Molly Rainford said performing on television as an adult was “very different” to when she was a child, but added that she still “gets the same nerves”.
The singer and former Britain’s Got Talent finalist said performing live on Strictly Come Dancing was “probably a bit scarier” but it had been an “amazing experience”.
Rainford, 21, is partnered with professional dancer Carlos Gu on the popular BBC dancing competition, and narrowly avoided elimination last week, after finding herself in the dreaded dance off.
In 2012 she came fourth in the sixth series of BGT, aged 11, losing out to dancing dog act Ashleigh and Pudsey.
Ahead of the next Strictly show on Saturday, she said “I feel like it’s very different as a kid because you have no idea what the audience is like or like who are at home watching.
“Now I’m an adult is probably a bit scarier because I know all that the risks now but I still get the same nerves whenever I’m singing or dancing – so that doesn’t change.
“But it’s nice to do it with a partner rather than it being on my own (and) it’s nice knowing that if there’s a little step wrong, Carlos will help me through it rather than me being out there going ‘I don’t know how to fix it’.”
Rainford said her fellow BGT contestants had reached out to tell her it was nice seeing her “back on the telly” and doing something “outside your comfort zone” but that show boss Simon Cowell had not.
During the Halloween week live show on Saturday, Rainford and Gu will perform an Argentine tango to Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One.