Strictly Come Dancing contestant Judge Robert Rinder has said he is so scared of performing every week that he finds it hard to step on to the dancefloor.

The barrister and his professional dance partner, Oksana Platero, have secured a place in Saturday night’s quarter-final, after beating Ed Balls in the dance-off last weekend.

But Rinder told Radio Times that making it to the final five has not calmed his nerves.

Asked if he still gets butterflies, he said: “Terrified! To the point that I find it very difficult to step on to the dancefloor.

“And it never gets easier.

“But I try to listen to what Oksana says and focus on her.”

But he added: “Weirdly, as soon as the music starts, that terror disappears.”

Rinder said being on the BBC series has taught him “a huge amount about how I respond to pressure” and said he does not want to forget the moves he has picked up.

He said: “It’s like learning a language – as soon as you stop using it, it’s so easy to forget. So I definitely want to carry on.

“There are salsa bars, of course, but I do wish there was somewhere to have a cocktail and do the foxtrot!

“The tour is a maybe – the problem is that I have to be in court!”

This week’s Radio Times is on sale on Thursday.