Strictly's Les Dennis admits he struggled get out of bed after first rehearsal
Les Dennis has confessed he was left unable to get out of bed after undergoing his first Latin session.
The actor, who had a knee replacement two years ago, has been undergoing a fitness regime in the run-up to Strictly but has been struggling with his ‘hip action’. He said: “There’s a little bit of hip movement in our opening dance – we did it yesterday and today I couldn’t get up.
“But I got myself fitter in the last month or so. It's a great challenge. I’ve made sure I got my steps in – I can’t run anymore, I’ve got a new knee a couple of years ago.” He added that his goal was to stay in the competition until his 70th birthday next month. Les said: “I’m 70 this year and I thought why not – it’s a big challenge. It’s the same day as Angela Rippon’s. We both have birthdays together.
Les is hoping to take home the Glitterball trophy (BBC/Ray Burmiston)
The TV star struggled after his first dance class (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)“I was nervous, we all were until we got together and those nerves have become excitement.” The actor, who is one of the biggest names in British television, is becoming the second-oldest contest of the series after Angela Rippon. He admits his stint may be a challenge – but he's prepared. Les has remained away from primetime television for seven years after a serious health shake-up.
In 2017, during a tour as part of The Addams Family, for the first time in his 50-year career he took time off to focus on himself and his health. Now, the 69-year-old has opened up about his previous issues. He said: “I was wearing make-up and you can't go out and you order in Deliveroo and you just eat pizza. Wagamama's was a favourite and it meant that not only was I piling on the pounds, I was not getting any fresh air.“ Les went on to reveal he'd contracted laryngitis but is thankful as it became the “biggest wake-up call“ for him.
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His diagnosis meant he missed the last ten weeks of his stint in the production but it made him realise he needed to focus on his health. Following a check-up at the doctor, he was told he was pre-diabetic, which made him “take responsibility“. Upon being announced as Strictly's final 2023 contestant, he said: “I'm thrilled to be doing this iconic wonderful show as I approach my 70th birthday! In my career, I've always gone for challenges outside my comfort zone and this is the ultimate one! Can't wait.“ However, the TV star awkwardly made the announcement weeks before it was official when he accidentally shared his "Strictly by Les Dennis " Spotify playlist on X (previously known as Twitter).
He explained: “What happened was, the Strictly producers asked me to send a playlist of songs you might like. I'm totally hopeless with social media and all that so my daughter put it together for me, so I could send it to my agent by email but I must have done a fat finger error and put it on Twitter instead.“
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