Toyah Willcox has sparked controversy after appearing to take a swipe at fellow Strictly Come Dancing contestant Chris McCausland during an interview on the spin-off show It Takes Two. The 66-year-old singer, who was eliminated from the BBC show on Sunday alongside dance partner Neil Jones, made the comment while discussing the remaining contestants.
During Monday's episode of It Takes Two, host Fleur East asked Toyah if she had any advice for the other couples. Toyah responded with a laugh: 'If you don't want to do a dance-off, get rid of Chris.' Fleur was momentarily lost for words, while Toyah continued, 'You're all going to face the dance-off.' Neil attempted to diffuse the tension by joking, 'I think she has chosen her winner.'
Viewers were quick to react on social media, with many criticising Toyah's remark. One wrote: 'Was it panic I saw on their faces when Toyah said "get rid of Chris"... little does she realise Chris is a 100x better dancer than she was.' Another said: 'That was such a nasty dig Toyah just made at Chris. Malicious, vicious and jealous. Good riddance.'
However, some defended Toyah, praising her performance on the show. One fan tweeted: 'Remember Toyah is 66!! She did amazing on the show.' Another added: 'Well said Toyah about your age. Just like Angela Rippon proved last year as well. Age is definitely no barrier to success.'
Toyah and Neil were eliminated after a dance-off against Paul Merson and Karen Hauer, with the judges choosing to save the latter.
