Ellie Simmonds has spoken out after her exit from Strictly Come Dancing’s latest season.
It was the Paralympian and her pro partner Nikita Kuzmin who left Strictly this weekend, the sixth couple to be sent home.
Following their exit, the pair tonight spoke exclusively with Rylan on Strictly – It Takes Two about their exit out of the competition.
On dancing the Charleston, Ellie said: “I loved that dance, it was so fun and we trained so hard for it.”
Nikita added: “This was a very emotional week, we really wanted to prove everyone wrong. We came out there and just really wanted to have fun, and I think we did it!”
On being in the bottom two, Ellie said: “It was really really horrible, we were so shocked and it’s just not nice. We didn’t want anyone to be in the dance off. When we saw it was us, and to hear it was Molly and Carlos as well, who are absolutely incredible, all of us are like family, so to see that they were in the dance off as well was so sad. You don’t want anyone to go home!”
On leaving the competition, she added: “I found yesterday and today a bit like going through a heartbreak, Strictly is everything and it’s been the most incredible time. We’ve been doing it seven weeks now and now it’s all over all of a sudden. It’s so sad but I cannot wait to see them all dance incredibly, I’m going to be supporting them all the way.”
And asked about her Strictly highlight, Ellie said: “It’s so hard to say one moment because its everything, this Strictly experience has been everything to me.
“Everyone, the pros, the celebs, everyone backstage, the make-up department, hair department, costume department, I’m even going to miss Alan [Conley], the floor manager… it’s going to be so sad, I feel like I’m heartbroken. Because what am I going to do now I’m not going to be with [Nikita] every single day?”
Nikita said of dancing with Ellie: “Its honestly a little bit difficult to talk right now but I’m just really grateful to have had this experience, to have had every single second with you. Every moment, even our struggles.
“You’ve made me so much better not only as a choreographer but you’ve taught me so much as a person and taught me so much about life… It’s honestly been one of the best times in my life and I will be forever grateful for it and I really mean that.”
Ellie responded: “He’s literally the best. What he’s done with my choreography, you realise everyone can dance. He’s adapted it to me and it shows that choreographers out there can do anything, with dwarfism or any different disability. He has changed people’s lives.”
Following their exit, nine celebs remain in the competition.
Those heading towards Blackpool are CBBC star Molly Rainford, radio DJ Tyler West, footballer turned manager Tony Adams MBE, TV & radio presenter Helen Skelton and Wildlife cameraman & TV personality Hamza Yassin
Joining them are singer Fleur East, TV actor Will Mellor, presenter & actress Kym Marsh and comic and actress Ellie Taylor.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One.
You can watch the series via BBC iPlayer.
