Gavin Henson starts acting lessons

Welsh rugby star Gavin Henson has started taking acting lessons to improve his chances on Strictly Come Dancing.

The sports star, who has struggled in recent weeks on the ballroom dance show, is working with casting director and acting coach Neil Rutherford.

Speaking about his latest tactic, he said: "Craig [Revel Horwood] suggested I get acting lessons and the judges always seem to be spot on with their advice. Doing something like this is a world away from what I'm used to, but I really want to stay in the competition and I'm loving all the cape action with this dance, so I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be the best I can be on the dance floor."

Henson's pro partner Katya Virshilas said: "Over the last few weeks, when Gavin hits the dance floor, his nerves begin to get the better of him. When you’re dancing, it's just as important to perform the dance as it is to get all the steps right, and this is where these acting lessons should come in handy.

"He's been trained throughout his rugby career to hide his emotions, and this week we're dancing the Paso, so it's really important that he finds his inner matador and brings it to the ballroom!"

Speaking about this week's Paso Doble routine, she continued: "It is a traditional Spanish dance that's full of emotion and passion. Gavin needs to be strong and aggressive and having advice and coaching from an expert like Neil, should help him get past the nerves and bring out his best performance so far!"

Strictly continues on Saturday at 6.25pm on BBC One.