Can Will and Nancy maintain their spot at the top of the leaderboard? (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
Will Mellor has revealed how his Strictly Come Dancing training has impacted his fitness, saying that he’s lost a stone since he joined the cast of the 2022 series.
Tonight, the Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps actor and his professional dance partner Nancy Xu are due to do two performances on the dancefloor – a 90s-inspired Couple’s Choice routine and a dramatic Paso Doble.
For the past two weeks, the couple have topped the leaderboard, having last week achieved an incredible 39 out of a possible 40 for their Musicals-themed Foxtrot to Sun and Moon from Miss Saigon.
Ahead of the semi-final, where they’ll go up against the four other remaining pairings, Will stressed how physically and mentally taxing the experience has been.
‘I think this has been the most tested I’ve been mentally and physically and I’ve come through it,’ the 46-year-old said, having revealed his one-stone weight loss since the start of the competition.
He continued: ‘The pressure is unbelievable, it’s terrifying but at the same time it’s exhilarating when you’ve accomplished something.’
The couple achieved a near-perfect score last week (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
The Coronation Street star also spoke about how much it would mean for him to make his mum proud by winning the Glitterball Trophy.
‘I’d like to give my mum that trophy and let her stick it on her mantelpiece but if I can’t and I don’t, I’ll be very proud of completing the journey so I’m going to do everything I can to try and complete this journey with my amazing dance partner,’ he said.
‘Giving her something to look forward to was a massive aim because she’s on her own since I lost my dad,’ he added, having suffered the loss of his dad in 2020.
Will explained how Strictly has given his mum ‘something to look forward to’, with fans greeting his mum on the street and ‘saying how much they’re enjoying’ him on the show.
‘I always worry that she’s sad, she’s one of those brave women, she’s one of them queens [who] bottles it all up, never complained, worked fingers to the bone just to make sure we had food on the table,’ he stated.
‘She took care of all of us on her own and and I don’t forget that. So now she’s on her own I want to make sure she’s all right and this has given her something to look forward too – it’s her favourite show.’
Will revealed that his mum is the first person he calls when he finishes his dance routines, sharing how she wears a ‘Team Will’ T-shirt every week when Strictly airs.
‘She’s the first person I call when I finish the dance to make sure she enjoyed it and liked it. So it’s been huge, which I wanted it to be and that’s why I wanted to stay in it for her as long as I could so she can be on the journey with me,’ he said.
‘Losing my dad was really tough but I’m creating some great new memories for my family.’
Strictly Come Dancing next airs on Sunday night at 7.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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‘This has been the most tested I’ve been mentally and physically,’ he said.
