Former footballer and broadcaster Paul Merson is the fourteenth celebrity contestant confirmed for the brand new series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing'.
Merson made his debut playing for Arsenal Football Club when he was 17 years old and went on to win the PFA Young Player of the Year. He played for the club for over a decade, playing 424 times, scoring 99 goals and winning all domestic trophies, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Merson played 21 times for England, scoring three times and went on to play for Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and becoming player manager at Walsall Football Club. He is now a football pundit and commentator and has written numerous books that cover his football career and personal life.
Merson says: “Joining ‘Strictly' is a whole new ball game for me, but I’m going to tackle this challenge head on. I’m ready to swap the pitch for the Ballroom floor, so here’s hoping my two left feet can learn some moves and you never know, maybe I’ll be taking home the Glitterball Trophy!”
The news was revealed yesterday evening (Monday 12th August) on ‘The One Show' on BBC One.
Merson joins a line-up that includes comedian Chris McCausland, JLS star JB Gill, opera singer Wynne Evans, singer and actress Toyah Willcox, media medic Dr. Punam Krishan, model and TV personality Tasha Ghouri, reality star Pete Wicks, actor and singer Shayne Ward, actor and singer Sarah Hadland, actor Jamie Borthwick, Olympian Tom Dean, Gladiator Montell Douglas and TV presenter Nick Knowles. More celebrities will be revealed in the coming days.
‘Strictly Come Dancing' will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.
