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01st Dec 2019

Daniel O’Donnell declines Strictly Christmas special incase he ‘drops dead’

Jade Hayden

Fair, yeah.

Daniel O’Donnell has declined the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special incase he drops dead on telly.

Despite being the tender age of 58, the Donegal legend has decided he doesn’t want to risk appearing on the show, lest it becomes too much for him to handle.

And yeah, if this is a genuine concern for Dan then we wish you all the best mate, you do you.

The singer told The Sun that he had been asked recently to appear in the upcoming special – and that he, flat out, said no.

“I met one of the ladies involved in the ­production just recently and she asked me if I’d like to come back for a Christmas special,” he said. “I said, ‘No, do you want me to drop dead on the spot?”

Daniel took part in the 2015 instalment of the BBC reality series.

Alongside partner Kristina Rihanoff, he was the third celebrity to leave the show after being voted out by the public – even after his incredible performance as Danny from Grease. 

He said that despite being well accustomed to being on stage, he still felt “unbelievable nerves” ahead of each performance.

“I never expected those kind of nerves. It’s ridiculous from the point of view of someone who’s been on stage as many times as me,”he said.

“The night I was doing Danny Zuko from Grease, I had to start walking down these three steps and I was so nervous I didn’t know how I was going to get down them. That’s how bad my anxiety got.”

Daniel O’Donnell returns to the INEC Killarney next September.