Former footballer Paul Merson has gracefully exited Strictly Come Dancing as the fourth celebrity to leave the dance floor.
Despite his departure from the BBC sensation on Sunday, the 56 year old pundit remained upbeat, expressing that he feels victorious having mastered the art of dance.
Merson, alongside his professional dance partner Karen Hauer, competed against JLS star JB Gill and his partner Amy Dowden in the dreaded dance off.
Although Gill and Dowden impressed the judges with their jive to Outkast’s Hey Ya!, earning them 30 points, they were surprisingly left vulnerable after the public vote.
On Saturday’s show, Merson and Hauer found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard, scoring only 19 points for their samba to Rose Royce’s hit Car Wash. They were closely trailed by Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishan with 21 points, TV star Pete Wicks with 22 points, and former hockey player turned presenter Sam Quek who scored 26 points.
When it came time to perform again, the judges unanimously chose Gill and Dowden over Merson and Hauer.
Reflecting on his experience, ex-Arsenal ace 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 everybody. There’s a Tottenham fan over there called Lincoln and even he’s nice.”
He continued to praise the show and his partner, saying, “It’s been amazing, honestly, amazing. I loved every minute of it, I’ve had a great teacher.”
“She’s been amazing, absolutely amazing and I couldn’t wish for a better coach. I’ve loved every minute of it. I can dance now I’ve won because I can dance, I couldn’t dance before and I can half dance now. It’s a bonus, absolute bonus.”
Hauer expressed gratitude to her partner Merson: “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.”
She added, “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.”
Gill took to Instagram to share his emotions, writing that the dance-off with Merson was “heartbreaking” as they both “have children a similar age, we’ve stood on the sidelines of the football pitch together and now shared a dance floor together”. He then acknowledged Merson’s efforts: “You smashed your time on the show Paul and I’m sad to see you leave the competition but of course I’m excited that Amy and I get to dance again next week.”
The results show on Sunday featured some memorable moments. Former Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse, now a judge on Dancing On Ice, crafted an impressive paso doble for Nancy Xu and Dianne Buswell to the tune of Santa Esmeralda’s ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’.
Additionally, past contestant Sophie Ellis-Bextor graced the stage once more, performing her new single ‘Freedom Of The Night’.
As anticipation builds, the remaining 11 pairs will showcase their dazzling moves in a Halloween Special as Strictly returns live on Saturday October 26 at 6.25pm. Audiences can catch the results the following day, Sunday October 27 at 7.20pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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