WHAT A RELIEF! Mollie sheds her Strictly sequins
. . . they’re – erm – a wee bit restrictive
THE skin-tight, elaborately sequined costumes worn by Strictly contestants may look dazzling, but for pop star Mollie King there is a significant downside to such glamour – taking the outfits off is a nightmare.
Answering a pressing call of nature just before the show starts involves recruiting an army of helpers because ‘everything is stitched in’, Mollie admits.
It was therefore probably welcome relief for the Saturdays singer that she was able to keep it simple in a new modelling shoot by posing in just her underwear.
Mollie, 30, who is said to have once dated Prince Harry, appears in a Christmas lingerie campaign for Boux Avenue, the high street chain owned by Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.
Speaking about her Strictly costumes, Mollie told The Mail on Sunday: ‘You are completely sewn into your dress, so if I need to go to the toilet before going out to dance, it takes an army to get me out of it.
‘It happens all the time – I’m always so nervous I need a wee just before I go on. Everything is stitched in, your bra is sewn in, as are your knickers and you’re always in a leotard so thankfully there is no worry about exposing yourself, even if you’re in a short dress.’
According to Mollie, Strictly contestants do not get to see their costumes until the night before a live show. ‘When you sign up, you go for a fitting and you try on every style of dress you’ve ever seen.
‘You get to say what styles you like or what doesn’t suit you. Once that’s done, you are pretty much given your outfits. You don’t see them before.’ Mollie remains a favourite to reach the final with partner AJ Pritchard. The pair have been linked romantically and she does little to hide the chemistry.
‘AJ is an amazing partner,’ she said. ‘He has helped me with my self-confidence.’ Last night, the duo performed the foxtrot to Call Me Irresponsible by Connie Francis and scored 27 points.
Former X Factor champion Alexandra Burke was dubbed ‘the dancing queen’ after she and her partner Gorka Marquez opened the show with a spectacular cha-cha-cha.