Ed Balls had half a fake tan while on Strictly Come Dancing

Ed Balls only had the top half of his body fake-tanned while on \'Strictly Come Dancing\'.

The 50-year-old former politician was shocked when he found out that people actually liked altering the colour of their skin for the ballroom and latin competition and, although he slowly came round to the idea, he would only let the beauticians spray his upper body when he was competing on the ballroom and latin series last year.

Speaking on \'Loose Women\' on Friday (22.12.17), Ed said: "I was surprised to know that people actually had them. They actually spray on the bottle. I had the top half but not the bottom half because there was no point."

Although he had the tan done, Ed kept asking producers of the show to give him a "plunging neckline" in his dancing costumes - despite originally asking to wear only "dark suits" - but his sexy request kept being decline.

He said: "I kept saying can I wear a plunging neckline and they said no.

"In myself I knew I had a spray tan."

Ed was partnered with Katya Jones and managed to stay in the competition until week 10 before getting the boot.

Although original tempted to say no to being on the show, Ed has admitted his wife Yvette Cooper - a current Labour Party MP - forced him to do it in order to lose weight.

Ed said: "I said to Yvette that I had been offered a place on \'Strictly\' and I\'m going to say no, and she said why would you say no?

"She said it\'s the best show on television, you\'ve got to lose weight and you could get fit and politics is so wild and go and see what happens."