‘Strictly is scarier than doing a bungee jump!'

Jamie Laing on feeling terrified by competing in the dance show, moving on from his playboy past and why best pal Spencer Matthews might be jealous of him

- SARAH MORTON AND RIANNE ISON

There’s some stiff competition on the Strictly dance floor this year, with Maisie Smith bringing the moves and Bill Bailey providing the laughs – but we’re still rooting for Made In Chelsea favourite Jamie Laing!

The comeback kid, who had to pull out of the show last year after a foot injury and was replaced by eventual winner Kelvin Fletcher, was given a second shot by bosses this time around, and he’s clearly loving every moment.

In 2019, Jamie was paired with Oti Mabuse, but now he’s shimmering up a storm with Karen Hauer – and they suit each other perfectly. And no, we’re not just talking about their identical blonde crops!

“She’s so good with me,” Jamie gushes as we catch up with him during a break from rehearsals. “Karen’s a tough taskmaster, but that works! I’m a fast learner and I respond well to instruction.”

It’s only fair to point out that in the first couple of weeks of the show, Jamie, 32, has been outshone by better dancers, but we’re expecting his competitive side to come out. After all, this is the man who’s shared screen time with Spencer Matthews, Ollie Locke and Sam Thompson, so he knows a thing or two about competing with big personalities!

Also sharing his life now is girlfriend Sophie ‘Habbs’ Habboo, 26, who Jamie recently revealed he’ll propose to if he wins the Glitterball trophy. Sounds like it’s serious!

Here, Jamie tells us how it’s going on the show, the support he’s received and which Strictly stars he has bonded with…

Hi Jamie! How did you feel after your first performance?