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3 April 2020

This BBC Archive footage of Tony Britts is the camp, retro workout we need right now

Archive BBC Breakfast footage shared daily on Twitter shows dancer Tony Britts guiding viewers through exercises

By Tim Heap

Move over Joe Wicks! In these trying times, it’s all too easy to raid the snack cupboard and devour everything in sight – but if you’re trying to maintain a semblance of a figure during lockdown, the solution may have come in the unlikely form of the BBC Archive’s Twitter account.

The account has been sharing throwback videos of dancer Tony Britts’ “Twice As Fit” segment on BBC Breakfast in the 1980s, and gurl, it’s something to behold.

Donned in the skimpiest outfits – shorts that leave little to the imagination and mesh crop-top vests – in very beige studio set, Tony guides viewers through a series of short routines to get the blood pumping, with the main presenters watching on bemusedly.

The segment seems fairly unscripted as he often starts by greeting viewers with something like, “Hi! Well I thought today we’d do about three exercises and try and put them together like we’ve normally been doing, OK?”

Sure Tony!

When the camera zooms out, it shows that Tony is doing his thing on a carpet that bunches up beneath his feet – surely a health and safety hazard in today’s world.

But ever the professional, he powers through, offering words of advice to his invisible disciples like, “That’s it!”, “OK!” and “That’s it!” again.

It really needs to be seen to be believed – check out the videos below, get that 80s workout gear on and let us know how you get on.


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