Ed Balls admits Strictly appearance is part of a mid-life crisis

Ed Balls on the Strictly Come Dancing red carpet.

Strictly Come Dancing contestant and ex-cabinet minister Ed Balls fears his hips may not be up to jiving as he admitted his appearance on the show was part of a mid-life crisis.

The former Labour heavyweight, who lost his seat in last year’s general election, said he wanted to show that politicians are human.

Mr Balls said that he missed the purpose of politics, but needed to try new things.

“Definitely a mid-life crisis, but I think you’ve got to embrace it and enjoy it,” he told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme.

Ed Balls at the launch of Strictly Come Dancing 2016 at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. Picture: Ian West/PA Wire.

“I’m quite worried about the jive because my hips don’t really move in quite the right way, but I have a great professional partner, and I have three weeks to train.

“But it’s a chance to say that politics is about human beings, and that those of us that come out of politics, in my sort of retirement phase, can do things that are quite exciting.

“We’ll get to see whether I can do something big again in the future, but in the mean time, what could possibly be bigger than going on Strictly?” Mr Balls said.