It’s 4th time unlucky for Mike (but he’s still going to Blackpool!)
He survived three dance-offs in a row – but Mike Bushell’s luck ran out last night as he became the latest celebrity to leave Strictly.
The BBC sports presenter has had a tough couple of weeks on the show, receiving death threats and online abuse after repeatedly keeping his place in the competition.
The 53-year- old just missed out on a place to dance in Blackpool next week but said he had already booked his hotel to go to watch.
The judges chose to save American TV personality Michelle Visage in last night’s dance-off.
Bushell and his partner Katya Jones, 30, finished bottom of the leaderboard with 25 points after a ‘heavy’ and ‘rigid’ paso doble.
Judge Bruno Tonioli, 63, said: ‘it is a fine balance between power and feeling heavy. Paso doble should not be heavy, it should have a great artistic interpretation of the movement.’
Craig Revel Horwood, 54, added: ‘i thought the shaping at the top showed great promise, it was only when you started to walk that it all went horribly wrong. i felt like you were getting stuck to the floor.’
The judges unanimously chose to save Miss Visage, 51, and her partner giovanni Pernice, 29, who performed an American smooth.
Speaking after the result, Bushell vowed that he will not stop dancing. He said: ‘i have had the most amazing nine or ten weeks since we started training. i have lost a stone and a half. i’m a guy in his 50s.
‘ i’m mentally sharper, i feel able to deal with pressured situations – thanks to the dance- offs. it has changed me completely and honestly i’m not going to stop dancing. My wife emily has supported me all the way through and my daughters.
‘My dad’s going to take up ballroom dancing and my mum has started Zumba – i want to thank all my family and the judges.
‘i didn’t think i’d get this far so i have already booked a hotel in Blackpool, so i’m still coming along.’
Speaking about Katya he added: ‘This amazing teacher, Katya, i can’t tell you the dedication that she puts in. She’d make the greatest sporting coach ever, she makes you believe that anything is possible. We’ve had some difficult routines and i can’t believe the miracles you’ve performed.’
Katya said: ‘ Honestly i’m so proud of him. He came in every single day giving his heart, soul, everything, 200 per cent no matter what after every single dance-off.’
Claudia Winkleman had Strictly fans in uproar after she made a jibe at Karim Zeroual who was left in tears after making a number of mistakes in his Viennese waltz. The 47- year- old presenter joked she would bring the CBBC host ‘ back a stick of rock’ from Blackpool if he was eliminated this week.
Zeroual, 25, found himself third from bottom with 30 points. Speaking to Miss Winkleman, a tearful Zeroual said: ‘i’m just gutted i went wrong. For me, going wrong is a no-no.’
‘It went horribly wrong’