Strictly Come Dancing's Will Mellor broke down with emotion, and told his children he was OK, after he performed to his late dad's favourite song. The actor performed a waltz to Three Times a Lady by the Commodores, which was dedicated to his father Bill, who died in April 2020.
In his VT, the former Hollyoaks and Four Pints of Lager star said the dance was about "two people moving as one, two hearts beating as one". His mum had told him to "hold it together" ahead of the show, reports the Manchester Evening News.
After dazzling the judges and viewers watching at home, Will, who plays villain Harvey Gaskell in Coronation Street, was in tears and was comforted by his dance partner Nancy Xu as the judges gave their comments.
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Motsi Mabuse said: "Wow. Will that was absolutely beautiful. In every essence of the word beauty that's what it is. Music, together, timeless, feeling, message, performance... what more do you want? I don't know - beautiful."
Head judge Shirley Ballas said: "Well dancing is one thing, but after watching your VT and that beautiful relationship you have with your mum, is just amazing - it makes me miss my own son." And Anton Du Beke added that it was the 'epitome' of two bodies dancing as one to music.
Then as Will and Nancy climbed the stairs to chat to host Claudia Winkleman, the Line of Duty star told her: "I can't talk at the moment I'm sorry." After Claudia turned to Nancy, his dance partner said: "I think he did amazing and when we're talking this dance, we're not just dancing for this moment."
She explained: "We want to dedicate this dance to anyone who lost their loved ones and didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Will then turned to the camera to reassure his son Jayden and daughter Renee that he was alright.
"I'm all right kids," he said. "You know what I'm like, I'm emotional. I just want the kids to know because I know they'll be worried about me."
Previously speaking about losing his dad, Will said how he regretted not hugging him goodbye after he kept to social distancing in the garden. He said: "The one regret I've got is going up there to see him, and because I had to social distance I had to go and stand in the garden and wasn't even allowed in the house but there was no way I wasn't going to see my dad.
"I drove up on my own and went to the garden. He sat in a chair outside the back door and I was sat on the other side of the garden and I didn't hug him because of the coronavirus."
Bill died in April 2020, two weeks after he was rushed to hospital following a seizure. Will explained that cancer was found on his dad's lung which had spread to his brain.
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