PAUL Merson looks set to suffer a huge blow as he gears up to make his Strictly Come Dancing debut.
The ex-pro footballer is hoping to wow on the dancefloor alongside pro partner Karen Hauer as he takes to the floor for the very first time this weekend.
However, the star has already been met with doubts about his dancing ability before his very first routine.
The former footie ace will be fighting to prove his worth after being dealt a fresh blow in the bookies’ odds for the BBC hit.
Unfortunately for Paul, Ladbrokes have ranked him as the least likely celeb to pick up the Glitterball Trophy.
According to the bookmakers, Paul has a minisucle 1.1% chance of being able to claim victory alongside Karen.
He follows Morning Live star Dr. Punam and DIY SOS star Nick Knowles who have also been given less than impressive chances of winning, with both having been ranked at under 3%.
On the flip side, the two The X Factor stars – Shayne Ward and JB Gill – have found themselves sitting at the top of the pack.
Shayne has seen 11.6% of the bets placed on a Strictly winner be directed toward him with JB not too far behind with 11.1%.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said of this year’s predictions: “ITV alumni are storming the popularity charts for this year’s Strictly, and as things stand our punters seem to think Shayne Ward’s name will be added to the Glitterball Trophy.”
The blow for Paul comes amid theories that he is locked in a heated feud with his pro partner Karen.
But fans were quick to call out Karen as they insisted she did not look happy to have been paired with the former sports star.
One wrote on discussion website Reddit: “Wow Karen was struggling to look happy when she met Paul.”
Another chimed in: “I really wish Karen had been benched instead of Lauren this year. It feels unfair that she’s had a partner every year but her enthusiasm for the show seems to get lower and lower each year.
She came across as really rude.”
A third said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Paul Merson doesn’t want to be partnered with Karen lol I can see another Will Young exit type lol #Strictly2024.”
A fourth shared a gif of a woman screaming with the text: “#Strictly Karen on the inside when she saw Paul Merson.”
Strictly 2024 pairings
Here’s who is matched with who this series…
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas
JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe
Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec
Tom Dean MBE and Nadiya Bychkova
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones
The pair’s first interaction was caught on camera and played at the end of Saturday night’s opening episode.
Speaking to the camera, Paul said: “I’m pleased, I’m very pleased.”
Karen interrupted and said: “Hey! Give me a smile.”
Later on in the studio, Claudia Winkleman told him: “Paul, you’re with our longest serving pro – the unblievable Karen.
“How happy are you?”
A quiet Paul replied: “Yeah, well pleased.”
The studio burst into laughter as he added: “The two oldest together.”
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
