Former Strictly Come Dancing champion Louis Smith thinks the glitterball trophy is tougher to get your hands on than an Olympic medal.
The 26-year-old gymnast won silver and bronze on the pommel horse for Britain at the 2012 Olympics, and went on to win the BBC dancing contest later that year, as well as the 2014 Christmas Special.
Louis said: “I’ve won a lot of medals in the past, but that achievement is definitely one of the better things I’ve done. Nothing will come close to the Olympic Games, but winning Strictly, that’s quite an achievement.
Louis Smith flexes his pecs on Brighton beach (O2)
“There’s been less people win Strictly than there has Olympic medals, so Strictly’s quite rare.”
Louis also waded into the same sex-couple debate surrounding the show. There have been rumours that this year could see the first same-sex pairing on the BBC dance competition, but former Strictly star James Jordan has branded the idea 'a joke' as it is against professional ballroom dancing rules.
Louis said: “I don’t see nothing wrong with that. Ballroom dancing has rules – like you can’t do lifts in the waltz unless it’s an American Smooth, and things like that, and you get penalised. And I don’t know what the rules are in the ballroom world about that sort of thing.
“But if it’s allowed, why not? Mix it up a little bit!”
Louis Smith goes out of his way to bring Wifi to the ladies of Brighton beach (O2)
The Olympic-medallist, who's helping launch O2's GuyFi service, admitted he loved British beaches, but his girlfriend, The Only Way Is Essex star Lucy Mecklenburgh, had been complaining he had not taken her away somewhere more exotic on holiday this year.
He said: “We had four days in Palma. Four days is a luxury to me, but for some people that doesn’t count as a holiday. I call it a holiday, but she doesn’t. She says she wants to go away again because she hasn’t really been away this year.
Louis Smith and Lucy Mecklenburgh (Ian West/PA)
“So I’ve had a holiday, but Lucy hasn’t. Anywhere where there’s sun and beach, a pool and a nice cocktail, I think she’d be happy.”
The gymnast also admitted he and reality star Lucy did not spend as much time together as he would like, because of work commitments.
He revealed: “We definitely don’t get to see as much of each other as we’d like. Monday to Friday I’m training, the only time we get to see each other is at the weekends. And not every weekend – sometimes she’s busy, she’s got work on.
“So it is quite hard, it is quite tough, but it’s pretty much the only problem that we have in our relationship, so it’s not that bad.”
