Ed Balls pledges Ed Balls Day will become a national Holiday if he wins Strictly Come Dancing

Speaking to RadioTimes.com on the eve of his Strictly Come Dancing debut, Ed Balls – former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and prophet of #EdBallsDay – made a historic pledge about April 28^th: “I can confidently say that if I were to win the show it will become a national holiday.”

Just picture it: Ed Balls triumphantly parading the Strictly glitterball trophy across TV screens throughout the country where children watch in awe. Months later they’ll be ripping off another door on their #EdBallsDay calendars, taking a moment to chomp down the chocolate Ball inside before realising they’re even closer to a day off school, all thanks to that moment – that magnificent moment – in 2011 when Ed Balls got a bit miffed about social media and tweeted his own name.

But hold up, there’s a slight hitch: Balls was quick to add there’s “no possibility” he’ll win the show. In fact, he’s having quite a few problems in rehearsals. “My hips don’t oscillate. I keep asking professional dancers for advice and when I move, they laugh,” he said. "It's not good for my ego!"

Plus, Ed will be stopping himself from going full Strictly, thanks to his firm dress code: “My family have very strict rules. They don’t want sequins, glitter or too many thrills - no plunging whatever.”

And it's not looking too good for his dancing: “I took home a film to them last week and said I looked like a rugby player. They said I looked like a camp rugby player.”

Keep strong and just focus on the dancing, Ed. For all of us - the next #EdBallsDay is a Friday and a three day weekend sounds cracking.

Strictly Come Dancing launches 6:50pm on BBC1