Salsa dancing gran misses out on prize

Spanish salsa dancing sensation Paddy Jones was today flying back to Birmingham to spend New Year with her grandchildren – after missing out on a 100,000 euro top talent show prize.

Last night the Stourbridge grandmother – real name Sarah Jones – and dance partner Nicko Espinosa were in the final of finals of the Spanish version of Britain's Got Talent. The 75-year-old made it to the final eight.

Since then Paddy says offers of work have flooded in from around the globe.

"I came off stage and didn't get to bed until 5am," she said.

"I was having a live interview for BBC world news at 2am and then I got offers to travel to Argentina to appear on a dance TV show and to come to London for This Morning.

"I'm flying back to London for New Year then I'm back in Spain again on Saturday and then I'm back to film the show on Thursday. I'm looking forward to meeting Philip Schofield.

"My poor little dog doesn't know whether I'm coming or going!"

And mother-of-four Paddy says last night's talent show, which was screened live from 11pm, gave her a taste of the celebrity lifestyle.

"We stayed in a hotel and they sent big white limos to pick us up," added the grandmother-of-seven.

"There were loads of fans waiting outside for us shouting 'we love you Paddy'.

The final of finals was last night won by performing pooch Jerry and his owner Perro Persona. The multi-talented mutt performed press ups, jumped over a skipping rope and correctly identified numbers chosen by the judges.

Paddy, who once owned Paddy's Fabrics in Victoria Passage, Stourbridge, moved to Spain with husband David in 2001, planning a quiet retirement. When David died of leukaemia, Paddy decided to renew her passion for dancing.

She will be visiting two of her grandchildren in Southampton and hopes to meet up with relatives from Stourbridge on Thursday.