THE first Strictly Come Dancing star to be “axed” has been “revealed” – juts hours before the 2024 launch show.

This weekend, loyal viewers of the BBC One series will see the programme kick off its 20th instalment.

The will see the Strictly Come Dancing celeb cohort in full – as well as learn which professional they are partnered up with.

Yet speculation is mounting as to who will be booted off in next week’s live show – with the unlucky star tipped to be ex footballer Paul Merson, 56.

Bookies Ladbrokes have placed the sports ace at odds of 5/2 to be the first dancefloor casualty.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes told The Sun: “Before a move is even made, punters are backing Paul Merson to be the first star axed from Strictly.

“He’s not the only one in the danger zone though, with Nick Knowles and Punam Krishan also expected to underperform.”

Tipping the other end of the scales, Tasha Ghouri, Jamie Borthwick, JB Gill and Shayne Ward are all placed with odds of 4/1 to take home the Glitter Ball trophy.

We exclusively revealed ex Arsenal star Paul, who has overcome drink, drug and gambling addictions, had signed up for the series in July.

At the time, sources told how the Sky Sports pundit would be “a popular addition.”

They added: “Footballers always do well with fans, whether they can dance or not.

But he also has a past, having had to battle ­addictions to drugs, booze and gambling.”

Paul played for Arsenal for 11 series and earned 21 England caps.

Earlier this week, we reported how he was left fuming at show bosses after they selected his first dance song.

He was reportedly left irked after the song Vindaloo was chosen for his opening routine.

Vindaloo is a song by British band Fat Les, and the music was co-written by Blur bassist Alex James and part-time Pink Floyd bassist Guy Pratt.

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It was released as a single in 1998 and recorded for the FIFA World Cup that same year.

The song was originally written as a parody of football chants, but was adopted as one in its own right and became a cult classic.

But in recent years, Vindaloo has been seen as a controversial World Cup anthem and has been deemed racist.

An onlooker at the filming of Strictly’s first episode has now told The Mail on Sunday that the star had to re-do his reaction to being told he’d dance to Vindaloo, after he appeared noticeably “cross.”

They said: “Paul looked really cross. The celebrities and their partners were being told what songs they would have. Lots of them were given lovely classics – then he got Vindaloo.

“You can’t blame him for thinking he is being set up to be the joke act, but also the connotations of it [the song] are also not exactly positive either.

“It’s pretty thoughtless of the BBC to give it to one of their stars of Strictly, particularly given all of the scandals that have engulfed the show for the last nine months.

“The BBC clearly forgot its woke agenda on this occasion.”

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Source: USA Today