Bookies offer 80-1 odds on her winning

Susan Calman goes into Strictly Come Dancing tonight as the 80-1 outsider to win.

The comedian has the longest odds of any of the 15 contestants, according to Sky Bet.

Favourite is Mollie King from girl band The Saturdays at 7/2, followed by JLS singer Aston Merrygold, Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson and former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, all at 11/2.

However Calman believes there is more to the show than winning, tweeting yesterday: ‘I'm someone who hasn't been hugely happy at times in my life. Dancing makes me feel fab. Truly, brilliantly happy. That's pretty wonderful.’

She acknowledged: ‘I'm not interesting to the tabloid media,’ but added: ‘Hopefully people will still vote for a slightly dull woman.’

The comic’s dancing partner will be revealed on this season’s launch show at 7pm on BBC One - but it is known that it will be one of the male professionals.

Responding to critics who said she was somehow betraying her sexuality, she said: ‘I wanted to dance with a man. I am not being held hostage by the BBC. I'm still well gay and proud of it.’

The other contestants, and their odds, are Ronnie Peacock 9/1; Davood Ghadami 10/1; Joe McFadden 16/1; Debbie McGee 16/1; Charlotte Hawkins 18/1; Ruth Langsford 40/1; Richard Coles 40/1; Simon Rimmer 50/1; Brian Conley 50/1 and Chizzy Akudolu 66/1.

• On the show, it was revealed that her dance partner would be Kevin Clifton 

Published: 9 Sep 2017