Strictly Come Dancing contestant Annabel Croft has revealed she will dedicate her upcoming routine to her late husband Mel Coleman, who died earlier this year at the age of 60 following a short battle with cancer.
The former tennis champion, who was married to Mel for 37 years, announced his death in May, expressing her heartbreak. This Saturday, she will perform a couple’s choice dance with partner Johannes Radebe to the song Wings by Birdy.
Appearing on the BBC spin-off show It Takes Two, Annabel explained the emotional weight of the performance. “When Johannes sent me the music I literally sobbed,” she said. “The words and the lyrics just mean so much obviously. It has been a horrific year, I can’t even put into words.”
She admitted that grief comes in waves, adding: “There’s a lot of meaning behind the dance, it’s really special to be able to do it. I just hope that Mel is watching from somewhere and hopefully will be proud.”
Currently, Annabel and Johannes sit eighth on the leaderboard with a score of 28. Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola top the board with 38, followed by Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin with 36.
