ANNA Kennedy said she will dedicate the glitterball trophy to her sons and other people affected by autism if she is crowned winner of the first People’s Strictly for Comic Relief.

The inspirational autism campaigner from Middlesbrough wowed the judges with her fast-paced Charleston to be tied with two other couples at the top of the leaderboard after securing a perfect score of 40 with professional partner, Robin Windsor.

She will find out if she has won the crucial public vote tomorrow (Friday) night on the live BBC Comic Relief telethon but said she already feels like a champion.

She said: “This is the best thing I have ever done. It’s made me step back and think about how I always feel that I have to be responsible and a mum but I also need to think about myself and this has been all about me. It has been liberating, I don’t want it to end.”

She remortgaged her home to set up a school for other autistic children when her sons, Patrick, now 25, and Angelo 21, now, were turned away from mainstream education.

And since Hillingdon Manor school near London opened in 1999, she has set up a second specialist school, a college and a respite home for adults as well as founding Autism’s Got Talent.

She was jubilant last night (Wednesday) after successfully dancing a complicated routine and in her interview with presenter Claudia Winkleman, she said: “I just love Strictly. Someone asked me what was the best thing, getting my OBE or dancing Strictly? I said Strictly - sorry Your Majesty.”

Mrs Kennedy, who celebrated her 55th birthday today, beat of competition from 11,000 nominations to appear on the four-part BBC One series with five other real-life heroes.

“As I was waiting to go down the stairs at the start of the show I realised that I was desperate for the toilet but I had been stitched into my dress and they had to unpick it as I walked.

“Just before I stepped onto the stage I felt really nervous, I wanted to be sick, but as soon as I got onto the bike that was used as a prop I got into it and gave it everything I had.

“I would have been thrilled with one score of '10’ so I never dreamt I would get all four. Afterwards the judges said I danced like a professional and that Robin and I made a great team.

She added: “Winning the first People’s Strictly would be very nice, I would dedicate it to my boys and the autism community but in their eyes I’m a winner whatever the result.”