Strictly Come Dancing 2016: Ed Balls ‘annoying’ fellow contestants with ‘incessant singing’

The former Shadow Chancellor likes to belt out the odd show tune backstage 
'Annoying'? Ed Balls loves to belt out show tunes during Strictly
Jay Brooks/BBC
Jennifer Ruby20 September 2016
The Weekender

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Ed Balls has reportedly been showing off his musical talents during Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals.

The former Shadow Chancellor, who is gearing up for his first live dance this Friday, has been ‘annoying’ fellow contestants with his ‘incessant singing’.

According to The Sun, Balls has been ‘constantly’ belting out show tunes from musicals back stage at the show.

“It’s really annoying and is cringeworthy because he’s not totally awful, but not good really either,” said an insider.

“Whatever the reason he’s really annoyed everyone by doing it and we wish he’d stop.”

The former MP was quick to respond to the claims, joking that he saw nothing wrong with singing the entire Sound of Music score.

He wrote on Twitter: “Goodness - I just sang the entire Sound of Music score to the Costume department - how could that be cringeworthy ?”

Balls has admitted to being nervous about the first of the live shows, after being shocked by the extent of his own ‘dad dancing’ at the launch.

“The standard is high, a bit too high to be honest,” he told the Huffington Post at the TV Choice Awards.

“I was hoping that there were going to be a few people who clearly couldn’t dance at all. And other than me they don’t seem to be there.”

Judge Bruno Tonioli recently said: “The danger is [he's] going to be the next Ann Widdecombe. I don't think the nation is ready for another one. I still haven't recovered from the first one.

“I think I called her the Dalek in drag. He has to top that. Ed - you have to top the Dalek in drag. I want you to be like a hippopotamus in Fantasia."

Strictly Come Dancing 2016 - dance partners

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