Outgoing Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman has said he will not be tuning into the show’s Christmas special this weekend, just in case he spots himself with a crooked bow-tie.
The former ballroom dance champion loves Christmas television, but does not like to see himself on the screen – even if his wife wants to watch.
The 72-year-old said: “I never watch myself, but sometimes my wife likes to watch the Strictly Special on Christmas Day.
“I don’t like looking at myself much on the telly, I always think ‘why did you say that you silly little thing’ or ‘what did you do that for?’ or sometimes I notice that my bow-tie gets all crooked and all that so it’s best I just don’t watch myself.”
Instead, he revealed he loves the excuse to tuck into champagne and a mountain of satsumas for breakfast on the big day.
Laying out his typical Christmas Day, he said: “On Christmas morning, we get up and we go into the kitchen and I’ll say ‘let’s have a glass of champagne’ and its only 9am in the morning. When else would you ever do that?
“Then we have a lovely breakfast and then I’ll sit around, open my presents and then I’ll eat 10 satsumas and then lunch of course will be cooking.
“I love Christmas. I love everything about it; I love the telly and all the repeat films they show.”
But he added that receiving gifts is the one festive tradition that he has little time for.
“Once you get to a certain age you have enough things and I have truly got everything,” Goodman explained.
“People buy me stuff and I don’t want it, if they must buy me something then socks are always handy and I don’t mind the odd pair of underpants but I don’t want any more things.
“I know it sounds horrible, but if the truth be told when my son asks, ‘what do you want’, I say ‘nothing’ and he says ‘well you got to have something’ and I say ‘well get me a pair of socks or a pullover’.
“I’ll open the present he gets and it’s three golf balls and a miniature bottle of whisky.”
RT to say a fond farewell to a true #Strictly legend. @GrumpyLGoodman. Can we make it to severrrrn thousand retweets in his honour? 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8qAqnhaW5R
— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) December 17, 2016
Len Goodman makes his final appearance as head judge on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special at 6.45pm on Christmas Day on BBC One.