Strictly Come Dancing star Dianne Buswell's tears have been described as 'genuine' after she faced the dreaded dance-off with her celebrity dance partner Bobby Brazier.
The Australian dancer and the EastEnders actor kickstarted the latest live show and it wasn't just any old night. It was the annual Blackpool special which saw the remaining couples perform in the iconic Tower Ballroom.
The pair were one of seven couples to make it through to week nine of the BBC One dance contest as, per the show's annual tradition, they ditched the usual Elstree studio for a much more famous venue up North. And opening the show was Bobby and Dianne.
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The actor, known for playing Freddie Slater in BBC One soap EastEnders, and model and his Australian dance partner kicked things off with their colourful and bouncy jive to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
Head judge Shirley Ballas told Bobby: "You brought everything to this dance. I’m so proud of you." Anton Du Beke shared: "That was just epic, I absolutely loved it." Motsi Mabuse, meanwhile, said: "I believe that was your personal best," says Motsi Mabuse.
However, Craig Revel Horwood received boos from the audience when he said the dance was a "bit stompy". Despite that, Bobby and Dianne appeared please as the judges awarded them a total of 35 points.
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But it didn't save them from being given the red light treatment. They faced Angela Rippon and her professional dance partner Kai Widdrington in the latest dance-off. After both couples repirsed their routines, the judges unamously voted to save Bobby and Dianne meaning Angela and Kai were the eighth couple to be eliminated.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert Darren Stanton has analysed how strong the Strictly Come Dancing performances were at Blackpool, revealing Bobby felt ‘distraught’ as he and ‘overwhelmed’ Dianne ‘felt the pressure’ in the dance-off. He added that as we saw Dianne crying and hanging onto Bobby, the couple knew they didn’t perform ‘to their full potential’.
Darren said: "Bobby and Dianne also slipped behind this week. They’re definitely feeling the pressure. This week has been very telling for a lot of the couples and could be make or break for them going forward. Bobby often pulls off some amazing moves and takes a lot of risks in his routines.
"It will have been a shock for him to be in a bad position this week, including being in the dance off. He displayed a lot of disappointment in his eyes and body language when engaging with Dianne. They knew they didn’t perform to their full potential, but they were definitely relieved to be saved by the judges."
He added: "When Dianne was crying, it was genuine, she was very overcome with emotion. It’s clear she was overwhelmed and needed support from Bobby."
And fans also defended Dianne over her tears as they referenced her current personal struggle after revealing her dad is undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Australia. One fan said: "Love and respect Bobby so much, but needed to do a tweet to a few viewers that are b***hing about dianne crying, it’s so obvious she’s doing this for her dad now, and it just be very emotional for her, so cut her some slack. no matter what you think of her. #strictly."