Strictly Come Dancing professional Alexis Warr was left wiping away tears during her first television interview since her partner Shaun Wright-Phillips was eliminated from the BBC One show.
Warr joined Strictly last year and was paired this season with football pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips. At the weekend, the pair performed a jive that judge Craig Revel Horwood branded a disaster, and Wright-Phillips became the latest celebrity to leave the competition.
Emotional It Takes Two appearance
On Monday, October 26, Wright-Phillips and Warr appeared on the spin-off show It Takes Two. Speaking to new host Ellie Taylor, Warr became visibly upset after watching a montage of Wright-Phillips' best moments on Strictly, crying and wiping tears from her face.
Taylor asked Wright-Phillips: "I can see how much this experience means to you. You're clearly quite emotional about it. Did you think you'd be as invested as you became?"
He replied: "Actually, no. I actually came here just to learn to dance. I didn't think that emotional connection would happen, and I think it kicked in after the first dance-off, and that's kind of when I realised it, I'm enjoying it a bit too much."
Warr then chimed in: "No. There's never too much!"
Wright-Phillips' Strictly journey ends on his birthday
Wright-Phillips continued: "But Yeah, I love everyone. I don't have nothing bad to say. Everything's all positive, even though, sadly, I'm out. The man I've learned along this way, not just the dancers, the people I've met, the people behind the camera, the staff that's helped me through it, they made the job easy for me to learn and be comfortable. All positive for this show."
At the weekend, Wright-Phillips appeared visibly disappointed when receiving the judges' feedback. On Sunday night, he found himself in the dance-off once again with actress Jaime Winstone and her partner, Carlos Gu. After the judges decided to save Winstone, Wright-Phillips took to Instagram to share his thoughts on his Strictly journey ending on his birthday, just as he turned 45.
In an emotional post, he wrote: "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! Lastly, a massive thank you to everyone who voted and supported throughout the show. Every vote, message and bit of love has meant the world to me, and I appreciate you all more than you know. It may be a birthday boot out, but what a journey it's been!"
Strictly Come Dancing airs every weekend on BBC One and iPlayer.
