BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Paul Merson makes dig at contestant as competition heats up

Paul Merson has said that his clip connected Strictly Come Dancing has go progressively harder arsenic helium calls retired a erstwhile contestant earlier heading into his adjacent conflict connected the show

Paul Merson has called retired a erstwhile Strictly Come Dancing contestant arsenic helium admits that his clip connected the amusement mightiness beryllium drafting to an extremity earlier vowing to bash each helium could to enactment successful the competition.

The 56-year-old erstwhile footballer has said that helium volition request to combat for his spot connected the BBC creation amusement much than ever. Paul made the vow arsenic helium revealed he's already shed 2 chromatic successful value acknowledgment to aggravated grooming sessions with spouse Karen Hauer.

The erstwhile Arsenal and England prima said that helium whitethorn not beryllium the champion dancer but present that Toyah Wilcox has near the competition, helium is present successful the firing enactment to beryllium the adjacent to beryllium voted off.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper's TV Biz column, Paul said: "I’m 100 per cent successful a ­relegation conflict due to the fact that the ­standards connected this year’s amusement are done the roof. Some of the different dancers are conscionable amazing. And present Toyah Willcox has gone, it volition beryllium hard for maine and I americium up against it. But I don’t look that acold ahead. I unrecorded successful the moment. I’m utilized to conscionable putting my boots connected and getting the occupation done. I won’t beryllium big-headed but that was my occupation — I was bully astatine football."

Despite not having overmuch of a creation background, Paul said that helium was pleasantly amazed with his performances connected the dancefloor truthful far. The sports star, who has been joined 3 times, said: "That ­surprised maine immensely. Honestly, I wasn’t exaggerating erstwhile I said I’d danced 3 times — erstwhile astatine each of my 3 weddings. I’ve improved a hundredfold. But that’s the full thought of the amusement — radical travel connected who person got 2 near feet and they effort to get amended and better."

During an quality connected Strictly spin-off amusement It Takes Two, Paul was asked by big Janette Manrara "what it meant to him" to get his highest people yet. Paul said: "It was astonishing conscionable to get a bully dance. Obviously a barbecue and Vindaloo and Football's Coming Home and looking similar idiosyncratic who works connected a ship... yeah, it was bully to dance. I thought Karen deserved that arsenic well, to beryllium just to her."

In a excavation astatine his past routines, Paul added: "I felt much comfortable. It was conscionable nice. When I archetypal took up the accidental to travel connected the show, this was what I thought it would beryllium roughly. Do you cognize what I mean? It was bully to get 1 of those dances in. Before, I conscionable thought of Fred Astaire and I couldn't spot him dancing to Vindaloo."

Paul has besides spoken astir his value nonaccomplishment and however helium has fixed himself a caller extremity connected that beforehand aft shedding 2 stones connected the show. He said: "Also, my purpose was to get good nether 14st earlier I went retired of Strictly, and I’m 14st close present — I haven’t been that airy for 20 years. So erstwhile I was successful the dance-off I was like, ‘I’m 14st 3lb — I request to stay!’ So it’s not astir staying successful to win, I conscionable privation to suffer much weight. If I enactment hard this week I should get nether 14st.”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .