Mike Bushell says ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is the "ultimate physical and mental challenge".
The BBC Breakfast sports presenter is "aching all over" after just two days of training and he admits his body is "broken in a way he never thought it could be".
He said: "I’ve done over 550 different sports, trying them out to inspire people to get involved in those. Some of them have been really extreme whether it is wing walking or something like that, very physical. But this is the biggest and most physical challenge yet. Already, two days into training i’m aching all over, I’ve got sores under my feet, my body is broken in a way I never thought it could be.
"Mentally I’m exhausted and towards the end of each day’s training I’m literally in a mental fog trying to remember all the moves with the music playing. So this is definitely the ultimate physical and mental challenge, it’s a really extreme sport I would say, dancing to music and learning all the moves and trying to get your body into positions I’ve never had to get them in before."
And the 53-year-old television presenter – who is partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones on the show – is worried about performing on live television too.
Speaking to OK! Online, he added: "Strictly and dancing has to be the most extreme thing ever. In terms of the athleticism, learning to dance using all your muscles, waking up those muscles you never thought you had and also the mental side of trying to remember all the stops and then not only that but doing it in front of a live TV audience on the Strictly dance floor. I suppose i’m dreading that moment when we step out to the announcement and make our first walk down the steps and then perform that first live dance in front of the TV audience that is going to be terrifying. Everyone whose been on it before said that it is terrifying but i’ve just got to learn the dance so well that nothing can go wrong. It’s terrifying but what a challenge, so there was no way I could ever have turned that down."
Mike Bushell: Strictly Come Dancing is the ‘ultimate’ test
