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Darcey Bussell's surprising plans after quitting Strictly Come Dancing revealed

The ballerina has quit her judging role after 7 years

Darcey Bussell Swan Lake
Chloe Best
Lifestyle Features Editor
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Darcey Bussell has some exciting plans for the summer after quitting her role as a Strictly Come Dancing judge. The 49-year-old, who worked on the show for seven years, will be joining fans on a special two-week tour of Russia, where they can learn about the country's cultural history.

Dame Darcey will work as one of the celebrity experts on Tripsmiths' new immersive travel experiences, and join a tour group on a 14-day trip at the end of May. Called A dance through Russia with Darcey Bussell, the trip takes place from 26 May until 10 June, and is said to be a must for fans of art, architecture and dance.

St Petersburg Russia© Photo: iStock

Darcey Bussell will join a tour of Russia in May

The former Strictly star will join guests in St Petersburg, where she will provide insight on Russia's balletic delights, talk about her career, and join the group for a special performance by a local dance company. Darcey will also give each member of the group their own signed photo keepsake from their meeting.

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The river cruise will also pass through Moscow and the Golden Ring cities, giving tourists the opportunity to see many of Russia's cultural highlights, and includes all activities, meals and transfers from £4,295 per person.

Darcey Bussell Strictly judges© Photo: Getty Images

Darcey has quit her role as a Strictly Come Dancing judge

Darcey announced her decision to leave Strictly earlier this month, and on Wednesday it was revealed that her colleagues only found out via email that she had decided to leave the show. Professional dancer Oti Mabuse told Zoe Ball on her Radio 2 Breakfast Show: "I was in Germany and got an email, she will be missed."

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The popular judge's exit came completely out of the blue for everyone. Anton du Beke revealed over the weekend that he was surprised that she was leaving as nobody knew about it beforehand. Talking to Graham Norton on his Radio 2 show on Saturday morning, Anton admitted that the news had come out of the blue. When asked if he knew, he said: "No, not at all. I didn't know that Pasha was going to leave, that was a bolt out the blue as well. He never mentioned anything last year. Apparently, he never mentioned anything to Ashley [Roberts], his partner, either. And Darcey, exactly the same. Absolutely out of the blue."

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