Strictly Come Dancing has reportedly revealed why they pulled their big-budget professional dance from yesterday’s results show.
The performance is said to have been taken out of the final edit as a mark of respect for the three boys who died at Babbs Mill Lake.
The results show typically opens with a massive group number from the Strictly professionals, including those who are not competing that year or have already been eliminated.
Yet this feature of the Monday evening instalment was absent, despite the fact that hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman had teased the dance on Sunday evening.
The dance featured judge Craig Revel Horwood in full drag and the dancers as snowflakes and was filmed at Elstree studios on Sunday night, to be aired as the opening segment of Monday’s results show.
Yet a TV insider told The Sun: “Strictly knew they could not air the dance in light of the awful news from Solihull.
“Naturally everyone on the show agreed and the decision was made not to air the performance.”
A BBC spokesperson added: "In light of tragic news events, we took the decision not to broadcast the group dance on this week’s results show."
Sources said BBC bosses took the decision to scrap the footage after the Babbs Mill tragedy on Sunday, which saw three boys aged eight, ten and 11 lose their lives in the Solihull lake.
The Coronation Street star Will Mellor landed in the dreaded dance-off alongside Fleur East and her dance partner Vito Coppola after the remaining couples took to the BBC One ballroom floor in the quarter-finals.
The two couples were then asked to perform their favourite routine of the night once again, as the judging panel of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas watched over with a judicious eye.
Fleur and Vito performed their Charleston to Tu Vuo Fa L’Americano by Fiorello, after which Will and Nancy performed their Couples’ Choice to a 90s Manchester-inspired medley.
After both couples had danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts on which couple would be progressing to the final next week, with only Anton ultimately choosing to save Will and Nancy.
