Competing on Strictly Come Dancing is no easy feat to say the least, often resulting in the celebrities suffering all sorts of aches and pains during training.
Actor Will Mellor has definitely experienced his fair share of dancing-related agony, revealing he’s been left with ‘purple feet’ and ‘bad knees being held together by sticky tape’ ahead of the latest live show.
Having topped the leaderboard with his professional dance partner Nancy Xu in week one, this week, the pair will perform a Quickstep to Soda Pop, by Robbie Williams featuring Michael Bublé.
Such a fast-moving routine can undoubtedly take its toll, with Will revealing on The One Show on Friday evening that it had been a ‘tough, tough week’.
‘It’s another dance you have to learn, another skill you have to learn. Saturday’s coming no matter what you do so you’ve got to put the work in,’ the 46-year-old said.
‘My knees are bad, but my feet are purple. I don’t think that’s normal. I was sat there with my feet… I found my wife’s foot spa and I’ve got ice at the bottom. Honestly my knees are like a Blue Peter project, I’ve got that much sticky tape and all that on them just holding it together.
The Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star remarked that Strictly isn’t for ‘old people’, stating: ‘It’s not for old people this show, so my body doesn’t know what’s going on.’
On the programme, he also opened up about his motivation for taking part, sharing how his dad’s death inspired him to ‘step out of his comfort zone’.
‘It’s weird how, when you lose somebody, and I lost my dad in 2020, my mindset just changed,’ he admitted.
‘I just thought, you’ve gotta grab life, you’ve gotta say yes to more things, you’ve gotta step out your comfort zone and try and turn this horrible negative thing into a positive and come out with it like, right, dad, I’m gonna do more things and I’m gonna do it in your name.’
He added: ‘I’m gonna go live life and that’s all I can do.’
Will also outlined how Strictly is his mum’s ‘favourite show’, saying: ‘She’s had such a tough time of it, and she looks forward to it every week, with her Team Will T-shirt on, and if I can put a smile on her face after everything she’s been through, then that’s enough for me.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns tonight at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
