Shaun Wright-Phillips has received an outpouring of support from his Strictly Come Dancing co-stars after being eliminated from the competition on his 45th birthday weekend. Jaime Winstone, Dame Sarah Storey and Graeme Hall were among those sharing warm messages after the former footballer posted an emotional tribute to his time on the show.
Shaun and his partner Alexis Warr left the competition after facing actress Jaime and her partner Carlos Gu in Sunday's dance-off. The judges chose to save Jaime after Shaun's jive, which Craig Revel Horwood had labelled a catastrophe, left him bottom of Saturday's leaderboard with 17 points.
Emotional Instagram tribute
Reflecting on his departure, after celebrating his birthday on Sunday, Shaun wrote on Instagram: "Where do I even start...Over the past few months on @bbcstrictly, I've had an absolute blast, and I can honestly say I've made some friends for life. From the incredible talent on and off the dance floor, to the producers, make-up team and runners, you've all played a part in making this a journey I'll cherish for the rest of my life."
He added: "A special thank you to my partner in crime @alexis_warr! Not only have you trained me to a level I never thought I'd be able to reach, but you've also had to put up with me along the way... Seriously though, you're amazing, and I'm so grateful I got to share this experience with you. Wouldn't have wanted it any other way!"
Co-stars rally behind him
His fellow competitors were quick to rally behind him, including the recently eliminated Dame Sarah Storey, who wrote: "So happy we said yes to this show in the same year! You are awesome. What fun we had," according to Wales Online.
Following her survival in the dance-off, Jaime commented: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY G! Love you Shaun what an absolute pleasure it has been sharing this experience with you, you are pure gold.. see you on the dance floor soon- lime when we were yoots! You are amazing."
Contestant Graeme Hall posted: "You went out with a bang mate. Well played. Our dressing room won't be the same. See you soon I hope." Professional dancer Julian Caillon added: "You smashed it! It was so incredible to watch you grow and improve! An amazing guy inside and out."
Final performance and dance-off announcement
The former Chelsea and Manchester City star's adoptive father, football legend Ian Wright, was in the audience for his final performance. His dance partner Alexis also paid a warm tribute following their departure. She said: "The resilience that this man has is so admirable, and I just want to say thank you so much."
Sunday's results programme also announced Strictly's first triple dance-off, scheduled for next weekend's Halloween special. The three partnerships with the lowest combined judges' scores and public votes will perform again, before the panel selects one couple to eliminate. Craig quipped that, for the first time in more than 20 years, he was thrilled to vote for whom he wanted to leave rather than save.
