Strictly Come Dancing’s Saffron Barker has quipped that training for the famously tough samba had her “nearly screaming with agony”.

The social media star, 19, survived a dance-off against RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, 51, at Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom last week.

Barker is hoping to improve her fortunes this week with a samba to Walking On Sunshine by Take Me To Rio Collective.

Strictly Come Dancing 2019
Saffron Barker and AJ Pritchard on Strictly Come Dancing (Guy Levy/PA)

Appearing on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, Barker said the “bouncing” involved in the samba style had been tough on her calf muscles.

She said: “Oh the feet and the calves. The calves are the worst they have been.

“One day this week we did have to finish early because I was trying to do it and I was literally nearly screaming with agony.

“And they said: ‘You literally need to go to bed.’”

Pritchard added: “I just want to clarify that finishing early is still nine hours straight.”

“At least,” Barker added.

Six couples remain in the competition with Kelvin Fletcher and Karim Zeroual tipped as frontrunners.

Barker described the situation as “scary,” adding: “It’s really serious now.”

Pritchard agreed, saying: “The competition is definitely heating up but we are just going to go out there and have fun, and everyone will enjoy our routine.”

The episode also saw the cast of the show wish It Takes Two co-host Zoe Ball a happy 49th birthday, with Amy Dowden congratulating her in Welsh and Janette Manrara doing the same in Spanish.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One.