Tom Dean says Strictly exit was 'genuine shock'
The Olympic swimmer was the first celeb to be eliminated from the BBC show
What did you miss?
Tom Dean has said being eliminated from Strictly came as a "genuine shock".
The Olympic swimmer was sent home at the weekend, becoming the first celeb to leave this year. Dean was given his marching orders after he and his pro partner Nadiya Bychkova took on Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones in the dance off.
Many fans were surprised to see judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse choose to save singer Willcox over the sports star, with only Anton Du Beke voting to save him after his Cha Cha. And now Dean has admitted he was a bit stunned with the way things turned out too.
What, how and why?
Dean appeared on Strictly spin-off It Takes Two on Monday (30 September), and said: "I don't know what more either of us could have done, it was a genuine shock."
The swimmer told host Fleur East: "I definitely wanted to go further in the competition. I am gutted, there is no two ways about it.
"I have thought about it loads and we (gesturing towards Bychkova) have spoken about it loads. I did give it my all and there was nothing more I could have given.
"I loved every part of it - some people find the training really tough and they just enjoy the shows or the other way around. I loved it all. We trained really really hard together. I had a great time, I loved the shows on the weekend, it was really special. There is no bit I didn't enjoy."
"So for it to get cut short like that was just gutting," he added, saying it was a "massive shock".
"I just wish I could have kept going, I really really do," said Dean, who was interviewed before the show actually aired, as he was heading off to join Prince Harry and present a gong at the WellChild awards.
What did Nadiya Bychkova say?
Pro dancer Bychkova said she was feeling much the same as Dean after the end of their run in the competition. "It was a shock and I am absolutely gutted that I won't get the chance to teach this wonderful man another dance and then maybe another dance," she said. "We had so many plans."
"I really love the show," the dancer went on. "But being able to teach someone like Tom made me fall in love with the show even more. It was really really special."
