Strictly Come Dancing’s Balvinder Sopal discussed her exit on It Takes Two
Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal revealed the exact moment she realised her journey on the BBC dance competition had ended.
On Sunday night (December 14), the EastEnders actress and her partner Julian Caillon faced the dreaded dance-off against Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin.
During the showdown, both couples performed their routines again. Balvinder and Julian danced a Salsa to Gloria Estefan’s hits Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and Get On Your Feet, while Amber and Nikita repeated their couple’s choice to Raye’s cover of Fly Me To The Moon.
Ultimately, all four judges voted unanimously to eliminate the soap actress from the competition, meaning Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin will join Karen Carney and Carlos Gu, as well as George Clarke and Alexis Warr, in the live final.
On Monday night (December 15), Balvinder and her dance partner appeared on the sister show It Takes Two with Fleur East, where they spoke in detail about the dreaded dance-off.
During the conversation, Balvinder revealed the exact moment she realised it was “game over” for the pair on the ballroom show.
When asked about competing against the West End star, Balvinder said: “Amber is a wonderful, wonderful contestant and a truly wonderful woman. She is on a different level.”
“So going up against Amber… honestly, it was game over for us because we’re not at that level, we’re not of that standard. Certainly not me,” reports the Express.
“I entered the competition as a complete novice — I couldn’t even work the rise and fall of a Waltz step. I didn’t really know anything.”
Her professional partner added: “No matter who we face in the dance-off, we always give it our all, do our best, and try to improve on our previous performance.”
Balvinder went on to emphasise the positives she has gained from her time on the show, with her growing confidence being the most significant takeaway.
She said enthusiastically: “As the competition went on, my confidence just kept growing, and I think that’s down to our partnership and the way we work together.”
After watching the heartfelt interview, some viewers felt the soap actress had seemingly “thrown Amber under the bus” with her comments.
One user asked: “Did Balvinder just completely throw Amber under the bus with that ITT interview? [grimace emoji]”
Another agreed: “Balvinder said Amber was a different calibre and that she herself entered as a complete novice. It felt very unnecessary… very shady? [grimace emoji] Especially since it could make the criticism for Amber even worse.”
A third viewer commented: “Oh dear, Balvinder was my favourite UNTIL she made that remark about Amber. Nikita said ‘Be Kind,’ but Balvinder came across as a bad loser and threw Amber under the bus! We know she’s pro level, but we really don’t care — she’s fun to watch! Amber was a last-minute replacement.”
Meanwhile, other viewers praised Balvinder for her graceful exit. One fan wrote: “Yes, Balvinder, you should absolutely be proud of yourself — the way you carried yourself with grace and dignity while rising above the negativity was amazing.”
Another added: “What a genuinely lovely lady Balvinder is, partnered with such a gentleman, Julian! Well done to both of you — pupil and teacher. Be proud!”
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