Former professional footballer Paul Merson has become the fourth celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing this year and he has given his honest thoughts about his professional partner Karen Hauer and why he thinks he “won” the show.
The ex-Arsenal player has joined Nick Knowles, Toyah Willcox and Tom Dean in being eliminated from the competition after ending up in the dance off after week five, where he was surprisingly up against JLS singer JB Gill.
Merson was initially considered a “joke” contestant after his first few dances but sailed through week three of the competition after delivering a better performance than expected.
However, the 56-year-old who danced a Samba to Rose Royce song “Car Wash,” failed to impress the judges on the night, which saw several stand out performances from the likes of Jamie Borthwick, Chris McCausland and Montell Douglas.
Speaking after his elimination on Sunday’s results show, Merson said: “It’s been really good. For anybody I talk to, I would say you’ve got to go on this show. It’s amazing.
“There’s a Tottenham fan over there called Lincoln and even he’s nice! It’s been amazing – honestly amazing. I loved every minute of it.”
The Sky Sports pundit then said of Hauer: “Could have done better in the last dance if I’m being honest.” On a more serious note, he said: “No she’s been amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better coach.”
He then called Hauer a “great teacher”, adding: “She’s been amazing and I couldn’t wish for a better coach. I’ve loved every minute of it.
He then explained why he believed he had actually “won” the show saying: “because I can dance, I couldn’t dance before and I can half dance now so it’s a bonus.”
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Hauer then said that she was “proud” of Merson, adding: “You’ve been a joy. I’ve never giggled this much. My abs are really tight now. I am so proud of you. Every week you have showed up, you have improved.
“You’re what Strictly is about and I want to thank you for bringing such joy and just showing everyone that it is possible with a little bit of work and lots of giggles.”
While Merson was eliminated, Gill’s presence in the bottom two is considered a surprise considering he and his dance partner Amy Dowden were considered early favourites to win the series.
The only other remaining contestant, alongside Gill, to have competed in the dance off so far is Shayne Ward.
The remaining 11 couples will next perform during Strictly’s Halloween episode on Saturday (26 October).