Entertainment

Strictly Come Dancing’s Danny John-Jules: My legs are like lead

The 57-year-old has been partnered with dancing professional Amy Dowden on the BBC1 show.
The 57-year-old has been partnered with dancing professional Amy Dowden on the BBC1 show. The 57-year-old has been partnered with dancing professional Amy Dowden on the BBC1 show.

Red Dwarf and Death In Paradise star Danny John-Jules says his “legs are like lead” as he rehearses for Strictly Come Dancing.

The 57-year-old has been partnered with dancing professional Amy Dowden on the BBC1 show.

He told Good Morning Britain: “As you can imagine, being the oldest one in the show my legs are just like lead.

“People say, ‘You look so fit’. But it’s the difference between kicking around a football in the garden with your son and playing a celebrity football match, and everyone always gets injured in those.

This year's Strictly stars
This year's Strictly stars This year’s Strictly stars (BBC/Guy Levy)

“It all starts next week and I’ve been told in my manor that I’m not to return if I embarrass them.”

Asked about a tweet he had written, before he signed up to the show, in which he said “they always get rid of the black guy first”, he replied: “I can bring out a lot of tweets where I have promoted the show quite handsomely!”

Newsreader Kate Silverton, Capital Breakfast show host Vick Hope, fashion guru Susannah Constantine, TV presenter Katie Piper, Blue singer-turned-soap star Lee Ryan, CBeebies star Dr Ranj Singh and YouTuber Joe Sugg are among the contestants signed up to Strictly this year.

The show returns to BBC1 on Saturday September 22.