Strictly Come Dancing star refused to let cameras into their rehearsals
TV icon Angela Rippon has revealed that her Strictly Come Dancing partner Kai Widdrington didn't allow BBC cameras into their rehearsals. The 89 year old, who dazzled viewers on Strictly last year, told the Express that Kai, 29, wanted to keep one of their dances a surprise - and asked the film crew to leave.
The Rip Off Britain presenter, who was the eighth contestant to be voted off the show last year, described Kai as a "gentleman" and a "lovely man". Speaking about their routine to the Express, she said: "It wasn't the couple's choice, it was Kai's choice," adding that he pushed her to her limits.
Angela also reflected on the memorable high kick, revealing that Kai assessed her flexibility and made her repeatedly perform the move in front of him. She continued: "So I did it again and as I kick he caught my foot and he just kept pushing it and it got level to my nose, and he said 'that'll do'." She added: "You have camera crews in filming it. So when we were rehearsing, you would get to that part of the dance at the end and he wouldn't do it. He never, ever wanted it filmed."
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According to Angela, Kai referred to the move as their, "Easter egg and that it would be a surprise". The strategy seemed to pay off, as she said their dress rehearsal performance left the rest of the cast and crew amazed.
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Angela reminisced about her Strictly experience, saying, "We did the whole dance and everybody saw me do it for the first time. The reaction from the audience was extraordinary," and shared a touching moment: "I remember we got to the end of it and when I looked up, everybody was on their feet applauding, and I thought, well, at least I've had one standing ovation, so it was hard to keep it a secret, even from the groups."
She was full of praise for her dance partner Kai - who this year was not given a celebrity partner - in an earlier interview, revealing, "Kai is a gentleman. He's a lovely man and he's a brilliant teacher."