Strictly Come Dancing star Paul Merson has unveiled his remarkable weight loss, revealing that he is now the lightest he has been in 20 years. The former footballer and television personality shared his transformation, expressing pride in his achievement and the positive impact it has had on his overall health and well-being. Merson’s journey serves as an inspiration to others looking to make lifestyle changes.
The former England star, 56, admitted he is at his lightest weight in 20 years after shedding nearly 2 stone in just four weeks of performing on Strictly Come Dancing. Merson’s impressive transformation highlights the physical demands of the competition and his commitment to improving his health.
Speaking to The Sun, the sports star joked that he needs to stay in the competition, as he has yet to reach his goal weight. He explained, “My aim was to get well under 14 stone before I went out of Strictly, and I’m 14 stone right now—I haven’t been that light for 20 years.”
Paul and his dance partner, Karen Hauer, faced a dance-off against Toyah Wilcox and Neil Jones during week three of the competition.
However, all four judges chose to save Paul, allowing him to return and showcase his talent the following week, where he unexpectedly impressed the judges with his Quickstep to “I Won’t Dance” by Fred Astaire.
Reflecting on his experience in the dance-off, he noted, “So when I was in the dance-off, I was like, ‘I’m 14 stone 3 pounds—I need to stay!’ It’s not about staying in to win; I just want to lose more weight.”
“If I work hard this week, I should get under 14 stone,” Paul stated. After finding himself near the bottom of the leaderboard last week, he acknowledged that with Toyah eliminated, he will need to fight for his place in the competition, particularly given the high standard this year.
Paul has also revealed that another motivation for participating in Strictly is to inspire those who have struggled with addiction. Despite his success with Arsenal, he faced significant challenges during the peak of his career in the 1990s, as he battled severe drinking, drug, and gambling addictions that spiraled out of control.
He admitted that when he was entrenched in his addiction, the idea of competing on Strictly seemed impossible, as his focus was solely on drinking, drugs, and gambling. His addiction was so destructive that he managed to squander an astonishing £7 million.
