RICKY Whittle may have the moves but he's not at all happy.

The Hollyoaks star, who has been wowing the judges on Strictly Come Dancing every week, is upset that the public doesn't seem to like him.

Ricky, 27, is the bookies' clear favourite to win the show.

But he's angry that lovable underdogs - like cricketer Phil Tufnell - seem to get more support from viewers.

And he claimed that he and professional dance partner Natalie Lowe would be much more popular if they fell over in the middle of a routine.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: "Britain likes an underdog. That's the way it is.

"If someone does well they don't like them.

"If this was America or Australia they'd be cheering us [myself and Natalie] on because we are doing well.

"If I'd come out the first week and tripped up, then carried on the routine, the whole nation would be going 'ah, bless him'.

"It's great that everyone is so sympathetic but I think they need to just appreciate that everyone is doing the same job and trying their hardest.

"And if we are doing well, embrace us, get behind us.

"I've not been trained in dancing, I'm not in my comfort zone."

But the soap actor went on to reveal he isn't actually putting in as many hours as his fellow contestants.

"When we do rehearse it's at the end of the day after 12 hours of filming Hollyoaks," he says. "Natalie gets me an emotional wreck after I've done ten scenes.

"It's the toughest thing I've ever done juggling dancing with filming.

"It's crazy. I'm doing crazy hours, I'm exhausted and there isn't one part of my body that doesn't ache - but I wouldn't change it for the world."

I assumed this was going to be something to do with his trouser department

How does he know how (un)popular he is?

Has he seen the voting figures?

Anyway, he's got it all wrong. It's not so much about being an underdog, but the fact that the likes of Tuffers, Ricky G and Natalie Cassidy have personalities that appeal to many.

They are fun and endearing.

Articles like this don't help

He can dance, but he shows no humility or personality. Others like Sid said show so much more character and the public warm to them - I know I do. Ricky is plastic - pretty, but plastic.

Indeed. It's like an exercise in making even less people back you.

Yes, I agree.
And the last thing you do if you're lacking support is to start slating the voters.
Jade and Ian took their appearance in the bottom 2 on the chin and are just getting on with it.
What's he going to be like if he ends up in the dance-off one week.

Well he won't be out will he

Unbearable, as will the judges.

I have nothing agaisnt Ricky W I'll admit he isn't one of my favourite's this year but he can dance

What I don't understand is he keeps on about he's knackered from training and Hollyoaks. Doesn't have hardly any time but yet he still manages to find the time to do numerous interviews for nearly every magazine and paper going

he is too desperate to win and get good comments - still looks like his life depends on it

Talking of which. OP you need to clip the article and provide a link. Copying a whole article and giving no "credit" is, I believe, against DS rules.

Agree, this sort of article won't help, just sounds like sour grapes because he thinks he is not being lionised as the best dancer but seeming to forget this show is about personality as well.

As for his incredibly demanding work schedule which he keeps going on about. Well Mr Whittle, it was your choice to come on the show, if Hollyoaks is so demanding why not have waited until another year.

Oh right. Thanks.
Why can't I find the edit button?

Here it is


It only stays for 35 minutes, I timed it once

That article will do more harm than good .The lad can dance , altough his feet annoy me , but he leaves me stone cold and does not engage me in his dance
We cant all be wrong in our assesment , can we ?

Do the celebs know the voting figures then

He hasn't been in the dance off so what makes him think he isn't popular with viewers?

Forum threads like these?

Or indeed that other people are more popular? The evidence is unclear whether he may be passing the sex appeal test or not and he's doing well on criteria like youtube views. Ali is beating him on many polls but how reflective are they. Has someone told him Phil is ahead?

I'm confused about the so called 12 hours shooting a day on Hollyoaks too. When they did his 'day in the life of' thing on ITT he was lucky if he was there for 3 hours or so before he was off doing a photoshoot at lunchtime and then training with Natalie.

Hes probably had one or two 12 hour days and either him or the BBC have been milking it ever since.

I like ricky but quotes like that are a bit silly.
THe voters arent stupid we normally vote for the person who dances best hence why Mark, Jill, Alesha won. None of them were "underdogs" in week one....

Darren wasn't the best dancer in his series though, and neither was Tom (though at least he could dance, unlike poor John Sargeant who appeared to be at the top of the public vote last series )

He did come out the first week and trip up.

I was suprised to read this from Ricky as he hasnt been in the dance off although I think he had a close shave on Saturday and this obviously wasnt written since then so what makes him think he doesnt have support ? unless he reads it on here and other forums ofcourse which is entirely possible. He isnt doing himself any favours at all in saying this kind of stuff AND writing on his blog that he was the only one to do Samba rolls on Saturday which are hard and the judges never noticed....oh and Fleckerels (or however you say it) in his Vienesse Waltz....both of which I think are not true.....and according to 'Nat' who is apparantly the best pro dancer and coreographer on the show (funny she has only been on it 5 mins so how did they manage without her before) he is working harder at his day job than any other celeb and doesnt have time to train properly. All in his own words on his blog.

SHUT UP RICKY. just get on with it and if you deserve it the public will support you but carry on like this and it will gradually evaporate.

We don't officially know this, though, it's only guesswork. That's assuming that the results are, in fact, read out in "no particular order".

Exactly I think we have heard more than one that the Pros and Celebs do read these threads and lets face the majority of people made up their minds straight away about Ricky and Natalie.

As for not being popular I was looking at the BBC boards yesterday and they seem to support them and have a different view to those on DS in the majority. Everyone at my local hairdressers and others I speak to are supporting him. He is a great dancer and I find him very polite as well .
I am not just a Ricky lover I love Alli and Zoe and Phill as well but I do like fairness.

Actually the magazine this story has come from he appears popular there too - saying that Craig and Flavia are leading the poll <>so I don`t know how reliable it is

http://ok.co.uk/celebnews/view/15338...ictly-s-Ricky/