Danny Mac might look pretty at home on the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom floor but it turns out the hunk is a lot less cool before his tap shoes hit the floorboards.
The 28-year-old ex-Hollyoaks star says he is left crippled by anxiety attacks every Saturday night before he dances in front of the live studio audience.
He always says that appearing on the top rating BBC show adds more pressure as he can’t stop thinking about the fact 10 million people are tuning in each week to scrutinise his footwork.
"I’ve had anxiety attacks. I’ve panicked like I have never panicked in my life," he confessed to The Mirror – adding his inclusion in the show is keeping him awake at night.
"It’s strange to be woken up in the middle of the night. It’s going through my head all the time. It’s exhausting," he said.
Danny – who appeared in teen soap Hollyoaks between 2011 and 2015 with the show at best attracting 1.1 million viewers – says the Saturday night favourite has given him a spotlight unlike anything else he has starred in before.
"You start to think 10 million people are watching. You’d never get that even in the biggest arena in the world. So you’re very aware of how big it is," he said.
Danny is the hot favourite to win the show – but should maybe be awarded some kind of trophy for being able to hide his nerves so well.
The star – paired with dance professional Oti Mabuse – has been consistent for the majority of the show and scored perfect 10s from all four judges twice during the competition so far.
In week 9, Danny and Oti bagged a full 40 marks from the panel after perfroming a jawdropping Charleston routine to the sound of upbeat jazz classic Puttin’ On The Ritz.
And then the following week he managed it again – bagging another 40 points following a sizzling Samba to the tune of Sergio Mendes’ Magalenha.
Dazzling Danny says the secret to his success is the fact he spends a staggering 11 hours per day in rehersals and credits ice baths after his live shows for protecting his muscles.
Viewers chills are usually multiplying after seeing him perform too, to be fair.
“[The ice baths] helped my muscles because they do take a battering. I’m doing whatever I can to prevent injury,” he says.
And his freezing cool down is apparently keeping his fiancée, Carley Stenson (aka Hollyoaks’ Steph Cunningham), entertained behind the scenes at Strictly too.
“[She films me in the ice bath] because I’m so funny when I get in,” he laughs.
Only three weeks remain of the current fourteenth series of the long-running dance show and now it’s all serious dancers only after Ed Balls was chopped from the line-up on Sunday night.
The former politician had surpassed expectations on the show, but was ditched by judges after his Tango skills and Cha-Cha-Cha Challenge failed to impress.
Now Danny and Oti only need to see off Claudia Fragapane and Aj Pritchard, Judge Rinder and Oksana Platero, Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton, and Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton to secure the glitterball trophy. The Quarter Finals are this weekend! Eeeek.
We just hope Danny’s nerves don’t trip him up so close to the finish line!
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