Bleakley: I'm holding back on 'Strictly'

Christine Bleakley has admitted that her lack of confidence is holding her back on Strictly Come Dancing.

The TV presenter confirmed that her "self-conscious" nature is proving to be her biggest obstacle in the competition and is giving her dance partner Matthew Cutler cause for concern.

"All the other people on Strictly seem so confident, and aren't afraid to hurl themselves into it. I'm the one holding back," Bleakley told the Daily Mail. "I get annoyed at myself for listening to the voice in my head, which says: 'But you can't think you are any good'.

"I'm trying to let that go - to find my inner diva. But it's not easy. At the beginning, I couldn't even get undressed backstage because I was so self-conscious. The other girls were whipping their clothes off without a care, and I was like: 'God, I need a towel'. It was the same when it came to the dancing.

"Matthew is forever saying, 'Let yourself go', but I do find it hard, as if I'm trying to be something I'm not. But performing is all about being something you are not. As soon as I can get that straight in my head, I'll be okay. Let's just hope I'm not voted off before then."

Bleakley recently revealed that she is feeling "tense" and "nervous" as the show's final draws closer.