Strictly Come Dancing professional Julian Caillon has spoken out after he and his celebrity partner Dame Sarah Storey became the latest couple to be eliminated from the competition, saying their time on the show was 'cut short'.
Week Four Elimination
After being paired during last month's launch show, the pair made it through to week four of Strictly's current run, which took place on Saturday night (October 17). The spectacular show saw the stars channel the likes of Sir Elton John, Adele and Frank Sinatra in a series of themed dances paying tribute to some of their favourite artists as the new annual Icons Week returned for another year.
However, Dame Sarah and Julian failed to impress the judges with a tango to That Don't Impress Me Much by Shania Twain, having scored 21 out of a possible 40 from the judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke - for their routine. As a result, they landed in the dance-off alongside House Of The Dragon actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu, who placed third from the bottom after scoring 27 for their cha cha to Respect by Aretha Franklin.
Judges' Decision
After both couples performed in the dance-off, the judges delivered their verdict and chose to send Dame Sarah – Great Britain's most successful Paralympian with 30 medals, including 19 golds at eight games – home.
Julian's Tribute
Julian has now spoken about his and Sarah's exit in an Instagram post. Alongside a string of pictures of their last performance in the famous ballroom, the professional dancer, who joined Strictly last year, said: "What a ride that was!!"
"Even though it was cut short @damesarahstorey time on Strictly was impactful and inspiring! I've never met anyone with such a strong work ethic and desire for improvement. Everyday in the training room Sarah pushed herself to the max to become the best dancer she could be, and I believe she achieved that!"
"To pull off those performances having never done any sort of performances before was incredible to be a part of and I feel so blessed to have been partnered with such an incredible person. You welcomed me into your family, and gave me everything you had and for that I'll be forever grateful. I wish we had longer but I'll always cherish the time we did have together."
He added: "Thank you to everyone who voted for us and supported us along the way. Without you guys none of this would be possible. And finally a huge thank you to the @bbcstrictly family for all the love and support. For now for Sarah and I it's time to swap the sequins for Lycra and dancing for riding. Lots of love, Jules #strictly #liftandshift."
Fan Support
Fans were quick to show their support. @amandaslifeedit said: "Julian, you have done such an amazing job with Sarah, loved watching you both each week. And yes cut too short." @natalia1192 commented: "Absolutely gutted for you both. What a wonderful partnership, I voted for you every week. Definitely cut short." @nefeli_iakovou added: "Honestly the worst part of the show is that someone gets eliminated each week I'm gutted, we will miss you two."
