The Strictly dancefloor was awash with tears on Sunday night as Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin were voted off the show. Fans said they were 'sobbing' and 'broken' as the British former Paralympian swimmer and her pro dancer partner were eliminated after a shock dance-off with Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu.
Gold medalist Ellie became the sixth contestant to leave the BBC dance contest after they reprised their charleston to Too Darn Hot from Kiss Me Kate. All four judges Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas opted to save Molly.
Fans were crying as a tearful Nikita was asked if he had words for his dance partner and gave an emotional speech. He told her: "I love you Els. I just want to tell you every single person in this room loves you.
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"That is just to say how much of a beautiful human you are. You spend time to go to each person inside this room. You care about everybody. You are just such a wonderful human and I am so glad I’ve had the chance to dance with you.”
And the tears didn't stop as the popular pair joined Rylan Clark on the spin-off show It Takes Two on BBC 2 on Monday night (November 7). Ellie said her exit from the show was like going through a "heartbreak" and thanked everyone including the show floor manager for her experience.
She told Rylan "I feel heartbroken" and she asked: "What am I going to do now? I'm not going to be with him every single day." She added: "It's been the most incredible time."
Desite her departure being "so sad" Ellie said she would be supporting her co-stars "all the way" on the rest of their journeys on the famous dancefloor. Heaping praise on the pair, Rylan said: "You two smile all the time and you make us smile."
@uisgebeatha tweeted: "I am not emotionally prepared for Ellie S and Nikita tonight." And @TizzyBurnell wrote: "Devastated - she shouldn’t have been in the mix."
@pepstar04 commented: "Ellie was fab, what a role model and a mover!" @porcupetta said: "Ellie and Nikita’s exit interview on #ittakestwo was heartbreaking." And @jackolinemartin wrote: "Ellie and Nikita on #ItTakesTwo - what a lovely relationship they have. His choreography has been so considerate and respectful."
Ellie, who was born with achondroplasia the most common form of dwarfism, thanked Nikita for showing that "everyone can dance." and that "choreographers can do anything with dwarfish and with any disability." "He adapted it to me," she said.
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