'Why I can never be a normal mother'

When Olympics organisers asked retired ballerina Darcey Bussell to dust down her satin pointe shoes for Sunday's closing ceremony, she was initially somewhat taken aback.

'After all, I have been retired for five years,' says Darcey, who was honoured with an unprecendented eight minute standing ovation after her final performance at London's Royal Opera House.

'But when they said they did, I said: "Oh yes, yes! Sure!" Who wouldn't want to represent Britain? It's so exciting to be involved. There's such a wonderful buzz.'

As comebacks go, there could hardly be a more global stage than the Olympics' closing ceremony, converse sklep internetowy tanio with more than a billion viewers expected to watch.

Darcey loves to perform. She missed it dreadfully after deciding to up sticks and move to Australia with her dashing husband, banker Angus Forbes, and their daughters Phoebe, 11, and Zoe, eight, where she'd wanted to 'live a normal life and just be a mum'.

But Darcey struggled at 'normal', and a month ago she returned with her family to London, where, after her starring role in the closing ceremony, she'll be replacing Alesha Dixon on the Strictly Come Dancing panel this autumn.

'I came out of a career and I finished at the top. Just like an athlete, it's such an adrenalin rush, and when you step aside, of course there's something missing. It's hard when you've spent most of your life being a perfectionist in an art form. Ballet is a very blinkered world, but one I have been addicted to for many years.'

At Sunday's closing ceremony, Darcey and four male dancers will perform to Spirit Of The Flame at the end of the show. Exact details are still under wraps, but some reports say the showcase, which is being choreographed by the Royal Ballet's Christopher Wheeldon, converse bianche will feature some 300 ballet dancers in all.

And once the Olympic flame flickers and dies in what promises to be one of the most poignant moments in the spectacular, it will be left to The Who to close the show as the fireworks begin.

Today, converse bianche Darcey, 43, says she's 'the luckiest person in the world'.

'I don't feel that anything was a mistake,' she says. 'There are always challenges in life, always ups and downs.'

She remains as driven as an Olympic gold medallist. A year ago, she snapped a tendon in her knee and had to have two screws inserted to hold it in place.