Strictly speaking, it’s not meant to be funny: Comedian Brian Conley on his TV dance moves

STRICTLY celebrity Brian Conley reckons his late dad would have had a good laugh at his dancefloor efforts.

The funnyman lost his cabbie dad two decades ago, and was plunged into depression as a result.

But he’s sure Strictly would have got the seal of approval.

“This is the greatest light entertainment show in the world, so I know he’d be honoured,” Brian, 56, told The Sunday Post. “He’d be laughing without a doubt, thinking ‘Oh my God Brian, what have you taken on?’

“You’re very much out of your comfort zone and it’s petrifying. You just want to get it right and go home.”

Brian’s mental health struggles came to the fore during I’m A Celebrity in 2012 when he stopped taking the anti-depressants he’d been on for 15 years. He had to leave the jungle after a few days to be hospitalised.

He joked that Strictly was a much happier experience – “at least they feed us” – but said it was important to be open about mental health issues.

“My worst moment was definitely my dad dying,” said Brian. “I found mindfulness and yoga helped.”

Last week’s tango saw Brian and pro partner Amy Dowden, 26, come joint bottom of the leaderboard with just 16 points.

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Brian admitted he pushed himself to the limit for last night’s cha cha to Peaches and Herb’s Shake Your Groove Thing. But after show favourite Aston Merrygold, 29, was revealed to have dropped partner Janette Manrara, 33, on her head during training, tricky lifts were out of the question.

He had leg trouble during the week and needed physio on his back but has the full backing of wife Anne-Marie and their two teenage daughters.

And Brian has no problem with some contestants having previous dance experience. “I’ve been in musicals, but there’s so much discipline in this. I don’t think people have an unfair advantage.”

Tonight’s show sees the first vote-off and Brian admits he’d hate to go.

“I’d be very gutted to leave first,” he adds. “I’m doing my best and you can only hope it all comes together.”

Meanwhile Holby star Joe McFadden, 41, who became one of the hot favourites after last week’s performance, had a Scots flavour to his tango to Ed Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill with Katya Jones, 28.

And fellow Scot Susan Calman, 42, had fun with her cheeky Charleston to If You Knew Susie with pro dancer Kevin Clifton, 34.

Last week’s opening show pulled in more than 10 million viewers.

Strictly Come Dancing: The Results, BBC1, tonight 7.15pm.