STRICTLY’S Tess Daly speaks out to defend Paul Merson ahead of first live show after fan backlash
Strictly Come Dancing’s Tess Daly has spoken out to defend Paul Merson ahead of the first live show, after fan backlash.
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The Arsenal legend, 56, now a Sky Sports pundit, is hoping to show off some dazzling footwork after signing for the popular show.
But he’s reportedly ‘fuming’ after the song Vindaloo was chosen for him by Strictly for his first dance.
Paul will be dancing to the song alongside pro partner Karen Hauer.
Now, Tess Daly has shared what Strictly fans can expect from Paul and the other dancers on Saturday.
Joining her husband Vernon Kay on his BBC Radio 2 show, Tess, 55, said: “Hi Vern, the excitement is palpable in the studio today. It’s really building, because all 15 celebrities are dancing live for the very first time on tomorrow night’s show.
“Costumes are being finalised, fake tan sessions are being booked. We’ve got sambas, two sambas, and the samba’s challenging as a first dance, so that’s going to be really interesting.
“We’ve got cha chas, and when I tell you that Paul Merson’s American Smooth is not to be missed, I promise I am not joking.”
Tess finished off by saying: “We just can’t wait for everyone to see all the hard work these brilliant celebrities have put in in the training room, it’s gonna be an amazing show! See you tomorrow, 7 o’clock!”
Paul’s song choice, Vindaloo, is a song by British band Fat Les, and the music was co-written by Blur bassist Alex James and part-time Pink Floyd bassist Guy Pratt.
It was released as a single in 1998 and recorded for the FIFA World Cup that same year.
The song was originally written as a parody of football chants, but was adopted as one in its own right and became a cult classic.
But in recent years, Vindaloo has been seen as a controversial World Cup anthem and has been deemed racist.
An onlooker at the filming of Strictly’s first episode told The Mail on Sunday at the time that the star had to re-do his reaction to being told he’d dance to Vindaloo, after he appeared noticeably “cross.”
They said: “Paul looked really cross. The celebrities and their partners were being told what songs they would have. Lots of them were given lovely classics – then he got Vindaloo.
“You can’t blame him for thinking he is being set up to be the joke act, but also the connotations of it [the song] are also not exactly positive either.
“It has been accused of being racist and the song that far-Right football hooligans sing.
“It’s pretty thoughtless of the BBC to give it to one of their stars of Strictly, particularly given all of the scandals that have engulfed the show for the last nine months. The BBC clearly forgot its woke agenda on this occasion.”The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 – beaten by England footie anthem Three Lions ’98 by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds.
Paul played for Arsenal for 11 seasons and earned 21 England caps, and the BBC has said: “Paul will be a popular addition” to the Strictly line up.
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