Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, ballroom & the messy inbetween
£9.50
‘We come for the glitter, but instead we get the grit, in stories told with insight, tenderness and joy.’ – Russell T Davies
With a foreword by Steph McGovern
‘I never thought I’d write a memoir. I never thought I’d do a lot of the things I have done in my thirty-four years, but life has a wonderful way of surprising us.’
Well-known as the winner of the third series of The Great British Bake Off and runner up of Strictly Come Dancing with his same-sex dance partner Johannes Radebe, John Whaite’s personal story is a complicated narrative of contradictions, highs and lows, told with tenderness, joy, insight and wit, but also unflinching honesty.
A shy little boy from rural Lancashire, who was sacred to sleep alone and danced a little ‘too gay’ at family weddings, he was also an unruly teen who shaved a checkerboard pattern into his hair and refused to conform.
From childhood his life has revolved around food – his parents owned a fish and chip shop where John worked in the back peeling potatoes – but for long periods he has been haunted by bulimia and body dysmorphia and not a day goes by when he doesn’t worry about what or how much he eats.
He achieved TV fame but then seemingly wilfully chose to self-destruct, before finding the strength to pull back when he woke up in a car with half a kebab at his feet and chilli sauce on his shoes.
Through it all, his essential optimism has meant that he has chosen to take every step back as a chance to reassess and begin again, finally arriving at the realisation that external validation and fulfilment is transient – a distraction from the sometimes painful pilgrimage we make as we gain wisdom from our experiences.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Kyle Books (24 Aug. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 1137 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 304 pages |
| Page numbers source ISBN | 1804191493 |
by Lorraine
I have to start by saying that I am a huge fan of John Whaite.
I had no idea he suffered so much as a child with so many insecurities. It must have taken so much courage to reveal all that he did. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and have re-read it several times.
by Sue
Read this in a day, honestly couldn’t put it down. You could hear Johns voice in his words, and as with his SM, he was brutally honest about his bad choices, at times, uncomfortably so.
It was interesting to learn more about his childhood, written very thoughtfully, although it’s possible to read between the lines in parts. That said, he seems to have wonderful relationships with everyone close to him now.
Many reviews have mentioned him not going into more detail about some topics. We have to remember there are/were others involved and what John, rightly chose to do, was to handle this sensitively to their feelings, rather than upsetting people he cares about.
All in all, a great read, will be reading again and again.
by Mrs. F
I read the book quite quickly, I know John vaguely, we live in the same locality and I have attended his supper club evenings and cookery classes, but this is an unbiased review. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to read the memoir as the press had suggested that it was mainly relating to Strictly Come Dancing. Although I rooted for John on the show, I’m not a huge dance fan. However the book does reference the show but only in a minor way. The book is about John. As a person, as a faulty human and as a decent bloke. It’s a very good read actually. It is well written, that goes without saying, as John is a very articulate and clever man, but it does flow well and the story covers so many topics, it will appeal to many. I enjoyed the local references too, it is very honest. I didn’t cry as some people suggested one might, but I felt lots of emotion whilst reading this. My advice is give it a go. Look outside the presumed box, and take it for what it is. Mrs F
by S.Cameron
His childhood, winning Bake Off almost winning Strictly, going on Stephs light lunch and Onlyfans. Worth a read.
by Karen Knight
Excited to receive on day of release – as requested.
by Bailey
I am a huge fan of the author and have nothing but admiration for the openness he has shown on social media regarding his mental health and sobriety journey over the last couple of years. He is open about the mistakes he has made and appears willing to show great vulnerability – he is an excellent role model for the LGBTQ+ community, for cis men, and for everyone. I really appreciated getting to know more about him and will continue to be a huge fan of his.
As a piece of writing, however, this book did not really deliver on its promises. I am aware that with a celebrity memoir there is an element of sacrificing some quality of writing in exchange for insights into someone we’re interested in, but I was frustrated to be left without more understanding of what appear to be seismic events in the author’s life. The impact of taking part in Strictly Come Dancing on his life and relationship, the true nature of the relationships he had on the show, the West Highland Way journey he took himself on after Strictly, and the beginnings of his sobriety journey all seemed to be handled at arm’s length. There could be a few reasons for this – he may have been conflicted in how far to go in terms of sensitivity towards his loved ones, or he may just not be skilled enough a writer to translate his intentions effectively. Additionally, he is writing about events that are incredibly recent. There is an account of some painful events from Christmas Day 2022 and the book is edited and published only 8 months later, which means he could not have written about the day with nearly enough distance to have the kind of clarity needed to achieve the tone he probably wanted.
It’s sad and frustrating because there are some really important topics to which I think he is in a great position to bring attention but this book just felt like scratching the surface. His writing style is no different from the way he writes Instagram captions with little variation in language or grasp of nuance. There is so much potential and, as I said, I will continue to be a huge fan of his but I think it’s a bit of a lesson about what it truly takes to write a book and write it well in a world where it seems to be an increasingly common belief that anyone with a story to tell can write a book.
A huge positive – his recipes look fantastic and there are lots of them!
by lizc
I read this really quickly and enjoyed it . I like John, he comes over as being a nice man, intelligent and fun. I would never have thought he had so many insecurities and doubts. I hope he works these out and has a happy and productive life.
by Amy
The book is a beautiful and trueful story about someone who goes through life’s ups and downs but aslo going the symptoms of ADHD its a emotional roller-coaster from start to finish and will leave you wanted to read it again and again I definitely advise you to have this beautifully written book in your life