Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has criticised a celebrity routine on the show, saying the dance style "has no place on Strictly". His comments came after reality star Cach Mercer performed his couples' choice routine with partner Maddie Ingoldsby on the BBC programme last weekend.
The pair impressed the judges and were awarded a score of 31, placing them joint second on the leaderboard in week three. However, their street dance routine did not please everyone.
James Jordan's criticism
Speaking to WalesOnline publishers Reach Plc via WhichBingo, James gave his thoughts on Cach's performance. He said: "Shock horror, a professional street dancer being good at street dance."
He continued: "What shocked me more was how good Maddie was in that dance, because it's totally out of her comfort zone. I think she's a brilliant addition to the Strictly family as a professional dancer, showing her versatility."
"I thought she was bloody amazing, because she was out of her comfort zone — and that just shows you, right? She's not a street dancer. However, she's a brilliant dancer, so she was able to do his style. He is a dancer doing our style, so it is a massive advantage. For me, this dance has no place on Strictly."
He added: "And although people might be wowed with it, there are no real partnering skills apart from a couple of tricks. I just don't want to watch dances like that. I want to watch the ballroom and Latin. I don't want to watch street dance."
Viewer reaction
Some viewers, however, had nothing but praise after watching Cach's performance. One person on X said: "I think Cach & Maddie have just smashed the night." Another wrote: "This is what you call a couple's choice dance. This was amazing and it's only week 3, love watching Cach and Maddie on the dancefloor."
Someone else commented: "CACH KILLED THAT....... WOW HE IS SO GOOD !!!!!!" As another viewer shared: "Forever stuck on Cach and Maddie. It's so refreshing to see a couple like this on strictly."
Maddie's emotional response
After the pair finished their performance, Maddie was overcome with emotion while speaking to presenter Johannes Radebe. Reflecting on stepping outside her comfort zone with the dance style that Cach knows so well, she said: "I'm going to cry!
"Obviously, it was really out of my comfort zone and also Cach's as well, so in this experience, we went through it together, and it was a nice way to put myself in his shoes as well because that's how he's felt for the past three weeks."
"I couldn't have done it without him. I'm going to start tearing up, gosh. But, he really inspires me, and I think he's amazing-" Maddie couldn't complete her sentence as she became overcome with emotion as Cach gave her a hug before they got their marks.
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday on BBC One from 6:15pm.
