INTERVIEW - Louis Smith

Hi Louis, how are you feeling after the commonwealth games? Are you proud of your comeback?

I’m very proud and I’m very motivated as well which is an important part of the decisions I made as to what was going to happen after the Commonwealth Games. I’m very happy; very pleased, very honoured to have been there with the boys and to have done as well as we did.

Were you more or less nervous competing this time around?

In certain aspects I was less nervous and in certain aspects I was more. I certainly didn’t have the pressure or the expectation that I had a couple of years ago at the Olympic Games, but at the same time I certainly had a point to prove; to myself and others.

How different was it compared to London?

Oh it was definitely much more enjoyable than London, not having that amount of pressure certainly helped me enjoy the experience a lot more.

What was the hardest part about returning to training?

I think getting my fitness back. There’s two difference types of fitness; there’s being fit and then there’s being gymnastics fit. They’re two very different things. I could do all the fitness training in the world but unless I did the gymnastics it was going to be a very hard job. Getting back into all the gymnastics side was very painful and very sore on my body.

Was the plan always for you to do a routine on the parallel bars or was the decision made after the injury to Sam Oldham?

I was always working the parallel bars but I was never in a position where my score was going to count, I was always kind of a back up. Then obviously when Sam hurt himself they needed me to do the parallel bars and the score was going to count. So that was a bit of a new situation but I’m still training floor; pommel horse, parallel bars, rings and high bar, but I could only get so many of my apparatus back up to standard in time for the Commonwealths; luckily it was pommel and parallel bars.

Many young people see you as a role model, especially those with ADHD does that make you proud?

Yeah it does make me proud to be a role model. When I was younger there wasn’t really anyone in my sport that was doing kind of what I was doing and in the same boat as me. So if I can help inspire kids perhaps with learning difficulties or problems similar to mine to use their energy in a constructive way and do something like sport then I’m happy to try and do that. It’s nice to have that effect on people.

New show Tumble started at the weekend, what made you decide to get involved in the show?

I guess partly the same reason or expression as the last answer. Inspiration is a very powerful thing and after London 2012 gymnastics is at the forefront in terms of British sports and the following it’s been receiving; that was a big part of me getting involved. Then also I didn’t want to have too much of a stressful role in it, being a judge is big role to have but I’m not the one being judged, I’m not the one having to perform on a Saturday night.

Is it strange doing the judging rather than being judged?

It’s not so much strange but it’s definitely a relief. I’ve done my fair share of Saturday night live performances with Strictly. It’s a whole different type of pressure in itself, but it’s exciting to be part of such a new, fresh show.

Being able to relate to the contestants both from a gymnastics and strictly point of view, what's the best piece of advice you could give them?

My best piece of advice would be to train as hard as you can. Do thousands and thousands of repetitions, because on a Saturday night when you’ve got the nerves and the anxiety you can tend to forget what you’re doing and fall back into old habits. The more routines you’ve done in training, your body is going to naturally remember that which I think helps a lot.

Do you have any plans for after Tumble?

Lots of plans. I’m still training whilst Tumble is going on, I do a lot of my training during the week. After Tumble, towards the end of the year I’m working on a new kind of gymnastics show away from TV, it’s basically kind of theatrical based gymnastics, which will be a cool little gymnastics competition. That’s going to be very big towards the end of the year and something to look out for.

Fan questions

Who would you like to play you if there was a movie made about your life so far?

(A lot of thinking time later)… Cuba Gooding Jr, I reckon he’d be good.

Where would you like to be in life in 10 years time?

In 10 years time, I’ll be 34… 35. 35, wow! I’d like to have a wife; maybe some kids, couple of businesses set up, clothing range, couple of villas around the world.

What's your most embarrassing moment so far?

Oh god! Probably when I met Cheryl Cole, I didn’t really know what I was talking about. I panicked and couldn’t even remember my friends name when I introduced him. That was embarrassing.