Paul Merson exits Strictly Come Dancing as Karen Hauer sheds tears after dance-off

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Former footballer Paul Merson has gracefully exited Strictly Come Dancing as the fourth celebrity to leave the dance floor.Despite his departure from the BBC sensation on Sunday, the 56 year old pundit remained upbeat, expressing that he feels victorious having mastered the art of dance.Merson, alongside his professional dance partner Karen Hauer, competed against JLS star JB Gill and his partner Amy Dowden in the dreaded dance off.Although Gill and Dowden impressed the judges with their jive to Outkast's Hey Ya!, earning them 30 points, they were surprisingly left vulnerable after the public vote.On Saturday's show, Merson and Hauer found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard, scoring only 19 points for their samba to Rose Royce's hit Car Wash.

They were closely trailed by Morning Live's Dr Punam Krishan with 21 points, TV star Pete Wicks with 22 points, and former hockey player turned presenter Sam Quek who scored 26 points.When it came time to perform again, the judges unanimously chose Gill and Dowden over Merson and Hauer.Reflecting on his experience, ex-Arsenal ace Merson said: "It's been really good.

For anybody I talk to, I would say you've got to go on this show. It's amazing everybody. There's a Tottenham fan over there called Lincoln and even he's nice."He continued to praise the show and his partner, saying, "It's been amazing, honestly, amazing.

I loved every minute of it, I've had a great teacher.""She's been amazing, absolutely amazing and I couldn't wish for a better coach.