COUNTDOWN'S Rachel Riley may have a head for numbers but she is finding she cannot figure out how to remember her steps for Strictly Come Dancing.
The maths whiz from Southend is struggling to learn the sequence of moves for her waltz as she prepares to head on to the dancefloor for her first live performance with partner Pasha Kovalev tonight.
Riley - whose Countdown colleague Nick Hewer will be in the audience - is also finding she has to be continually shown the correct posture as she warms up for her first competitive steps on the BBC1 show.
She said of her preparations: "I've put so much effort in over the past few weeks - I really hope my two left feet don't let me down on the night."
A programme source said Riley had been having difficulty in remembering her routines. The presenter also appears to have been having trouble with the numbers on her alarm clock after oversleeping by two hours yesterday morning, which meant she missed a pre-arranged appearance on BBC Breakfast.
Oxford graduate Riley is known by viewers for her short skirts when she appears on her Channel 4 words and numbers contest. But she said she is more "tomboy" really and is going to have to try hard to adjust to the glamour of Strictly.
She said: "I'm going to leave tomboy sporty Rachel at home - and bring elegant, glamorous Rachel to the dance floor. Or at least try."
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