No doubt his legions of Strictly fans – and a certain Strictly judge – are dreading the moment when Louis Smith leaves the dance floor for good. But they won’t have to mourn for long.
The 23-year-old gymnast is bringing out a calendar, just in time for Christmas. While the topless photographs are sure to please his admirers, the Olympic medal list took some persuading to pose for the four-hour shoot – despite his impressive physique. Speaking exclusively to the Mail, he said he was shy about showing off his body.
‘I want to keep some dignity,’ he said. ‘I’m a sportsman and I do gymnastics. It’s a very regimented sport, so I don’t want to be someone who’s stripping off like some reality TV star. It’s not me.’
And if that wasn’t enough to further endear him to Strictly audiences – and judge Darcey Bussell, who has made no secret of her liking for him – the photographs also revel a tribute to his grandmother inked on his back.
He began the tattoo in 2007, when he won his first major competition, with the phrase ‘What I deserve I earn’. when his grandmother, who became an inspiration for his career, died in 2009, he added the ‘RIP Nan, missing you’ design.
The guardian angels came the following year; after he broke up with his long-term girlfriend from school – DailyMail
