David Dickinson: Strictly Come Dancing has got so much tougher now

David Dickinson says Strictly Come Dancing has got so much tougher since he was on the show.

The Dickinson’s Real Deal presenter, 77, was a contestant on Strictly’s first series, which was won by Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole.

“It didn’t seem so important,” he told Good Morning Britain.

“It seemed like a bit of fun when I did it, not quite as competitive, not quite so serious.”

“We did two or three hours (rehearsing a day) instead of eight to 10 now,” he said.

Dickinson also previously appeared in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and said: “I’d do it again. Loved it.”

The antiques expert, who admits to receiving a lot of fan mail over the years, says he does not intend to retire.

“Keep going until they tire of you”, he said of his mantra. “Hopefully they won’t tire of you.”