Toyah Willcox has defiantly said she will ‘prove the doubters wrong’ after she beat Olympian Tom Dean in a tense dance off on Strictly Come Dancing. 

Hitting back at younger viewers who ‘think she’s incredibly old,’ the singer, 66, admitted she ‘doesn’t behave like that’ and is ‘strong.’

Last weekend, Tom became the first contestant to be booted from the show after Toyah and her and professional partner Neil Jones were saved by the judges.

Speaking to The Sun, she explained: ‘Everyone was ­completely shocked. Tom is an Olympian, but when it comes to a dance-off I’m going to give my best against anyone.

‘They look at a tiny little 66-year-old who is either the same age as their mother or their granny – I fully understand that to young people I’m incredibly old, but I don’t behave like that.’

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Toyah Willcox has defiantly said she will ‘prove the doubters wrong’ after she beat Olympian Tom Dean in a tense dance off on Strictly Come Dancing (pictured with professional partner Neil Jones last weekend)

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Last weekend, Tom became the first contestant to be booted from the show after Toyah and her and professional partner Neil Jones were saved by the judges

Toyah added: ‘I also like that some younger ­people might not know who I am, because they might not know how strong I am.’

Elsewhere, she told The Mail on Sunday that her intense Strictly training regime has seen her breasts shrink – and her husband Robert Fripp, 78, couldn’t be more upset about it.

Toyah also revealed she has lost half a stone as she struggles to eat enough to make up for the calories she is burning off.

She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I just can’t eat enough to keep the weight on.

‘Robert is very upset about my top half disappearing. It has completely disappeared. I’m flat chested but I feel great.’

Toyah has been married to musician Fripp since 1986 and is the eldest contestant taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing competition and last week danced a jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner.

She said that he has joined in the Strictly fun with her and Neil, who has visited their home.

But she admitted that her busy schedule meant that she is struggling to find time to put his meals on the table so he has to now make them himself.

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Hitting back at younger viewers who ‘think she’s incredibly old,’ the singer, 66, admitted she ‘doesn’t behave like that’ and is ‘strong’

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She said: ‘They look at a tiny little 66-year-old who is either the same age as their mother or their granny – I understand that to young people I’m incredibly old’ (pictured in 1980)

She said: ‘He is loving being part of it, he has fallen in love with the show. He’s cooking for himself which is a major achievement in 38 years of marriage.’

There are only six female contestants in this year’s Strictly compared to nine men due to the scandal that has engulfed the show following allegations by Amanda Abbington that Giovanni Pernice bullied her in training, as well as Graziano Di Prima kicking his partner Zara McDermott.

Toyah admits that the allegations made her think more deeply about what her experience on the programme would be like.

When asked if recent ‘gross misconduct’ claims surrounding the programme had made her think twice about signing up, The It’s A Mystery singer said: ‘It made me take what’s come very seriously.’

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Elsewhere, she said her intense Strictly training regime has seen her breasts shrink – and her husband Robert Fripp, 78, couldn’t be more upset about it (pictured in 2011)

‘What’s happened in the last year is because this show is one hundred percent committed to dance.’

‘And you have to go beyond your own personal comfort zone. And that’s always been very very obvious.’

‘And I know for me what’s been going on this year, I have been thinking, well can I push myself beyond my own limitations.’

She concluded: ‘And for me, it’s now or never. Simple as that. That is what has made me commit to the show.’