Worthing woman who founded '˜Ed Balls Strictly Fan Club' appears on national TV

More than 900 people signed up to the ‘Strictly Ed Balls Fan Club’, joining Michelle Harfield in cheering on the former shadow chancellor as he quickstepped his way through weeks of the popular BBC dance contest.

Michelle, 31, of Warwick Gardens, appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire programme today ahead of this weekend’s Strictly final.

She told the presenter: “He has been so entertaining. He’s just shown great sporting acumen in coming out and doing something which is just completely out of his ball park and I think he’s done amazingly and I know loads of people who are really enjoying that.”

The fan club were, of course, disappointed when their man was voted-off the show on November 27.

But it has not deterred Balls’ legion of fans from continuing their debate about his best moments.

Michelle said his salsa to ‘Gangnam Style’, jive to ‘Great Balls of Fire’ and quickstep to ‘Help’ were three of his top triumphs.

The fan club is currently split, however, with a poll running on its Facebook page.

“The group was started as a bit of a laugh to support Ed from the outset.

“A group of Labour members were talking about the show and so I set up the club so we had somewhere to chat about Ed’s endeavours on the show without any politics.

“It just grew and grew from there and each week he got more and more popular. It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”

In Ed’s absence, Michelle, a former Labour Party candidate in last year’s Worthing Borough Council elections, in backing former Bognor Regis and Chichester student Danny Mac to lift the glitterball trophy on Sunday.

Tune in to BBC One from 6.40pm on Saturday to see if Mac, Louise Redknapp or Ore Oduba emerge victorious.