Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole has suggested that Melanie Walters' elimination from the competition may have been caused by a mistake made by her partner Aljaz Skorjanec. The Gavin and Stacey star became the second celebrity to leave the show after landing in the bottom two alongside Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Following both stars' dance-off performances, the judging panel was divided on who to save. However, Anton Du Beke, holding the casting vote that evening, chose to spare Shaun and his dancing partner Alexis Warr.
The Charleston and the choreographer
Aljaž and Melanie performed a Charleston to Gina G's Ooh Ahh... Just a Little Bit, scoring 17 out of 40 points from the panel, their highest score of the series. In the VT before their routine, it was revealed that Aljaž had brought in Jenny Thomas, one of the programme's choreographers who specialises in Charleston, Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz.
Speaking to Sky Vegas, Brendan indicated that securing additional help in the training room might have been an error for Aljaz. He said: "First of all, I think the pros should be choreographing their own routines. Aljaz is a great dancer and Strictly pro, yet he had a choreographer come in to do his Charleston."
"He doesn't have a Charleston background, but he's still a good enough dancer and choreographer to choreograph his own Charleston. Perhaps this was a mistake?" He continued to argue that "using external choreographers can be a risk", adding: "Jenny Thomas, who did his choreography, is a great choreographer, a lovely lady. I've worked with her for many years and she's always done a great job."
Aljaz's emotional response
"After weeks of getting to know his partner Aljaz will understand her capabilities and her weaknesses better than someone meeting her that week," he continued. "He might have gotten better out of Melanie if he had choreographed it himself. But ultimately, she wasn't a good dancer and she wasn't able to do what Jenny asked of her, nor perhaps what Alja would have asked of her."
Following the outcome, Aljaz posted an emotional message to Melanie accompanied by a photograph of the duo. He wrote: "Thank you @bbcstrictly for giving me the gift of dancing with the national treasure that is @melaniewalters2025! I thoroughly enjoyed every single day in rehearsals and will cherish our moments on the Strictly floor forever."
"All the love we received from so many people has been heartwarming and so humbling! THANK YOU." The remaining 13 dancing pairs will take to the floor once more this weekend, each hoping to edge closer to claiming the prestigious Glitterball trophy. Strictly Come Dancing: Icons Week continues Saturday at 6.15pm on BBC One.
