewers who want to believe that romance is blossoming before their very eyes, there is a fly in the ointment.

Flavia has a boyfriend - and one who watches from the wings every Saturday night.

Her long-term professional partner Vincent Simone - with whom she lives - is also one of the Strictly dancers, although he went out in the early stages, with his partner Stephanie Beacham.

All of which makes it a little tricky, should love indeed be in the air.

For his part, Matt is being decidedly coy, although he is clearly delighting in his newfound role of show Lothario.

As well as being supposedly smitten by Flavia, he has been (one paper claimed) wooing fellow contestant Alesha. He laughs.

"I have been busy, haven't I? Of course I could have Gethin too (another contestant), if I wanted!"

Seriously, though, he insists that he and Flavia are disappointingly not an item.

"There was this photo of us in the papers supposedly holding hands, but we just weren't," he exclaims.

"It was the angle of the picture. I had my phone in my hand, and I was showing her how the hands-free kit worked.

"OK so maybe our fingers brushed, but really - that's about it." An agonisingly convoluted explanation? Perhaps.

So that dancefloor chemistry is down to nothing more than his good acting?

"Yeah," he grins. "Well, no. We do have a genuine connection. She's a really good friend and we get on brilliantly."

But does he fancy her? He splutters in disbelief. "Do I fancy her? Of course I do. I mean, have you seen Flavia?"

Then he spoils it all. I mention that she is a little bit older than him. He responds in the way that only a 20-year-old can.

"Oh, she's a lot older. Eight years. She is 28."

Still, you wouldn't blame Vincent if he were furious. A downmarket tabloid recently reported his supposed fury with the hilarious headline: I'll Splat That Prat Matt.

Yet, according to Matt, the pair are the best of friends, rather than sworn enemies.

"Vincent and I get on pretty well. We laugh about it all the time. He finds it as funny as I do."

Maybe Vincent is only laughing because he has seen Matt in action.

He admits himself that his first few training sessions with Flavia were less than auspicious.

Within minutes of starting training, Matt had dropped her on her head.

"Luckily, she took it very well. She bounces pretty well."

Since then they may have got physical - but it is mostly in the "ouch" sense.

Flavia has suffered bruised ribs from awkward landings, while Matt had to take a few days off training after he pulled some ligaments.

Of the pair, it is Flavia who has the most aggressive ambition.

Last year, she was gutted to leave the contest in the early stages after being paired with Jimmy Tarbuck, who went after concerns about his health.

This year, when faced with the virile young form of Matt - the youngest male competitor ever - she was understandably ecstatic.

"She jumped up and down," he grins. "I think she had such a bad time last year that she was just so pleased I was a young guy.

"It has put the pressure on, though. I've been so determined to do well for her. Quite early on, I promised her that I would get her to the final."

It was, he admits, a rather rash promise to make.

"Yeah. I think that was before I realised how high the standard was going to be."

He admits that he was at first intimidated by that famous six-pack.

"What bloke wouldn't be? I stood beside her with my belly and just looked out of shape.

"I've lost a stoneanda-half since I started, but when I began I did think: 'God, I can't compare here.'

"What was really confusing was that every time we went for a coffee, she'd have a muffin.

"I've never known anyone to put so many away. I really think we should have been sponsored by Starbucks."

He, in turn, has barely seen a proper meal since the contest started.

"Flavia's strategy is just to work me so hard that I don't have time to eat, simple as that."

But what is an up-and-coming young actor doing on Strictly in the first place?

Isn't it supposed to be the place celebrities come to have their careers revived?

Matt's has barely taken off in the first place.

Although he has been doing modelling work and acting since the age of nine, EastEnders - which he joined only two years ago - was his first major role.

He admits that when he was first approached by the Strictly team, he was sniffy.

Then, being told that he would not be needed by EastEnders for a three-month stretch, changed his thinking.

"The Strictly people had asked me before, and I said: 'No way - I'm an actor. I don't do that kind of thing.'

"Then, it came up again and I knew that I was having three months off because my character was not needed for the storyline.

"I'd been thinking about what I would do - maybe shadow a director, or do a course.

"But I got talking to Louisa Lytton, the EastEnders actress who had done it last.

"She said it would be the most challenging thing I'd ever do - and I wanted a challenge.

"I also knew that long-term it wouldn't do me any harm to get myself out there as Matt, rather than Deano.

"I know that many soap actors have a difficult time trying to get people to see them as anyone other than their TV character."

Yet he wasn't to know how important that aspect would be. He had already committed to Strictly when he was told his EastEnders "holiday" would be permanent, and that his contract with the soap would not be renewed.

He would only be required to return to film his final scenes - to be shown in January.

It was a devastating blow. "It was a surprise, yes," he admits.

"I kind of assumed that my contract would be renewed and I'd be there for a while. You do."

With hindsight, he can see that he perhaps didn't take EastEnders by storm in the way that he had hoped.

His performance was savaged by a few critics - and not entirely unfairly, he concedes.

"It's the easiest thing in the world to go overboard, and overact. When you first go into a soap, the pressure is immense.

"My acting wasn't amazing in the early days. I look back on the early stuff now and can see that it wasn't great."

In any event, Strictly has been something of a blessing - giving him a unexpected new platform from which to take the next career step.

And being presented as a sex symbol obviously won't do his future career any harm at all, although he is a little bit anxious about what his newfound notoriety will do for his private life.

He hasn't had a girlfriend since he started in the soap, and there isn't much sign of one.

Like most of the young actors in this country, he goes out on a Saturday night knowing that every young woman he meets in a club is a potential kiss-and-tell merchant.

He admits that it limits his girlfriend-getting potential.

"I've had people pretend they have slept with me, just to make money from newspapers, so it does make you wary about every girl you speak to.

"It's all a bit embarrassing," he admits.

"My mum will read stuff and say: 'Have you done this?' and I'll say: 'No, mum, of course I haven't.'

"But it does make it impossible to go and have the sort of night out any 20-year- old guy will have."

Mind you, like any sensible single bloke with a newfound fan base, he insists that settling down in a relationship is the last thing on his mind at the moment.

Vincent, for one, will be delighted to hear it.

Source and Pictures: Daily Mail

[GiRTh]

I thought Flavia was younger than 28.