Who would have tagged Brendan Cole as a granny chaser? But in an interview with the News of the World, he called Jo Woods ’so sexy!’

“Jo may be 20 years older than me, but this is no mother-son relationship,” he said. “I want the country to be ready to watch some of the sexiest rumbas they’ve ever seen, courtesy of us.

“Jo is so sexy. She is endearing and pretty. I’d heard the bookies said there was a 7-1 chance we’d have an affair. Considering I’m engaged, it’s kind of disgusting, but we had a laugh about it.

“Then we were practising the rumba and Jo nailed this one sexy move. I told her the odds had fallen to 5-1. The next day they were down to 4-1. That’s where we stopped it, though it’s a standing joke.”

“When she is struggling I will give her a little kick in the pants and say, ‘Is that all you’ve got, granny?’” he said. “And I’ll see that feisty little spark in her eye.

“Now I push her hard and she responds brilliantly. We’ve got a little spark together and I hope that will come across on the dancefloor. We’re working well and we’ve got great chemistry.”