Brian Conley has spoken out to set the record straight on his bizarre ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ exit speech.
In comments that were edited out of Sunday’s (22 October) results show, the comedian branded the ‘Strictly’ studio a “shithole” and referred to judge Darcey Bussell as “the horny one”, as he became the fourth celebrity to be voted off.
However, appearing on Tuesday’s ‘Lorraine’, Brian insisted he was only joking, and was trying to lighten the mood following his elimination.
“It was like a funeral really, you know, and I just wanted to diffuse the situation. Typical me, I’m an entertainer, I make people laugh,” he told host Christine Lampard.
“Tess [Daly] said, ‘Thank you very much go over there’. I said, ‘Tess, I haven’t finished.’ The judges looked so miserable and upset that I said, ‘I want you all to know, I love this man’, talking to Craig [Revel Horwood].”
He continued: “Darcey was really emotional and she looked really upset, so I didn’t know what to say to cheer her up, [so I said] ‘Darcey, you’re very horny’. And of course everyone laughed and it was a bit of fun. [I said] ‘Shirley [Ballas], you’re a legend’.
“And then I said, ‘There’s one thing that really upsets me being on this show… is the toilets’. Everyone thought I was going to say something profound. I went, ‘It’s the toilets, they’ve got to sort them out. Just buy ten quid’s worth of bleach to get rid of that smell’ and that was that.
“Then I thanked my brother Alan, because my brother is of course the floor manager, and he’s been there right from the beginning.
“I said, ‘The wonderful thing about being on this show is that every single person has come up to me and said I love your brother’. It meant so much and it made me realise how loved and respected he was on the show.”
Brian added: “I didn’t have a rant. I was having a laugh. And that’s all it was. It was a wonderful time. I just wanted to diffuse everything. I wanted to go, alright, let’s not be down. I don’t want to finish on a down, I know I’m out, but let’s just bring it up now. Typical me. Just wanted to have some fun.”
He concluded: “I wanted to put the record straight.”
Brian was voted off the BBC ballroom show after losing the dance-off to ‘Sunday Brunch’ presenter Simon Rimmer.
The remaining eleven couples will take to the dancefloor again on Saturday for the much-loved Halloween special.
‘Lorraine’ airs weekdays at 8.30am on ITV.