Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing: ‘The standard is too high – I’m the only one who can’t dance’

Ed Balls has complained that the standard of ability on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing is ‘too high’.

The former Shadow Chancellor, who has admitted that his moves look like ‘dad dancing’, was hoping that there would be more contestants who ‘couldn’t dance’.

“The standard is high, a bit too high to be honest,” he told the Huffington Post at the TV Choice Awards.

“I was hoping that there were going to be a few people who clearly couldn’t dance at all. And other than me they don’t seem to be there.”

Despite his lack of confidence on the dance floor, Balls wasn’t shy about showing off some moves with partner Katya Jones on the red carpet on Monday night.

Speaking to Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, he added: “I thought in my mind's eye, how would Piers dance and so I tried to emulate that.

“The thing about Strictly is you’ve got to try your best, have a go, take it seriously, but you can’t deny who you are, I’m not some young trained dancer.”

The politician was unfortunately left with a black eye on Monday morning after falling foul of an automatic door.

Showing fans his wound on Facebook, he wrote: “I just got smacked in the face by an automatic glass door leaving the Guardian newspaper office!

"I'm now on 5 live and I look like I've done a few rounds in a boxing ring...

“What I need right now is one of the brilliant Strictly make-up artists to do a bit of cover-up!”

Balls and partner Jones have just a few weeks of rehearsal before the first of the live shows kicks off on BBC One.

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