Gregg Wallace has admitted that he caved under pressure before hitting the ‘Strictly’ dance floor on Saturday night.
The ‘Masterchef’ judge became the first celebrity to be given his marching orders over the weekend, when his cookery-inspired salsa dance to Ray Charles’ ‘Hey Good Looking’ failed to impress the general public - or the judges.
Gregg Wallace dancing live on Saturday night
Gregg has now admitted that he found his routine particularly difficult, admitting that he was left in tears before performing his dance routine live on BBC One.
Speaking about being voted off first, he told The Mirror: “It’s a huge relief - I wasn’t as good at it as I thought I was. It was causing me a great deal of anxiety and stress.
“I was suffering from so much stage fright that on Saturday morning I was actually crying. I was really, really scared. I was so frustrated that I could do it in rehearsal but not in the studio.”
Gregg finds out he won't be going any further in the competition
Gregg also said he was afraid of his professional dancing partner Aliona Vilani, admitting there was “nothing warm” about her, adding: “I was never going to earn her affection but I did earn her respect. She actually produced a dance from me I’m very proud of. I’m very proud of last night’s performance and she did that.”
Following his disappointing performance, Gregg landed himself in the bottom two alongside ‘Mrs. Brown’s Boys’ actress Jennifer Gibney, although she was ultimately saved by the judges, with Bruno Tonioli explaining: “I have to go with the most accomplished couple this evening and that is Jennifer and Tristan.”
Fourteen couples now remain in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, including 'EastEnders' actor Jake Wood, whose salsa routine to ‘Mambo no. 5’ once again shot him to the top of the leader board, alongside popstar Pixie Lott.