Strictly Come Dancing star hit crushing blow - just hours before returning for live show
Strictly Come Dancing sensation Paul Merson is facing a tough time just hours ahead of the much-anticipated live show. Last week, we saw our celebs hitting the dance floor for the first time with their pro partners. Now, Saturday night's show brings with it the first real test as they dance to impress the judges and secure their place in the contest. TV favourites Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are gearing up to present the BBC favourite, whilst Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, and Shirley Ballas will be taking up their judging roles once again. With the prospect of the first elimination looming, betting experts have been busy speculating who might face the chop first and it's not looking bright for Paul.
Betway's Chad Yeomans had his say: "With the news on Saturday night's show that Paul Merson's first dance will be an American Smooth to the World Cup anthem Vindaloo, many punters think there will be nothing smooth about it whatsoever, and he is now the hot favourite at 6/4 to be packing his Strictly bags first." Not far behind Paul in the potential exit stakes is Nick Knowles with odds of 5/2 of getting the boot. Nipping at their heels, Punam Krishan and Wynne Evans share third place with odds of 13/2, reports the Express. Chris McCausland and Toyah Willcox aren't out of the woods either, each with odds of 10/1, while Tom Dean is sitting at odds of 12/1. On the other side of the leaderboard, Shayne Ward and Tasha Ghouri appear to be the ones to beat, with soaring odds of 50/1.
When chatting with hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman during the premiere, TV chef Paul Hollywood revealed his limited dance history, saying he'd only hit the dance floor at his weddings. "I am going to have fun," he stated with confidence. "That is one thing I am going to make sure, of is to have fun. If I don't have fun, it is not worth doing."
READ MORE:Huge Strictly star hits back at ‘fix’ claims ahead of first live show
READ MORE:Jade Goody's dying wish for sons Freddy and Bobby 'denied' - 'It would have broken her'
Claudia then inquired if former contestant and colleague Tony Adams had offered any pearls of wisdom, leading to Paul quipping: "Yeah, don't do it."
Ready to charm viewers on Saturday night, Paul will perform the American Smooth alongside his partner Karen Hauer. Adding a dash of humour about their pairing, Paul said, "I am well pleased you put the two oldest together," while Karen contributed her enthusiasm, mentioning: "I think we are going to have a lot of fun actually, I just want you to enjoy yourself and we want everyone to enjoy themselves as this is the greatest experience."