Chizzy Akudolu has brushed off the suggestion that her early ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ exit was rooted in racism.
Last week, Chizzy became the first of this year’s ‘Strictly’ contestants to be given her marching orders, following a dance-off against comedian Brian Conley.
Some viewers took to Twitter in the wake of the ‘Holby City’ star’s exit to claim that her departure was evidence that ‘Strictly’ had a race problem, particularly after last year saw Melvin Odoom leave the competition first, followed immediately by Tameka Empson.
However, Chizzy has now had her say on the matter, claiming she doesn’t believe it to be the case.
Speaking to Metro, she explained: “There are real racial injustices going on in the world and I think is dangerous to throw the race card in for something that has no bearing.
Chizzy had a particularly emotional reaction when she first discovered that she’d be leaving the competition, leaving us all crying along at home with her, later thanking professional partner Pasha Kovalev for helping her throughout her time on the show.
She said: “This dude, I have loved every minute dancing with him and it will continue because I will just be going round his house to dance now. But I don’t have his address so if anyone could email me I would appreciate it.”
The remaining celebrity contestants will hit the dance floor with their professional partners for the third time tonight (7 October) for Strictly’s annual Movies Week.