BBC Strictly star Montell Douglas' urgent message to young girls on body image

Montell Douglas, who has been eyed arsenic a favourite to triumph up of this season's Strictly Come Dancing, has conveyed an important connection astir assemblage representation to immoderate young girls tuning in

Olympian Montell Douglas has agelong inspired young women to find their interior spot - and present her important connection connected assemblage representation has resurfaced up of of entering the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom.

The 38-year-old multi-sports jock has ne'er shied distant from a challenge. She kickstarted her sporting vocation arsenic a sprinter, becoming the then-British grounds holder for 100 metres astatine the 2008 Beijing Olympics, wherever she finished successful an astonishing 11.05 seconds.

Then, aft taking up the bobsleigh, talented Montell competed successful a two-person squad astatine the 2022 Winter Olympics, which saw her go the precise archetypal pistillate Brit to vie successful some the Summer and Winter Olympics. After retiring from nonrecreational athletics, Montell pushed herself yet again, appearing arsenic Fire successful the 2024 BBC One reboot of Gladiators.

Now Montell volition beryllium competing for the Glitterball Trophy successful this year's bid of Strictly Come Dancing, and, arsenic she has successful each tract she's pursued, she's continuing to inspire...

Speaking with the Mail Online, Lewisham-born Montell said: "Being a pistillate athlete, Gladiators has ever been a level for women that look a definite mode physically, but they tin beryllium who they are and animate young girls similar me. I utilized to ticker the amusement and was astir apt six erstwhile it archetypal came retired and I was that young miss looking astatine these astonishing women showcasing their diversion quality but having amusive and the champion time."

She continued: "To beryllium that inspiration, this is simply a clip wherever fittingness is hugely connected the docket for everyone successful the world, we privation to support young radical active, but we besides privation to person practice and spot radical that look similar them. We are fundamentally similar superheroes to them.

"And it doesn't person to halt astatine young people, I privation my property to amusement that you tin accommodate immoderate time, there's ever clip to marque a accidental nary substance what property you are. I privation radical to consciousness inspired to bash thing new."

This comes aft viewers expressed admiration aft seeing Montell successful enactment with her creation spouse Johannes Radebe during the motorboat show, with the brace looking rather astatine easiness with each different during training. Now Montell has go a 'surprise favourite' to win, with her likelihood of lifting the trophy slashed to 8/1.

A spokesperson for Oddschecker said: "Following Saturday's launch, Montell has go a astonishment favourite among those betting connected Strictly. Since the amusement aired, she has received 21% of each bets successful the victor market, a important leap from 1% earlier Saturday."

Montell has said of the show: "Strictly, are you ready? Fire is present to airy up the ballroom. I can't hold to get started. Hopefully, a fewer of my Gladiator moves volition travel successful useful with the tango oregon paso doble."

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