Paul Merson is preparing for the first week of Strictly Come Dancing which will see the former footballer switch his old boots for some dancing shoes.
The ex-Arsenal star is one of the latest additions to the show, which has pitted celebrities with professional dancers to produce shows once a week.
With judges and a voting system in play, the worst performers are voted off until a winner is finally decided.
Merson, 56, will be hoping to go further than an old teammate of his in Tony Adams back in the 2022 series – who finished ninth after withdrawing through injury.
As the former Premier League forward looks set to take the stage, there were plenty of jokes about his participation in Strictly coming up.
Paul Merson rates Mario Lemina’s dance moves
During Wolves’ clash with Newcastle over the weekend, Mario Lemina was spotted dancing in the celebrations for his goal.
In the Sky Sports studio, Merson was naturally asked to rate the midfielder’s ability to get groovy, which prompted a hilarious response.
“To be fair, in the second week of Strictly, I’d take being a dance-off with him,” he replied when asked if he could take some of those moves into the show.
“His posture isn’t good, he needs to sort that,” Merson added before Jamie Redknapp asked to rate Lemina’s dancing out of ten, to which he said: “I’m not that good, I’m not giving him that.”
It was a humourous moment that the pundit is likely to hear plenty more of in the coming weeks, should he get through the rounds of the show.
How to watch Paul Merson on Strictly Come Dancing
For those who wish to see how Merson swaps the studio for Strictly, then they’ll get a first glimpse in the week ahead.
The next episode is on Saturday, September 21, with the show starting at 19:00 (BST) on BBC One, while those who wish to watch it on a live stream can do so on BBC iPlayer.
A valid TV licence is required for both methods, while the streaming platform requires a BBC account to be signed up.
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