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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Lucy Domachowski

BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker turned down Strictly spot because he's 'too tall'

BBC Breakfast star Dan Walker has revealed he turned down a place on Strictly Come Dancing because he's “too tall”.

The morning telly host could have been joining this year's line-up alongside stars including Maisie Smith, Max George, Jason Bell, Caroline Quentin and Clara Amfo.

But he turned the chance down, believing his height would hinder his dancing abilities.

Appearing on Tuesday night’s The One Show, Dan told Angela Scanlon and Ronan Keating why he hadn’t signed up.

“There’s a regular phone call that comes in,” Dan confessed.

“The problem is I’ve got a big wingspan. I’m 6ft6, I’d need a big dance floor.

“I always think that Strictly is a better spectator sport than it is to participate.”

He continued: “I love watching people like Ed [Balls] on the programme, but’s not for me at the moment.”

Ed, who was in The One Show studio, encouraged: “Come on Dan, you’d be brilliant!”

Angela Scanlon echoed: “I’d love to see that wingspan flying around the ballroom.”

But Dan’s mind seemed made up.

“I know for a fact I’d slap a partner in the face very early on, it’d be awful,” he said.

Dan revealed he turned down a place on Strictly Come Dancing because he's 'too tall' (BBC)

Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was the first to be voted off this year’s show, having performed a samba routine to Tom Jones song Help Yourself.

The Labour former MP blamed her boobs for getting the boot.

Recalling advice dance partner Anton du Beke gave her about her posture, she said: “T*ts out, t*ts out, t*ts out. That’s what Anton had told me. That’s sort of been the theme... the problem with my samba was my t*ts were not sufficiently out.”

Bookies favourite to win Maisie Smith has been putting the work as her faultless performances on the BBC dance show have revealed.

The Tiffany Butcher star and her fellow Strictly celebs are now firmly focused on the competition following the first elimination.

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