Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has admitted feeling "devastated" after her celebrity partner, Tom Dean, became the first contestant eliminated from this year's series.
Olympic swimmer Dean and Bychkova’s cha cha routine to Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire failed to impress most of the judges, and they were booted off during the dance-off during Sunday’s episode of the BBC One show.
After the results show, Bychkova took to Instagram, saying she was "not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet” and was “devastated that you won’t get to see” how much dancing improvement Dean has made.
She told her followers: “I want to say thank you for all the amazing messages tonight.
“Tom had so much to give and I had so much I wanted to teach him. His improvement in the last two weeks has been incredible and I think, actually I know, he could have become a brilliant dancer. I’m devastated that you won’t get to see that.
“My three-time Olympic Champion was an amazing student and is a wonderful gentleman. He will go on to bigger and better things and I know this year he could have had a brilliant Strictly story.”
She added: “I love this show and I want to wish the other couples all the best and I’m sure it’s going to be a great series. Thank you for your kindness.”
The gold-medallist swimmer, 24, was beaten by singer and actress Toyah Willcox, 66, who reprised a lively jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner with her professional partner Neil Jones.
Before the dance-off, the judges had given Dean a total score of 43 for his two dances from the first and second week of the live show, while Willcox earned a total of 30 points.
Judges Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse decided to save Willcox and Jones while Anton Du Beke opted to save Dean and Bychkova, and Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote.
Ballas opted for Willcox and Jones, sending Dean and Bychkova home.
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The Olympian told Strictly host Tess Daly after his elimination: “I’ve had the best time the last few weeks and getting to work with Nadiya has been incredible.
“I wish I could have gone further and done more dances. I’ve had the most fun and I wish we could keep going longer and longer.”
Dean later took to his own Instagram and told his followers he’d had an “absolute blast” on Strictly.
He wrote: “The journey may have ended a little earlier than I hoped and of course I am so gutted, but I’m so grateful for all the amazing people I met, people I’ll be cheering on throughout and who I know will continue to smash it.
“And to my brilliant partner, thank you so much for everything. You’ve been an amazing teacher and to have danced alongside you has been an absolute privilege.”
The remaining 14 couples will take to the dancefloor next Saturday for the movie week special on Saturday October 5 at 6.25pm with the results show on Sunday October 6 at 7.15pm on BBC One.
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