PRESS ASSOCIATION -- Holly Valance's Strictly Come Dancing partner has admitted they aren't putting enough effort into their routines - despite having just days left.
Artem Chigvintsev said they still had a long way to go to perfect their routines on the BBC1 contest.
And Valance revealed they have had "light-hearted" squabbles during their intensive training regimes.
Russian-born Chigvintsev said of their progress: "Let's say out of 100%, we probably put effort about 15, so there's a lot more."
He added: "Holly's progress is quite good. There's moments where it looks really good - and there's moments, a lot more moments, where it looks in the process of being good."
Former Neighbours actress turned singer Valance praised her partner as a teacher but said they had their disagreements: "Artem and I are going very well. he's a very good teacher. He's patient.
"We squabble and bicker but at least it's light-hearted and it's not too heavy we can just laugh about it, but he can get really mean by the end of the week."
Speaking to the BBC during training sessions before the start of the series on Friday, Holly said she was trying her best to put the moves together "without falling over".
"It is very much like a patchwork quilt. Artem teaches me parts, and not in any particular order, and then I have to sew them all together and make my big blanket.
"Now I'm just trying to get from the start to the finish without falling over," she said.