Strictly's Will Mellor will be axed next if he doesn't improve quickly, warns ex-pro

Will Mellor needs to 'stand out' next week to avoid leaving Strictly Come Dancing - according to a former professional from the show.

Joanne Clifton, 38, reckons the actor, 46, and his partner Nancy Xu "failed to shine" at the weekend, having wowed the judges on their debut.

The couple performed a salsa to Luther Vandross' Never Too Much on Saturday, earning them 26 points out of 40.

But Joanne thinks the pair need to up their game.

She said: "Some who stood out last week, like Will and Hamza, didn’t shine as bright this week, but it’s only week two. They need to come back with a bang next week to stay in the game.

"Weirdly, the most dangerous place to be is in the middle of the leaderboard. If you’re amazing and at the top, people vote. If you are at the bottom, people vote for you to help keep you in.

Will Mellor and Nancy didn't do quite as well in week two as they did on their debut on the show (BBC)

"You have to be memorable. Whether it’s your actual dancing, a certain step, a costume, a facial expression, or an energy, make sure you stand out," reports The Express.

Wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin, 32, was the surprise performer in week one, topping the leaderboard - alongside Will - with a score of 34 points out of 40 for his Foxtrot, including an eight out of 10 from Craig.

This weekend is Movie Week and Will and Nancy will dance an American Smooth to Solomon Burke’s Cry to Me made famous in the 1987 movie classic Dirty Dancing.

The Hollyoaks star told us his own favourite movie has helped him prepare for glory in the competition as he channels his inner Rocky Balboa.

The father-of-two reckons the tale of the underdog boxer, played by Sylvester Stallone in the 1976 film, rang a bell with his own life story.

He said: “I love the story of someone coming from nothing and making a success of life because that’s sort of how I grew up.

“I grew up with this dream in my mind, on an estate in a place where no one did this, and really believed in myself.

Will said he's using Rocky as inspiration for the competition (BBC)

“I had support from the family but people would put me down… but saying you can’t do something only makes me stronger.”

Will, who found fame in sitcom Two Pints of Lager… and then as a soap star, says he watched the cult classic many times as a kid.

He added: “I used to even make films on a little camcorder and film myself doing Rocky stuff. I used to box when I was very young and it was a big part of my life.”

*Strictly airs Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One