'My own brain is my main competition!' Abbey Clancy lifts the lid on her Strictly Come Dancing nerves as she prepares for the Charleston

PUBLISHED: 19:27, 7 November 2013 | UPDATED: 21:08, 7 November 2013

Abbey Clancy has said her main competition in winning Strictly Come Dancing is herself – because she is so nervous ahead of every performance.

The model, who is married to footballer Peter Crouch, and dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec landed in the bottom two in last week's show and Clancy admits she is repeatedly gripped by nerves.

Clancy, who joined some of the show's stars to sell poppies in London's Covent Garden as part of the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal, said: ‘My own brain is my main competition. I need to just get past the nerves.

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Keep it under your hat: Abbey Clancy and Aljaz Skorjanec are taking no chances this week after their dance-off with Countdown co-host Rachel Riley last weekend

‘Seeing as though we were in the bottom two last week it's high hopes. All we can do is our best and I'm really loving the experience and we're just going to go out there fighting and hope people will pick up the phones and vote for us.’

Skorjanec added: ‘She'll be good, it's getting better and better from week to week so I think the Charleston's going to be great.

‘It's going to be the first dance we can do lifts and it's going to be very, very exciting.’

On their toes: Abbey Clancy and Aljaz Skorjanec continue their rehearsals this week ahead of Saturday's show

Follow my lead: Professional dancer Aljaz Skorjanec puts Abbey Clancy through her paces

Raring to go: But Abbey admits she still gets nervous ahead of every live performance

Fellow contestant and TV chef Dave Myers said he is determined to stay in the competition – despite some viewers saying he should pull out because he is staying in at the expense of better dancers.

Asked if he thought he would make the final, Myers said: ‘I'd love it. If I'm realistic, I don't think there's much hope, but I'm going to do my best.

‘I didn't think I'd be here now but I am so I wouldn't write me off just yet."

He added: ‘I think with the judges we got a bit of a berating last week so we're going to come out fighting, and we've got a tango this week which is a tango with passion.

‘It's still a work in progress, but it's going to be a good one.’

It takes two: The dance partners are hoping to shimmy their way all the way to the final at Blackpool Tower

High as a kite: The pair practice their moves this week. Speaking at a Poppy Appeal in London, Abbey said: 'My own brain is my main competition. I need to just get past the nerves'