Strictly Come Dancing star Paul Merson's exit 'sealed' as fans spot worrying clue

Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts are worried that Paul Merson might be the first celebrity contestant to be eliminated in this series.

The 56-year-old football pundit brought a lot of energy to Saturday night's show, performing an energetic Salsa routine with his partner, Karen Hauer.

Despite dancing his heart out to Pitbull's Fireball, the judges' scores didn't reflect Paul's enthusiasm, placing him at the bottom of the leaderboard. With his future on the show looking uncertain, many viewers believe he could be leaving soon.

One viewer commented: "Paul Merson will be going home."

Another fan speculated that it could be either Paul or TV and music icon Toyah Willcox who might be leaving first. They wrote: "Very difficult to look past Paul or Toyah leaving first. Was leaning towards Toyah pre-show, but given the scores, comments, and early running order slot I think I've just flipped and lean towards Paul going now."

A third viewer added: "Toyah or Paul will go tomorrow. But votes will be needed for some," reports the Mirror.

Despite some negative feedback, others are eager to see more of Paul.

In contrast, one fan shared: "You know when you feel your life is missing something, but you're not quite sure what it is? Turns out it's Paul Merson dancing to Pitbull in a pair of sparkly leopard print pants."

However, some fans felt that the show's producers were attempting to portray Paul as a "joke act", which sparked criticism. One fan expressed their disappointment, saying: "The producers are determined to make Paul the laughing stock but I think he's really entertaining and at least he's giving the SCD experience a good go. I'll be surprised if he isn't in the dance-off tomorrow night. I feel for Karen."

Another fan shared a similar sentiment, stating: "I feel really sorry for Paul Merson watching Strictly because you can tell he wants to do so much better and be taken more seriously...Strictly better not do him dirty next week." (sic)

Paul and Karen received a score of 15 for their performance. In an interview with presenter Claudia Winkleman, Paul mentioned that his wife had critiqued his steps during rehearsal, comparing her to judge Craig Revel Horwood.

He joked: "She was a bit like Craig to be fair. I showed her the video yesterday and slaughtered it and I was like 'My God, not you as well.'"

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Sunday night.