Jason Bell reflects on the challenges of competing in Strictly Come Dancing
The former NFL star is paired with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Jason Bell has said he did not know that taking part in the competition “would be so hard”.
The former NFL star and BBC pundit compared switching between different routines each week to “learning a whole new position” during his sporting career.
Bell, 42, who is partnered with Luba Mushtuk, said that while the taking part in the BBC dance competition is proving difficult, he has found the experience “so rewarding”.
He said: “When I first started, when I knew I was going to start training, I knew it was going to be hard, just because it is a new skill.
“But I didn’t know it was going to be this hard and the reason is as soon as you start to get into something, it switches.
“I’d just get my body used to one kind of dance and routine and now that I’m doing another, my body has to completely adjust and in sport, in my sport, you get good at a skill and just continue to work on that.
“But now it is like learning a whole new position on the field, which has been really challenging but also rewarding.”
Bell, who shares daughter Anaiya with Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, said he has had the support of his family while making the programme.
“Making Anaiya proud, that’s what you want to do as a father,” he said.
“Me and Nadine have always been close, we are a close family, so there’s so much support from the both of them.”
He added that he is trying to be “engaged in the moment” while appearing on Strictly.
He said: “That’s not only on the dance floor on Saturday nights but that’s also in practice.
“That’s all I have done and Luba has done a good job of keeping me focused and whatever happens happens, but we are going to enjoy every moment of this journey because that is what you have got to do in life.”
Bell said this year’s cohort of celebrities and professionals are “all adjusting to the bubble life” because of coronavirus restrictions that are in place.
“We have all got our struggles but we are going to get through this together,” he said.
