Princess Diana's Dance Partner Recalls Their Hilarious Encounter

Wayne Sleep, the celebrated British dancer, has revisited his iconic performance with Princess Diana, revealing a side to the late royal rarely seen by the public.

Appearing on ITV's "This Morning" on Thursday, August 1st, Sleep was grilled by hosts Craig Doyle and Josie Gibson about his 1985 performance with Diana, a memorable moment where they danced to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" at the Royal Opera House.

While initially hesitant to delve into the details of their time together, Sleep did offer some humorous anecdotes that left the studio in stitches. He admitted to feeling tired when he first met his royal dance partner, a feeling he attributed to a late night before their encounter.

Sleep shared a charming story about his initial conversation with Diana, recalling the moment she called him out of the blue to say: "I haven't met you but I want to dance with you." Despite his initial anxieties, Sleep was quickly disarmed by Diana's sense of humour.

"I thought we'd be the laughing stock, she was so tall and beautiful," he confessed. "I told her, 'Do you mind if we sit down, I had a very late night?' And she went, 'Oh, you naughty boy.'"

From there, their friendship blossomed, as Sleep discovered a playful side to Diana he hadn't expected. "We sat down and I realised she had humour," he said, "so we could do our one-upmanship with each other, with a bit of humour in it."

Despite having achieved many other "wonderful things" in his career, Sleep lamented the fact that everyone always asks him about his dance with Diana, a moment that has become indelibly etched in public memory, even though it took place nearly three decades ago.

"This Morning" airs weekdays on ITV from 10am.