Strictly Come Dancing’s former pro James Jordan has opened up about Dianne Buswell and Bobby Brazier’s dancing error in the quarter-finals, which saw an impressive lift go wrong in the live performance, leaving Dianne "gutted".
Discussing the lift on his show, James Jordan’s the Truth, the retired dancer spoke about their routine and explained why the iconic 'Dirty Dancing' lift can go wrong so easily. He said: "Not his best dance by a long way and no one does Patrick Swayze like Patrick Swayze, he is my idol.
"He’s probably the reason I got into dance, he made it cool, he was sexy. They are taking on perhaps the most iconic dance in history… so the audience is already captivated. I’m at home, goose pimples on my arm, because it means something to me as well… He did an okay job.
© BBC"But the pressure with that lift, can I just say, people think you just straighten your arms and hold the girl there. The lift is so difficult, I’ve done it for years and years and I don’t always get it right. It’s such a hard lift. He’s clearly done it before because Dianne posted a picture of him in the perfect position, I couldn’t do it better myself. But when that music’s going and you get one shot at it, you don’t get to do it again and again, you’ve got one go, you’ve got adrenaline in your body, it puts you in a slightly different place. I admire that they went for it."
He added "Even though it wasn’t their best it gave me a really warm feeling inside."
© BBCDianne shared her thoughts on the routine after sharing a snap of Bobby perfectly executing the tricky move, saying: "Gutted the LIFT didn’t go to plan like it had in most rehearsals. But I do have to say we took a risk and didn’t play it safe, that dance was hard and so iconic that of course there was pressure to do it justice and the feeling of just not quite getting it was a bit low for us. HOWEVER Bobby wanted to challenge himself and so did I and that is success and growth in itself."
© BBCShe continued: "Let's focus on the amazing parts of the dance, the fact Bobby was leading me around the floor, his hips, footwork, expression and just overall improvement for a guy who started dancing only 11 weeks ago is incredible! Your strength, your movement have improved so, so much and I'm sure so many people agree. "We are so excited and grateful to be dancing in the semi-finals next week."
Fans of James’ show were also quick to comment on the routine, with one writing: "I was holding my breath when Bobby missed the lift, but he recovered and danced well. I have done this lift myself and it is a difficult one. Congratulations to all of the couples. You are amazing at how far you have come from week 1 of the show. Shine bright and enjoy."
© Ben HoskinsAnother fan added: "Bobby has to make the final I can’t allow otherwise. All his dances are so so different and so special. I know everyone is enjoying it but Bobby. A complete novice is clearly living his best life and I won’t allow them not to be in the final. Especially as I know how much it means to Dianne with her dad back home."
