Darcey Bussell: Strictly Come Dancing judge's age, husband, rose, career and more facts

20 October 2018, 19:00 | Updated: 20 October 2018, 19:11

Dame Darcey Bussell is one of the UK's most successful and well-known dancers.

She's back for another series as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, and here are all the important facts you need to know about the talented star:

1. Who is Darcey Bussell?

   

   Darcey Bussell is an English retired ballerina.

   She wast trained at the Arts Educational School and the Royal Ballet School, and started her professional career at Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet. Just a year later, she moved to the Royal Ballet, becoming a principal dancer at the age of 20 in 1989.

   She stayed with The Royal Ballet for her whole career, over two decades. She retired from ballet in 2007.

   She has also had careers in TV, books and modelling, and supports various British and international charities and dance institutions.

   She joined Strictly Come Dancing as a judge in 2012.

2. Darcey Bussell age: How old is she?

   Darcey Bussell was born on April 27, 1969. She celebrated her 49th birthday in 2018.

   Her full name was Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle at birth.

   She was born in London to Australian businessman John Crittle, and his English wife, Andrea Williams. Her parents divorced when Darcey was three, and her mother remarried, with Darcey being adopted by her mother's new husband, Australian dentist Philip Bussell.

   After spending some time in Australia, the family returned to London when Darcey was a child.

3. Does Darcey Bussell have a rose named after her?

   

   Darcey Bussell English Rose

   In 2006 at the Chelsea Flower Show, David Austin Roses launched a new crimson rose named after her, called the simply the 'Darcey Bussell'.

4. Darcey Bussell husband and children: Who is she married to?

   

   In 1997, Darcey married Australian businessman Angus Forbes in Cherwell, Oxfordshire.

   They have two daughters together: Phoebe Olivia (born 2001) and Zoe Sophia (born 2004).

   In 2008, the family moved to Sydney, but returned to London in 2012.

5. When was Darcey Bussell made a Dame?

   

   Darcey Bussell was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1995 New Year Honours for services to ballet.

   She then received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours, and later Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to dance.