Brian Conley has furiously denied claims he’s ‘keen for an early departure’ from Strictly Come Dancing after signing up for a Christmas pantomime.
The 56-year-old said it was ‘utter bulls***’ that he wanted to be eliminated soon so he could start rehearsals for the Milton Keynes Theatre production of Cinderella.
His Twitter rant on Friday comes as bookies revealed he is now the favourite to leave the show ahead of Reverend Richard Coles and Charlotte Hawkins
Unimpressed: Brian Conley has furiously denied claims he is ‘keen for an early departure’ from Strictly Come Dancing after signing up for a Christmas pantomime
Brian posted on Friday: ‘Just woke to news that I apparently want to be out of strictly what utter bulls***! I’m loving this & 100% want to stay in as long as poss.’
Despite his denial, Paddy Power odds place him as the favourite to be eliminated this week (7/4), ahead of Reverend Richard Coles (2/1), and newsreader Charlotte Hawkins (5/1).
JLS singer Aston Merrygold (9/4) remains the big favourite to be crowned Strictly champion, with Alexandra Burke his biggest rival (3/1) currently.
While Debbie McGee has shot up the betting, going from 20/1 long-shot to 9/2 third-favourite after her smouldering display on last week’s show.
Furious: The 56-year-old said it was ‘utter bulls***’ that he wanted to be eliminated soon so he could start rehearsals for the Milton Keynes Theatre production of Cinderella
Oh dear: His Twitter rant on Friday comes as bookies revealed he is now the favourite to leave the show ahead of Reverend Richard Coles and Charlotte Hawkins
Spokesman Paddy Power said: ‘Debbie McGee has been magic on Strictly, performing a host of tricks with her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice – well, she’s always been a very adept assistant.
‘But Aston Merrygold remains the one to Beat Again.’
Brian survived last week’s dance-off against actress Chizzy Akudolu, which sparked controversy among viewers as some accused the show of racism.
One Twitter user said black people ‘always seem to leave first’ while another said it wasn’t a surprising result, calling the entire process ‘racist’.
Brian and Chizzy faced the dance-off on Sunday despite neither finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Dancing shoes: The comedian will take to floor on Saturday with partner Amy Dowden as part of the blockbuster Movie Week special, performing a magical American Smooth to ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ from The Wizard of Oz
The comedian will take to floor on Saturday with partner Amy Dowden as part of the blockbuster Movie Week special, performing a magical American Smooth to ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ from The Wizard of Oz.
Sources first claimed Conley, 56, wanted an early exit from the dance competition on Thursday ahead of his appearance as panto favourite Buttons in a festive adaptation of Cinderella.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Brian clearly sees his involvement in the show as pretty short-term. He’s been telling people he’s only got minimal time left and is already expecting to head off to panto.’
Conley kept his place in the competition on Saturday evening, albeit at the expense of a clearly devastated Chizzy Akudolu, who became the first celebrity departure following a tense dance-off against the entertainer.
Coming soon: Sources claim Conley, 56, is already keen an early exit ahead of his appearance as panto favourite Buttons in a festive adaptation of Cinderella at Milton Keynes Theatre
The insider added: ‘He survived last week’s dance off despite his expectations of an early exit, but obviously others are desperate to stay for as long as possible.’
The star will appear alongside stylist Gok Wan, who plays the ‘Fairy Gokmother,’ when Cinderalla launches in Milton Keynes on December 9.
It’s understood that rehearsals will get underway in the coming weeks, giving Conley little time to juggle theatre commitments with the gruelling choreography required for his weekly appearances on Strictly.
Tense: Conley kept his place in the competition on Saturday evening, albeit at the expense of a clearly devastated Chizzy Akudolu, who became the first celebrity departure following a dance-off against the entertainer
The comedian, who has previously battled with depression, recently claimed dancing is helping to keep his spirits up by releasing endorphins associated with exercise.
‘Anxiety is the future, depression is the past, happiness is right here, right now,’ he told The Mirror. ‘If I wasn’t in a good place, I couldn’t do what I do now.’
The comedian fell ill after the death of his father in 1998 and spoke publicly about his struggles with mental health on I’m A Celebrity in 2012.
He later had to quit the show to receive hospital treatment for ‘exhaustion and malnutrition’. MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment.