Sprinter Montell Douglas says she might do better on Strictly if she could change one thing - and it's something most women can relate to.
The former Olympian - also known as Fire on Gladiators - reveals how she's struggling to dance in high heels and wishes she could swap them for her sports trainers. And she has also disclosed how her athleticism isn't really helping her learn her dance routines.
As a sports star she may be more comfortable in a tracksuit and trainers, but Montell says she is embracing sequins and skirts even if they are out of her comfort zone. She was an Olympic bobsledder and held the British women’s record for fastest 100m sprint at 11.05 seconds but insists her past sporting experience isn't helping her on the dancefloor - but it's the high heels that she's really struggling with.
“So the hardest thing is not the routine – it’s the shoes,” she told the Mirror. “It’s doing it in a shoe that wants to break your foot. The shoe is designed to give you pain, which she does very well actually. Especially because I’m just not used to it. I’m living in high heels. It’s like a night out where you have to keep your heels on all night. That’s what it feels like.”
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BBC/Guy Levy)It's something most women can relate to but some might think her sporting past would help when it comes to dancing but she says she finds it difficult to go slow. “I was really good at sprinting and then it took me two or three days just to learn to walk as part of the routine,” she laughed. "So I got a real reality shock. I can go fast but I struggle with slowness. Being an athlete is very specific. You’re like a Formula One car.
“Put me on a racetrack and I would excel. But I can’t do a marathon, a 5k or even a 1k race. I’m very much a power athlete. I’ve got quite a lot of muscle mass and I’m very stiff because that’s what helps my power. So coming into something where you’ve got really fluid hips, you are on the balls of your feet.”
Despite the obstacles it's a challenge she’s throwing herself at the talent show, with the help of pro partner Johannes Radebe, 37. However, she says he can prove to be a distraction. “I just stare at him,” she chuckled. “He can’t help being fabulous. He rolls out of bed and looks like he’s walking down the catwalk. It’s actually annoying. He’s like that friend that doesn’t try and goes, oh, I haven’t got any makeup on. But he looks phenomenal, like the smoothest skin of all time.
“He’s just as beautiful on screen as he is in real life. He’s a complete gentleman. I don’t have to carry anything when he’s around. I don’t open any door. He really does look after me as a person and everyone around him. Our friendship is blossoming.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns to the BBC this Saturday 26 October from 6:25pm.
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