Carlos Gu has said he is "heartbroken" after Amy Dowden became the first celebrity eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing this year. The 32-year-old professional, currently paired with actress Jaime Winstone, spoke out on Instagram on Monday following the weekend's dance off.
Carlos pays tribute to Amy and Chris
Carlos wrote: "My heart is broken!!! To my sister from another mother @amy_dowden, to @chrisappleston1, I wish people could [have] had more chance to see what a beautiful human you are!"
Amy and her partner Chris Appleton, known as Kim Kardashian's hairdresser, were voted off after facing Jaime and Carlos in the bottom two. The judges voted unanimously to save Jaime, meaning she will return next weekend.
Amy and Chris reflect on their time
In their first interview after elimination, Amy paid tribute to her dance partner, saying: "From the first day to dancing on Saturday night, he grew and grew and grew [in confidence] and I'm just gutted that we didn't get the chance to continue. I honestly think there was so much more to come."
Chris and Amy performed their Cha Cha to I'll Be Ready from Baywatch in the dance off, while Jaime and Carlos danced their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman. Chris's cha cha scored 17 points from the judges, following a week one score of 15, among the lowest in the competition.
Chris thanks Amy after exit
After his elimination, Chris said: "I think it's been such a whirlwind of emotion. I'm 43 and I got good at doing what I did – which is hair. To come and do something like this, I felt so out of my comfort zone and saw myself in a way I never saw myself, and it challenged me in ways I never knew I could be challenged."
He added: "The most important thing I think I will take from this show is having a friend in Amy because I genuinely love her and I am so grateful I met someone who has so much heart and passion. I only wish I could have done better for her because she deserves to go further in the competition, but we did put everything into it."
