A previously unseen video has resurfaced showing Andy Burnham breaking into a dance at a charity fundraiser.
Recorded in 2024, the footage captures the Prime Minister moving to Ricky Martin’s upbeat hit Livin’ La Vida Loca.
At the time, Mr Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester. He joined professional dancer Cara Tighe on the dance floor during an event held in memory of the late rugby league star Rob Burrow, who lived with motor neurone disease (MND).
The fundraiser was organised to support charities helping people affected by MND and their families.
The performance resurfaced after Mr Burnham discussed it during a recent appearance on Gogglebox.
While appearing on the Channel 4 show, he revealed that hearing the Ricky Martin track now gives him a “clang of anxiety”. He made the admission after watching Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley perform a salsa on Strictly Come Dancing.
Recalling the charity routine, he said: “I did this for Rob Burrow. Honestly, never, ever again.”
Even so, Mr Burnham went on to name the song he would choose if he were ever invited to compete on Strictly Come Dancing.
A resurfaced video shows Andy Burnham dancing at a charity fundraiser
The then-mayor of Manchester danced alongside professional performer Cara Tighe at an event supporting Rob Burrow
“I could go on Strictly, I could do it with a Manchester icon. I think I’d do Sit Down by James,” he said.
First released by Manchester group James in 1989, the track remains strongly linked to the city’s celebrated music heritage.
The Prime Minister appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool City Region, as part of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.
The Labour politicians watched television from inside Downing Street and shared their reactions throughout the programme.
In one preview, the pair joined celebrities including Stanley Tucci, Paul Whitehouse, Joe Lycett and the Sugababes as they viewed a series of deeply emotional cancer stories.
One film told the story of Callum, who was just 15 when doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumour.
Another featured Shona, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and her husband Will, who was later diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Mr Burnham responded to the accounts by saying, “I just couldn’t imagine,” adding that the situation was “devastating for that family”.
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He said the progress of medical research offered at least some encouragement: “The only thing that does give some hope is there is so much incredible research going on, and some of the main cancers of years ago, there’s been such big progress on them.”
“But it’s utter devastation, isn’t it? If you’re that couple, I don’t know how you cope with that.”
Mr Burnham is the first Prime Minister to appear on Gogglebox. A teaser for the programme introduced him and Mr Rotherham as ‘good friends Andy and Steve’.
The Prime Minister was forced to defend his appearance on the TV show after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of dodging ‘difficult’ work to protect the UK.
He said he would ‘make no apology’ for trying to ‘lead with a bit of lightness’ after Mrs Badenoch questioned how he had the time to take part in the show.
Mr Burnham said he was ‘proud’ to support Stand Up To Cancer, adding: ‘That’s the way I go at things and connect with people as best I can.
‘And perhaps if a few more people watch it tonight and then support Stand Up To Cancer, that will be job done.’
Mrs Badenoch had questioned the PM’s decision to take part in the show while he had other commitments to attend to.
Referring to the Government’s advice to the public to stockpile food, water and other essentials to prepare for possible emergencies in the future, she said: ‘I don’t mind them giving advice.
‘I worry that between the PM being on Gogglebox and then talking about stockpiling canned goods, they’re not actually doing the really difficult stuff that will protect the country.’
Speaking of the performance, Burnham said: ‘I did this for Rob Burrow. Honestly, never, ever again’
An emotional Burnham is seen reacting to ‘devastating’ cancer diagnosis stories on a special episode of Channel 4’s Gogglebox
Mr Burnham is not the first Labour leader to appear on Gogglebox, with Jeremy Corbyn having taken part in a 2017 charity version.
The veteran Left-wing MP teamed up with actress Jessica Hynes, known for her role in BBC comedy W1A, for the show.
Mr Corbyn revealed his fondness for a coddled egg during the programme, as he criticised Nigella Lawson for the way she separated egg whites while watching the TV chef on screen.
Stanley Johnson, the father of former PM Boris Johnson, and Alastair Campbell are other political figures to have also previously appeared on Gogglebox.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also appeared on a spin-off programme with former Gogglebox stars Steph and Dom Parker when he was in charge of UKIP in 2014.
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
