Judge Rinder has become the latest celebrity to leave ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, narrowly missing out on a place in the semi-finals next week.
He and professional partner Oksana Platero were chosen by all four of the judges to get the axe, after landing in the dance-off against Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton.
It had been a tough week for the ITV daytime judge, struggling to keep up with the rest of his competitors in Musicals Week, but he proved there were no hard feelings following his elimination, making an emotional speech as he bowed out.
Judge Rinder said: “I honestly don’t know what to say. Every single person involved in this programme has so much love for it and that permeates through the screen. It’s a joy to be here.
“Every single person... there’s too many people to thank but I even want to thank the judges. I know how difficult it is sometimes to be a judge and you do it with authenticity and enthusiasm and thank you all for your comments. “
Turning to his partner, Oksana, he concluded: “My last thank you, and my most important one... this truly extraordinary person, this teacher who has shown me from somebody who could barely walk to music with no dance experience at all to find a passion and a love for dance and that’s the best kind of teaching.
“You are never too old to try something new and everyone should try dancing, thank you so much.”
Judge Rinder had previously been in the bottom two the week previously, but was spared over former Labour MP Ed Balls.
Just four couples remain in the contest now, and will battle it out in the semi-finals on Saturday (10 December), from 6.50pm on BBC One.