Strictly Come Dancing star ‘fuming’ to discover first performance is to ‘racist’ football song-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

Strictly’s Paul Merson was not happy about his first dance song, according to audience members from the launch show (Picture: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Strictly Come Dancing star Paul Merson was reportedly made to re-film a moment in the launch show after a disappointed reaction to his first dance song.

Paul joins the likes of Tasha Ghouri, Sarah Hadland, Pete Wicks, Tom Dean, JB Gill, Jamie Borthwick, and Sam Quek as the hit BBC show returns on Saturday for its 20th-anniversary series.

While the series hits screens live each weekend, the launch show is pre-recorded, as the celeb and pro pairings are revealed, as well as their first routine before the couples head into training.

While recording the launch, former professional footballer Paul, 56, was reportedly visibly ‘fuming’ upon learning he would be dancing to World Cup anthem Vindaloo.

The track has established itself as a favourite among footie hooligans, but the 1998 Fat Les song has also been deemed racist.

So, when he was less than impressed to have it as his first dance song, audience members had to sit through Paul re-filming his reaction to look more excitable.

Strictly’s 20th-anniversary season begins on Saturday with a starry line-up (Picture: BBC Studios/Ray Burmiston)

One audience member told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Paul looked really cross. The celebrities and their partners were being told what songs they would have. Lots of them were given lovely classics – then he got Vindaloo.’

The Strictly fan added that they don’t blame Paul – who played in the 1998 World Cup in France – for his response.

‘You can’t blame him for thinking he is being set up to be the joke act, but also the connotations of it [the song] are also not exactly positive either.

‘It has been accused of being racist and the song that far-Right football hooligans sing.’

They blasted the BBC for behaving in a ‘thoughtless’ way by assigning him the tune, ‘particularly given all of the scandals that have engulfed the show for the last nine months.’

Of course, this was a reference to the sacking of two pros – Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima – after the former was accused of ‘bullying’ by Amanda Abbington, while Graziano has denied kicking Love Islander Zara McDermott in rehearsals.

Paul is said to be dancing to World Cup anthem Vindaloo (Picture: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Vindaloo was co-written by Blur bassist Alex James and Guy Pratt, and comedian Keith Allen – the father of Lily Allen – penned the lyrics.

However, the anthem later caused controversy when it surfaced that it was inspired by an argument between Keith and writer Farrukh Dhondy in 1989 on The Late Show.

After discussing political correctness, Keith told Farrukh: ‘It’s not a chip you’ve got on your shoulder, it’s a f*****g vindaloo.’

Keith initially claimed that he said the word ‘vindaloo’ because it is not directly linked to Asian culture, given that the type of curry allegedly came from Portugal.

But in 2016, presenter Nick Ahad, whose father is from Bangladesh, recalled the time a gang of white men wound down their car window to shout ‘vindaloo’ at him in the street.

Following his Strictly signing and having been revealed as a contestant last month, Paul shared the special reason behind his decision to sign up.

There’s already been plenty of controversy surrounding Strictly this year, after Giovanni Pernice’s exit (Picture: PA)

It remains unknown whether the scandals will be referenced when Strictly returns (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)

‘I’m doing it for my mum. My dad, if it wasn’t for my dad, I wouldn’t have been a footballer – my dad took me everywhere to play football. I’m giving something back to my mum,’ he shared sweetly.

‘My mum never got the credit she deserved. This is her favourite TV programme, and I promised I’d go on it. But I don’t know how much I’m going to embarrass myself.’

Noting that he’ll be well and truly pushing himself, he added: ‘I’m well out of my comfort zone. I’ve danced three times before and my weddings. No slow dancing. But God loves a trier.’

The BBC has been contacted for comment.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, September 14 at 7:20pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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