Strictly legend helps Peterborough delivery driver perform dance numbers on his rounds

Peterborough native and delivery driver for Wiltshire Farm Foods, Brian Keyte, will be dazzling his customers in the area with a pavement performance of the iconic Morecambe & Wise tune Bring Me Sunshine, as part of a national campaign to bring some sunshine to customers.

In preparation for his one-to-one extravaganzas, Brian has been put through his paces and rigorously trained by Strictly star and showbiz legend Dame Arlene Phillips to perform a choreographed dance routine.

Dame Arlene has previously choreographed routines for countless West End shows, the powerhouse Whitney Houston and superstar Freddie Mercury, among many others, for over forty years.

Brian has been working at the Peterborough branch of Wiltshire Farm Foods for three years and is excited to surprise and delight his customers.

Brian said: “I’m not normally much of a dancer but I am a fan of Strictly, so thought I would give it a go. To get dancing tips from Arlene Phillips was amazing and I thought I did okay – Maureen seemed to enjoy it when I delivered her meals, so that was great. I hope my invite to take part in the next series of Strictly doesn’t get lost in the post!”

Dame Arlene Phillips said: “When I got the chance to bring a little sunshine back into people’s lives with a good old song and dance routine I jumped at the opportunity. Singing and dancing fills people with such joy and I’ve seen today the drivers’ dedication to bringing joy to their customers. They all did really well and did it in their own way – 10s all round from me!”

The delivery team at Wiltshire Farm Foods have special relationships with their customers, with some servicing the same client for a decade. Their strong and genuine friendships often see the drivers staying for a chat or lending a helping hand around the house – the ‘Bring Me Sunshine Service’ is a further example of how they go the extra mile for their customers.

Customer Maureen Stamford, from March, spent most of lockdown making masks for her local community and her driver Brian wears them.

Maureen (86) said: “Brian has been delivering to me for a little while now and he always brings a smile to my face. Having him dance whilst delivering my meals was a wonderful experience – and I wish he could do it every time!”

The heart-warming service comes as research found a third of over 65s haven’t had a meaningful interaction in over four weeks. However, singing, dancing and music are the perfect remedy for loneliness, with 47% agreeing that dancing with others or music helps, and 65% with singing.

Emma Kenny, Psychologist said: “Loneliness is an emotional prompt and is telling the individual experiencing it that they need to find a source of connection. Face, to face interaction is necessary if we are to feel happy and healthy and when this doesn’t occur, it can affect an individual’s mental health negatively, increasing stress, and lowering mood.”

Brian will be bringing his customers some much-needed sunshine between the 7th and 12th February, with the service available to book now.

This service for Wiltshire Farm Foods customers is running nationwide on a trial basis and is entirely free – you can’t put a price on sunshine.