In loving memory...
Greg Wise’s moving tribute to his late ‘disco diva’ sister on Strictly
SENSE And Sensibility star Greg Wise paid an emotional tribute to his late sister on Strictly last night.
The actor dedicated his discothemed couple’s choice routine to Clare, who died of bone cancer five years ago, aged 51.
He told viewers Claire, inset far right, was a huge fan of the genre.
Dancing to Ultra Nate,
Amber and Jocelyn
Enriquez’s If You Could
Read My Mind, his performance with partner Karen Hauer left a huge impression on the judges, picking up 23 points, including sevens from head judge
Shirley Ballas and
Anton Du Beke.
Shirley told actor
Greg, 55, who is married to Dame Emma
Thompson: “I think your disco diva sister sprinkled some magic dust on you today, because your performance was joyous, it was moving, it had a party kind of feel to it, your lifts were outstanding.
“The whole thing for me was just moving, so well done.”
Meanwhile, rugby star Ugo Monye is using Strictly to tackle his lockdown weight gain – after his daughter reprimanded him for showing too much skin.
Former England player Ugo, 38, has revealed he wants to lose 15lbs after piling on weight during the pandemic.
And he says that his dance training regime with professional partner and current champion Oti Mabuse, pictured with Ugo, left, is paying off.
The 6ft 2in star said: “I think we’ve danced over 50 kilometres.
“I am starting to get a bit of definition back. I went hard for it in lockdown three.
“I had 15lbs to lose, so the show couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Last night, Ugo took to the floor to perform a quickstep.
Last week he appeared in a skin-tight shocking pink outfit to dance the samba.
But he finished second bottom with just 18 points.
And it wasn’t just the judges who were left unimpressed. The Question Of Sport team captain revealed his young daughter was also not happy.
“My daughter’s first comment – Phoenix, she is four and a half – her first comment was, ‘Why is
Daddy showing his boobies?’,” he said. “I think perhaps my daughter thinks I’m showing too much skin. We’ll see!” Luckily for her, last night he was conservatively dressed.
Ugo admits he has caught the dance bug – and even goes through his steps in the supermarket aisles.
“I was practising my routine dancing through Waitrose,” he said.
Last night, Bake Off star John Whaite and partner Johannes
Radebe impressed with their cha cha, as did AJ
Odudu and Kai Widdrington with their foxtrot, who picked up a nine from Motsi Mabuse.
But there was no place on the show for Mcfly band member Tom Fletcher and pro partner Amy Dowden.
They were unable to compete as they tested positive for Covid earlier in the week, despite both being double jabbed.
Ugo defended the show’s Covid measures – admitting he feels “safe” despite the show being criticised for three professional dancers reportedly not being vaccinated.
The pundit insisted: “All I can say is that
I feel safe. I feel secure.”