Chris Robshaw has revealed that Strictly Come Dancing has given him a new sense of purpose after he ‘lost himself’ following his retirement from professional rugby.
The former England rugby captain, 39, who is competing in this year’s glitzy ballroom series with pro partner Nadiya Bychkova, 36, opened up about how the series has helped him regain the confidence he lost after stepping away from the sport.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Chris said: ‘The public will decide my fate. They are the ultimate judge, so it’ll be down to them to decide if they want me to stay on the show.
‘Obviously, I really want to stay, but it’s up to me to prove I am worth their vote. I really want to stay in, I’m not ready to give up hope that I can get through.
Reflecting on his journey so far, Chris added: ‘The show has made me find myself again. I feel like it’s given me back some of my confidence that I’ve lost along the way.
‘Obviously, being a Dad gives you the feeling of purpose, but beyond my boys, I lost myself a bit, especially after retirement.
Chris Robshaw has revealed that Strictly Come Dancing has given him a new sense of purpose after he ‘lost himself’ following his retirement from professional rugby
The former England rugby captain, 39, who is competing in this year’s series with Nadiya Bychkova, 36, opened up about how the series has helped him regain the confidence he lost after stepping away from the sport
‘Doing Strictly has given me back the something that’s been missing, it’s been the missing piece of the puzzle, I’ve missed this feeling, I think it’s going from training all the time, so then not.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, being able to be on the television talking about something I love as much as I do, but ask any athlete, they miss being on the pitch.’
Chris and Nadiya have been hard at work in rehearsals for Saturday night’s live show, where they’ll be dancing a fiery Paso Doble.
Meanwhile, Chris also credited the hit BBC show for making him look so good that his wife, singer Camilla Kerslake, fancies him more than ever.
He told Daily Mail: ‘I’ve loved training again, and whilst in sequins rather than an England shirt, it’s bought me a lot of happiness.
‘It’s made me feel like an athlete again. Thanks to the dancing, I’m in the best shape I have been in a while!
‘I feel the healthiest mentally and physically I have done in ages. The kids keep me fit, giving me the run around, but the Strictly training is keeping me fit, I feel like how Joe Wicks must feel.
‘Keeping healthy is really important to me, I want to ensure I can stay as fit as can be, so I can be around for as long as I can for my two boys. Training is doing wonders for the waistline! My wife keeps telling me she fancies me more than ever.’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Chris said: ‘The show has made me find myself again. I feel like it’s given me back some of my confidence that I’ve lost along the way’
It comes after his wife Camilla shared a very racy shirtless snap of the Strictly star after he narrowly avoided being voted off on the first episode on Sunday
It comes after his wife shared a very racy shirtless snap of the Strictly star after he narrowly avoided being voted off on the first episode on Sunday.
Doing her best to ensure viewers vote for Chris, Camilla covered his modesty with a giant rugby ball emoji and wrote: ‘Sequins look good on you.’
He took to the dancefloor with his pro partner Nadiya to perform a Samba to EMF’s Unbelievable during last Saturday’s live show, finishing in second-to-last place on the leaderboard with just 14 points.
It was, instead, The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, 34, and Amy Dowden who were first to leave.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday’s at 6:30pm on BBC One and are available on BBC iPlayer.