Holly Willoughby was shut down by athletics legend Denise Lewis – just minutes into the first episode of ITV’s The Games.
Holly and Freddie Flintoff are the hosts of The Games, which is ITV’s new reality show that pits twelve super-fit celebs against each-other in various sports challenges across a week of live programmes.
The gruelling challenge show kicked off on Monday night, but it didn’t get off to the best of starts for poor Holly as she faced disagreement from her own presenting team as she previewed the female hurdles race.
Holly thought it was “unfair” that hurdles aren’t made smaller for shorter athletes competing in hurdle races, so she asked why athletics authorities don’t change their format.
Unfortunately for Holly, former athletics champion Denise Lewis didn’t agree with her co-star.
(Image: BBC)
Denise is a former track and field athlete who specialised in the heptathlon, which involves the 100m hurdles, so she knows a thing or two about hopping over the hurdles.
The iconic athlete bagged gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won two World Championships and became the 1998 European Champion.
Holly herself admitted she was far from a sporting expert, but it didn’t stop her airing her views to Freddie, Denise and the rest of the team.
She said: “It’s fair to say I’m not a sporting expert in any way, shape or form, but I was watching them do the hurdles earlier and it’s slightly unfair. If you are taller, right?”
(Image: BBC)
Holly then spoke to a smiling Denise as she said: “Bare with me on this, Denise….”
She went on: “Is it fair. Do you think people that are shorter should have shorter hurdles, because they do it in horse racing with weights. They do it in boxing, they have different things…”
Denise replied: “Um, no. I don’t think they should, actually, Holly.”
A flabbergasted Flintoff then asked his co-star: “Seriously?”, and Denise defended Holly as she admitted it was a “good question”.
(Image: BBC)
Denise added: “It’s a good question, but no. I think you have to keep it fair.”
Holly then cried out: “But it is unfair!”, at which point Freddie looked nervously at the camera.
The former athlete then explained: “You know most of the best hurdlers are quite compact and that means they really attack the hurdles and they’re really quick over the barriers, so it’s going to be interesting.”
Holly then conceded: “So it’s not about that [height]” as she added: “Learning more every day.”
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It was Chelcee Grimes who won the first event of the series – but she faced stiff competition from Mel B’s daughter Phoenix Brown.
Among the 12 celebs competing are Love Island star Olivia Attwood, TV star Christine McGuinness, Corrie regular Ryan Thomas, and Strictly pro Kevin Clifton.
The episode also starred world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury after his recent title defence against Dilian Whyte at the London Stadium.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
