FORMER political editor John Sergeant was unveiled yesterday as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing – and revealed that he had suffered more injuries training for the BBC1 show than he ever sustained as a war reporter.
Sergeant, 64, who reported from conflicts in Vietnam, Cyprus, Israel and Zimbabwe, joins models, former soap stars, TV presenters and sportsmen on the sixth series of the hit programme.
The line-up features model Jodie Kidd, presenter Lisa Snowdon
, chef Gary Rhodes, former S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens and a cluster of former EastEnders stars.
The latest instalment will feature two more episodes and two more couples than usual and comes a year after 12 million people watched Alesha Dixon crowned Strictly Come Dancing champion.
Yesterday, Sergeant ducked questions about whether ballroom dancing would prove more challenging than chasing Margaret Thatcher.
ITN's former political editor famously ended up being bundled down the steps of the Paris embassy by Sir Bernard Ingham, the Downing Street press secretary, when he attempted to question the then-Prime Minister during the 1990 Tory leadership contest.
But he said that after just 12 hours of training so far, beginning earlier this week, he had already suffered more physical trauma then he ever did during his time in battle zones.
Sergeant said: "It's tough. I've injured both my left foot and my right foot.
"I've had more injuries from this than my time as the BBC's war correspondent so from that point of view it's a very tough assignment and I'm showing – I think the word is – bravery."
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