STRICTLY Come Dancing star Ian Waite waltzed into the Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth and swept all the ladies off their feet.

The dancer and choreographer was at the hotel in Russell-Cotes Road, as the special guest of the Dorset Ladies Luncheon Club.

The club, which has 190 members and is now in its 44th year, invited Ian to be the special guest at its annual Christmas Lunch.

The Marsham Court is a Mecca for dance fans from across the country, who come to tango, salsa and foxtrot on its two, large semi-sprung dance floors.

Ian Waite shot to fame as a Strictly professional dancer back in 2004.

He has reached the finals of the BBC’s flagship family entertainment show twice, finishing as runner-up with Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis in season two and coming third with presenter Zoe Ball in season three.

Since 2011 he has also presented his own segment on Strictly’s sister show, It Takes Two.

Posing for pictures before the party with the Dorset Ladies committee Ian said: “It’s lovely to be here. My best friend lives in Bournemouth so I am a regular visitor and we always have a great night out.

“I’m very much looking forward to meeting all the ladies today and telling them about my career, as well as my appearances on Strictly.

“I’ll also hopefully make them laugh by sharing some of my most embarrassing moments as a dancer. I think it’s going to be a fun afternoon.”

Liz Young, the Chairman of the Dorset Ladies Luncheon Club, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have Ian as our special guest this year. Many of the Dorset Ladies are great fans of Strictly Come Dancing and we are very much looking forward to hearing all about his experiences.”

Ian was booked by the Dorset Ladies earlier in the year and has since joined the cast of the Christmas panto Cinderella in Worthing, where he is playing Dandini.

Liz said: “Despite there being a clash with a matinee performance, Ian was determined to honour his booking with us and we are very grateful to him for that.”

The Dorset Ladies Luncheon Club has been holding monthly meetings (between October and April) at the Marsham Court for over 20 years.

Previous guests at its Christmas luncheons include Dr Hilary Jones, the newsreader Angela Rippon and broadcaster Esther Rantzen.

Rosie Radwell, MD of the family-owned Marsham Court, said: "As you can imagine Ian has caused quite a stir with the ladies - indeed all our guests

“He is extremely charming and was very impressed with our dance floors. He has been saying hello to everyone he meets.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome such a talented dancer and well known face to the hotel.”