Born in New Zealand, Erin started dancing at the tender age of 3. At 15 she visited Australia to watch a big ballroom competition and the dye was cast – three years later she became New Zealand Ballroom and Latin 10 Dance Amateur Champion. In 1994 Erin decided to move to Australia to progress her career, moving to London 18 months later.  She started dancing with Anton in 1997 and within a year they were winning international competitions, both as amateurs and professionals, including titles in the UK, New Zealand and Canada and taking them way up in the world rankings. Erin is one of the few professionals to have danced in all six series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her partners in the first three series were rugby player Martin Offiah, comedian Julian Clary with whom she came third and athlete Colin Jackson with whom she came second. Her TV relationship with Colin earned Erin the nickname ‘Miss Whiplash’ and they went on to win the 2006 Christmas Day special.

In March Erin filmed a 2 part show called Ballroom High for Twenty Twenty  shown on Sky 1 in May in which she goes with Anton into a comprehensive school in Eltham South London and takes 12 young people between the ages of 12 and 14 and trains them over a period of one month to a standard that allows them to perform at a gala show at the mecca of Ballroom Dancing – Blackpool Tower.  It was an extremely tough challenge, however Erin believes that it is one of the most fulfilling projects she has ever worked on and truly reflects her love of passing on her skills to the next generation of dancers and working with absolute beginners.  Sky are thrilled with the way it was received.

June 2009 also sees Erin marrying her fiancé Peter O’Dowd.

Other TV appearances include regular guest dancer and coach on “Strictly Dance Fever”, fronting the ballroom dancing team on “Celebrity Star Spell, Test the Nation”, guesting in Million Dollar Mansion on ‘The National Lottery’, dancing in Trafalgar Square in the BBC’s ‘Dancing in the Streets Ballroom Blitz’ project, talking about the psychology of dance with Colin Jackson on the BBC science programme ‘Truth about You’ and having the honour of performing in the 2004 Royal Variety Performance.

Further career highlights include choreographing with Anton and designing costumes for the stage show ‘Simply Ballroom’ which has toured all over the UK, the USA, South Africa and the UAE, dancing at 10th Anniversary of Sadlers Wells Theatre and hosting The Big Dance 2008 live in Trafalgar Square. Erin also is in great demand as an after dinner and motivational speaker. Erin also performs at countless charity and corporate events throughout the year.

Erin is also very honoured to have been be asked to front the 2009 Playtex Moonwalk Marathon in aid of Breast Cancer and will tell you that distance walking takes far more effort than one would ever think.  She completed the ‘Half Moon’ in a none too shabby 3¾ hours.  She wore a bra especially created by the designers of her wonderful dance dresses Dancesport International.

The 2007/8 DVD ‘Simply Come Dancersize’ produced by 2Entertain that Erin co-presented, devised and choreographed with Karen Hardy reached no 1 in the fitness DVD lists in 2008 outselling all its rivals by 10s of thousands.

Things you didn’t know about Erin – she trained for a degree in travel and tourism before deciding to concentrate on dancing full time!

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