Montell Douglas has taken ‘unfortunate’ Strictly habits into Gladiators arena
She was speaking at the TV Choice Awards, where Strictly Come Dancing is nominated for best talent show.
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Montell Douglas said she has taken an “unfortunate pointed toe” into the Gladiators arena since returning as Fire.
The 39-year-old Olympian told the PA news agency she had not stopped dancing since departing the show while speaking at the TV Choice Awards, where the BBC dancing programme is nominated for best talent show.
Douglas told PA: “Apparently, I’ve taken an unfortunate pointed toe (into Gladiators), because we don’t point in Gladiators, but I’ve been there pointing everywhere, it’s like a little glitch in my brain and I just (keep pointing).”
Miranda actress Sarah Hadland, who also competed in the 2024 series of Strictly alongside Douglas, said she had been telling the other contestants whether they would be good at Gladiators, and revealed she had advised her not to, as she would be “squished”.
Strictly’s 2024 series was won by blind comedian Chris McCausland and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell.
Elsewhere on the red carpet in London, former The Traitors finalist Mollie Pearce revealed she had enjoyed watching the show’s third series from afar.
She told PA: “I loved the new series, it was great to watch it with no stress, I really liked the seer move, I thought that was a really interesting twist, it was super interesting and really twisted the game up a little bit.
“It changed the dynamics, it was really fun.”
The 23-year-old is currently competing on ITV’s Dancing On Ice and told PA she was “loving” the experience and wanted it to “last forever”.
BBC reality game show The Traitors is nominated for best reality show at the awards, with series two winner Harry Clark, who deceived his friend Pearce as a traitor in its finale to win £95,150, saying he “loved” the latest series.
He told PA: “It was so good, and it shows, because I know people are so divided with the rules of the game changing.
“I loved everyone, I thought everyone did great, but obviously being a traitor myself I wanted to cheer for Minah, Charlotte and all of the traitors, but they (Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley) are two worthy winners, very lovely people.”
Actress Michelle Collins told PA she was “really enjoying” her return as Cindy Beale in BBC soap EastEnders, which is nominated for best soap at the ceremony as it approaches its 40th anniversary week, which she said would be “classic EastEnders”.
The 62-year-old said: “I think people really want to know who hit Cindy over the head (in the soap’s Christmas special), so that’s all quite exciting, I think we’ve got about six or seven suspects.”
Also nominated for an award is ITV real life drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, with actor Shaun Dooley, who plays Michael Rudkin, whose wife was wrongfully accused in the Horizon scandal, saying the nomination helped to keep the victims in the spotlight.
He told PA: “What’s amazing is these awards are voted for by the public and that means the world, rather than a jury.
“The fact it’s been voted for by the public just means everything, because that’s the reason we made the show.
“It shows that they care.”
The award winners will be announced at Monday’s ceremony.
