Arsenal legend Paul Merson took to the Strictly dancefloor for the first time this weekend after the show's launch but it has emerged that his six-figure earnings for taking part on the show will be going straight to someone else.
Merse stunned fans by performing his first dance of the American Smooth to the tune of England anthem 'Vindaloo' in football attire alongside his partner Karen Hauer.
His performance drew rather unflattering comparisons to Inbetweeners character Will McKenzie and he is expected to provide a lot of the humour on this year's edition of the popular BBC show, as the clip below will attest.
Fans' favourite Merson is widely known for lobbying for changes in gambling laws, which stems from his own battle with an addiction to betting, costing him up to £7 million across three decades, and it is for this reason that he will not pocket his own rumoured six-figure sum for taking part in the series.
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The 56-year-old has now been barred from all betting platforms as a result and his earnings from any media duties, including the sum he will receive for his Strictly cameo, are directly transferred to his wife Kate in an attempt to safeguard against any temptations to gamble.
He has also been known to attend Gamblers' Anonymous meetings and seeks advice from specialists to ensure his sobriety from gambling remains.
The former Premier League player placed his first bet at just 16 years of age, a decision that led to him enduring gambling and cocaine addictions and two marriages fell apart as his own life spiralled out of control.
"My anxiety kicked in and I thought: 'They're not going to have Soccer Saturday any more'. I was thinking, 'I'm not going to be able to earn anything'. My older kids' mums have houses and I want to give my younger kids a future," he previously said in an interview with The Sun.
"Kate and I had £160,000 saved up and I blew it in a few bets. It was all online, but it wasn't a bookmaker, it was a private bookie. My last bet was eight grand on a table tennis player. I didn't have a particular knowledge of table tennis but everything was locked down at that point, so there wasn't much to bet on.
"When I got to that point it was just a total chase-up to try and get my money back, which is a prime example of a compulsive gambler. That was my last eight grand but when I'm in the grip of it, I lose all sense of rationale."
Merson is determined to focus on the present, with the intense training schedule for Strictly a welcome distraction from his former demons.
"Joining Strictly is a whole new ball game for me," he explained.
"But I'm going to tackle this challenge head on. I'm ready to swap the pitch for the ballroom floor, so here's hoping my two left feet can learn some moves and you never know, maybe I'll be taking home the Glitterball Trophy."
Topics: Paul Merson, Arsenal, Sky Sports
Tom Marshall-Bailey