BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Montell Douglas shares how show has changed her

Montell Douglas has opened up about how Strictly Come Dancing has been a transformative experience for her body confidence. The 38 year old former 'Gladiators' star, who has often felt self-conscious about her height, found empowerment through the show and her dance partner Johannes Radebe.

Speaking to The Sun, she shared: "'Strictly' gives me the chance to wear these beautiful gowns and dresses and find the elegance, while believing and embracing that strong is still sexy. That is what I have to remind myself so often. And being with Johannes, honestly, he is a reminder every day that strong is sexy. ".

She reflected on her past insecurities, saying: "When you’re a little girl and you want to fit in and you do nothing but stand out, you slump your shoulders. I’ve always had bad posture because you’re just big and you can’t hide. I didn’t really like the limelight. I didn’t like people to see me all the time.

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"And I really struggled with my body shape, how I was moving my limbs, they were really long and gangly. The confidence just wasn’t there."

However, Montell credits sports for helping her gain empowerment, as it shifted her focus from appearance to performance. She explained: "I think going through sport has empowered me because my physicality, my body, has never been because of how I want it to look. It’s always been for performance. ".

"I’ve never looked and gone, ‘I want this crazy back that I’ve got right now, all this muscle. I want my shoulders to be this way’. I’ve never felt like that. I’ve done it because that’s what made me run fast and that was the priority."