“Keeeeeeeeep voting!”

That is the plea from the proud mum of Hampshire’s Strictly star, after he wowed the nation with his rather unique crab moves at the weekend.

Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills pincered his way across the dance floor and clear from the dreaded dance-off as he performed the notoriously difficult samba to Under the Sea, from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

But this week he faces the challenge of three lifts in the American Smooth and his mum Sandra is hoping that Hampshire will keep backing her son, who has never been a natural dancer.

Sandra, who still lives in Eastleigh, where Scott grew up, said: “It is really nice to vote for someone who is a local boy.

“He is trying his best and he can’t do any more than that. Give him a chance and keep voting.”

From starting off at the bottom of the leaderboard in week one, the former Crestwood School pupil is slowly making his way up the rankings.

Despite a “2” from judge Craig Revel Horwood last weekend, Scott and his professional dance partner Joanne Clifton finished fourth from bottom – their highest position yet.

It has certainly been an emotional rollercoaster for Scott’s mum, who is a big Strictly fan – one of the reasons he went on the show.

The 62-year-old said: “I was surprised actually when he told me he was going to do it because he would tell you himself, he’s no dancer, and I just didn’t think he would do it. But he said that this was his challenge for this year.

“It has been amazing. It has been quite scary and quite exciting – a combination of the two really.

“The week leading up to the first dance I felt quite tense just because I know him and that he is really out of his comfort zone.

“I think that the first week the judges were quite harsh but you just have to take it onboard and deal with it.”

Sandra added that she believes Scott and Joanne are a great pairing.

“Joanne is a lovely girl, full of fun and they really get on well”, she said.

The wife of former Saints star Wayne Bridge, Frankie, from pop band The Saturdays, scored the first ten of the series last weekend and hopes to match that as she and her dance partner Kevin Clifton take on the Cha Cha Cha tonight.

Watch Scott tackle the American Smooth on BBC1 tonight from 6.30pm.