Olivia Dean on ‘not being sure’ about monster hit Man I Need and why Strictly is the show for her

Marvin Humes made a high-octane debut on Hits Radio yesterday afternoon, kicking off his first show with an exclusive interview with the woman of the hour: Olivia Dean. 2026 has officially become the year of Dean. Following a meteoric rise, the “Man I Need” singer recently dominated the BRIT Awards, taking home four trophies, including British Artist of the Year and British Album of the Year for The Art of Loving. Despite her current status as pop royalty, Dean revealed to Humes that her biggest hit almost stayed in the vault.

During the candid chat, Dean confessed that her UK Number 1 single, “Man I Need,” was never intended to be a lead track. “I wasn’t sure about it,” she admitted. “I thought it was a little bit different.”

It took the intervention of her touring band during rehearsals to convince her of the song’s potential. “Some of my band were like, ‘This one’s good, you know,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t know if it was representative of the whole album and the story, but I’m glad I followed through with that one.”

Beyond the studio, Dean shared that she has been busy mastering a new skill: Salsa dancing. While she initially took up the hobby to find an outlet “completely separate” from her professional music career, she didn’t entirely rule out bringing those moves to the screen. When Humes pressed her on whether a music video dance routine was coming, she teased, “Never say never.”

The conversation naturally turned to reality TV, where Dean’s new dancing shoes might come in handy. When Humes asked about a potential stint on Strictly Come Dancing, her response was enthusiastic: “I actually would… I actually would!”