Jay Blades has found training for the 'Strictly Come Dancing' Christmas special tougher than he expected.
Jay Blades felt he had to retrain his brain while rehearsing for the Strictly Christmas special
The 51-year-old presenter will appear on the BBC’s festive show alongside professional Russian dance partner Luba Mushtuk, and the star feels as though he’s had to retrain his brain during rehearsals to learn the moves.
He said: “I like new challenges, I never knew this would be this difficult. Learning dance routines means your brain has to function in a completely different way.
"When your brain gets it, hopefully your body catches up.”
Jay, who is best known for presenting ‘The Repair Shop’ and ‘Money for Nothing’, admits that when it comes to dancing formally he has two left feet.
He said: “I can do the dad dance, but I can’t dance formally!”
But Luba - who last appeared on ‘Strictly’ in 2020 – insisted Jay is a top student.
The 32-year-old dancer said: “He is a great student, I absolutely adore him, he is such a gentlemen.
"There is a part of the choreography where he needs to push off of me, and he has such a hard time doing it as he says I am a lady! But it has been wonderful.”
Jay added: “She has been the best, so patient and so good at dancing, I couldn’t want for a better person. She is just perfect!”
Other celebrities who will make up this year's star-studded festive line-up include news reader Moira Stuart, presenter and writer Adrian Chiles, 'First Dates' star Fred Sirieix and pop superstar Anne-Marie. They will perform dance routines to classic Christmas tracks.
The 75-minute Christmas special will air on Christmas Day (25.12.21) at 5.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.