Paul Merson emotional discussing gambling addiction
The first celebrity to be eliminated from this year's Strictly Come Dancing has been predicted by bookmaker hours before the 2024 series kicks off.
Viewers are already excited for the return of the popular BBC dance competition tonight. The show is celebrating its 20th anniversary, with a fresh batch of celebrities ready to hit the dance floor. Tonight's (Saturday, September 14) episode will introduce the celebrities and their professional dance partners.
The line-up includes former hockey player Sam Quek MBE, football legend Paul Merson and DIY SOS star Nick Knowles. They will be joined by Olympian Montell Douglas, EastEnders' Jamie Borthwick, X Factor's Shayne Ward, Miranda's Sarah Hadland, TOWIE's Pete Wicks, Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, Morning Live's Dr Punam Krishan, 80's icon Toyah Willcox, Go Compare's Wynne Evans, JLS' JB Gill, comedian Chris McCausland and Olympic swimmer Tom Dean.
There's already speculation about who will be the first to leave the show. The live shows start next weekend, with one unfortunate star set to be sent home, reports the Mirror.
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It has been suggested that former footballer Paul Merson could be the first to go. Despite not having shown his dancing skills yet, Paul has odds of 5/2 to be the first to be sent home.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes revealed to The Sun: "Before a move is even made, punters are backing Paul Merson to be the first star axed from Strictly. He's not the only one in the danger zone though, with Nick Knowles and Punam Krishan also expected to underperform."
Meanwhile, Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, actor Jamie Borthwick, JLS singer JB Gill and singer Shayne Ward are all tipped at 4/1 odds to clinch the Glitterball trophy. In an interview with the Mirror about his decision to join the show, Paul shared his aspiration to demonstrate that there's always hope for those battling addictions.
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Reflecting on his own struggles with alcohol, drugs, and gambling, he said: "Being an addict and a recovering alcoholic myself....to show people watching this show who have got addictions, that you can go out and do something like this...is so important.
"Because addiction takes you away from everything. That's all it ever does. It wants you on your own. Now I'm going in front of millions of people doing something I'm not very good at. I used to think, 'I can't do things like that' but now I've got the opportunity to try."
Tonight's episode will feature judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke giving their initial thoughts on the dancing duos. In honour of professional dancer Amy Dowden's return, a celebratory group dance featuring all the professionals will be part of the launch show.
The stunning and empowering Quickstep routine will put Amy centre stage. Fans will also welcome back Aljaz Skorjanec after a two-year break as he returns to his role as a pro dancer.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One
