The grannies who want the world to dance

A trio of dancing grannies, who just want people to have a smile and to get moving, have been taking the world by storm.

Deb Nicholls, Jacky Fellows and Sue Hawkins, also known as Hilda, Letty and May have racked up millions of views online for their outrageous dances to unexpected songs.

Over the years the Black Country women, who formed and run Fizzog Productions, have toured with singer Diljit Dosanjh, met F1 driver Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix and worked with presenter and actress Alison Hammond.

"We just want people to be themselves, we want the world to dance, why not with everything else that's going on in the world," Fellows said.

She reminded people that "laughter and fun is contagious" and that having a good time helped you "tap into another version of yourself" while forgetting about topics like politics.

"You don't have to go to a fitness class or the gym, you can dance in your living room or kitchen, and that can help spur you on to do whatever you want to do," Nicholls said.

The grannies are known for dancing to songs like Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls and making public appearances, such as performing in a Bhangra flash mob at Birmingham New Street station.

Nicholls and Hawkins, both 54, and Jacky Fellows, 63, met at drama college more than 20 years ago.

They decided to set up a production company to bring theatre to those who rarely experience it.

They loved the idea of "three people in an old people's home reminiscing" and then danced as grannies in Stourbridge town centre in 2008 to raise money for a charity run.

The audience roared with laughter as they got up on stage and "everything went mental from there".

"It's really freeing, once we put our costumes on, there's a switch in the brain and we are Hilda, Letty and May and you don't have to be you anymore," Nicholls said.

The group took part in Edinburgh Festival Fringe twice where they were told their Black Country accent "wouldn't travel", but they proved people wrong.

"I love the Black Country accent and we had people there from all over the world in hysterics, no one had a problem understanding us," Hawkins said.

They have received messages on social media "for years" about how their dancing has made people laugh or smile "for the first time in a long time".

"To know that, that's what you've done to somebody, just by having a laugh at ourselves, is amazing," Hawkins said.

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