Strictly star Montell Douglas says wearing heels on dance show feels 'like a night out'

Team GB sprinter Montell Douglas, 38, says her fancy footwear is proving to be her nemesis as she gets to grips with her new attire on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing

She may be a formidable force of nature as Gladiator Fire, but Montell Douglas says she has finally met her match on Strictly Come Dancing – high heels.

The former Team GB sprinter, 38, says her fancy footwear is proving to be her nemesis as she gets to grips with her new attire. But she is refusing to go down without a fight. “So the hardest thing is not the routine – it’s the shoes,” she says.

“It’s doing it in a shoe that wants to break your foot. The shoe is designed to give you pain, which she does very well actually. Especially because I’m just not used to it. I’m living in high heels. It’s like a night out where you have to keep your heels on all night. That’s what it feels like.”

More comfortable in a tracksuit and trainers, Montell says she is embracing sequins and skirts, even if they are out of her comfort zone. “The only way to do it is really immerse yourself because you get to only do it once, so you might as well go hard or go home,” she insists.

“The first week I’m in a ball gown and looking very different. The next is a carnival samba thing. I’m unrecognisable.” Montell’s sporting background and competitive edge could be seen as an advantage on Strictly.

She was an Olympic bobsledder and held the British women’s record for fastest 100m sprint at 11.05 seconds. But Montell plays down any suggestion that her athletic background puts her in a better position than her fellow celebs – and says she’s found some of the simplest dance moves a struggle.

“I was really good at sprinting and then it took me two or three days just to learn to walk as part of the routine,” she laughed. So I got a real reality shock. I can go fast but I struggle with slow. Being an athlete is very specific. You’re like a Formula One car.

“Put me on a racetrack and I would excel. But I can’t do a marathon, a 5k or even a 1k race. I’m very much a power athlete. I’ve got quite a lot of muscle mass and I’m very stiff because that’s what helps my power. So coming into something where you’ve got really fluid hips, you are on the balls of your feet.”

It’s a challenge she’s throwing herself at, with the help of pro partner Johannes Radebe, 37 – who she now considers a close friend. Although Montell, from Lewisham, South East London, says Johannes can be a distraction in training.

“I just stare at him,” she chuckled. “He can’t help being fabulous. He rolls out of bed and looks like he’s walking down the catwalk. It’s actually annoying. He’s like that friend that doesn’t try and goes, oh, I haven’t got any makeup on. But he looks phenomenal, like the smoothest skin of all time.

“He’s just as beautiful on screen as he is in real life. He’s a complete gentleman. I don’t have to carry anything when he’s around. I don’t open any door. He really does look after me as a person and everyone around him. Our friendship is blossoming.”

Single Montell says Johannes has also been key to helping her build her confidence and making her feel sexy – admitting she can often be hard on herself. “I might seem like I’m super confident, but inside I’m not,” she confides.

“That’s from sport, you don’t want to show your opponent your emotions. Internally, we all face our own battles and I do doubt myself, questioning if what you’re doing is enough. I do want to feel that way [sexy]. I would love to feel confident, to feel strong and feel capable to be able to do anything that I set my mind to. Jo is really helping me with that.

“It’s like stepping into your light. I’m crawling into the spotlight. Hopefully, by the end of the experience, ­whenever that is, I’ll be able to step confidently into that light.” And who better to channel than Beyonce if she wants to feel beautiful and on top of the world.

Montell will look to the superstar singer for her performance on Saturday night. Dancing the tango to One Night Only from the Dreamgirls soundtrack for Movie Week, she is looking to Queen Bey for inspiration.

She says: “This song is her first stepping into her spotlight. The movie did that for a lot of actors as well. It was their moment to show the world ‘this is what I actually can do’.”

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC1 tomorrow at 6.25pm.