Joan was touched by the help she has received from Independent Age and wanted to raise money to help others. ‘Things have been very hard since my husband died five years ago,’ she said: ‘I’m very blessed in my health and it’s only fair to put a little something back.’

During her training, as well as pilates and yoga, Joan took pole dancing classes. ‘It's only just started, so I thought I would give it a go,’ she said, adding: ‘It looks very arty when it's done properly, but I only do it when I've got spare time.’

Britain's Got Talent

Joan is no stranger to the limelight. She recently auditioned in front of music mogul Simon Cowell and presenters Ant and Dec, for Britain's Got Talent, doing her act Nail Inspiration. This involved not only lying on a bed of nails with someone standing on her back, but smashing a concrete block on the back of a man with a sledgehammer.

Unfortunately she didn’t make it through the second stage: ‘They were all lovely. Ant and Dec were really nice, but Simon Cowell just said “oh no”.

’It's an old act that I brought back. I did it when I was younger and my husband did it with me.’

Joan in the media

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