The long-running friendship between Strictly Come Dancing professionals Nancy Xu and Carlos Gu has reportedly suffered a terminal blow, with sources claiming there is 'no way of coming back' following a tense moment during the show's grand final.
A Friendship Fractured
Despite being close friends since childhood, often referring to each other as brother and sister, the pair are said to have fallen out last year. Insiders revealed they were 'refusing to speak backstage', and they also unfollowed each other on social media. The origin of the rift remains a mystery to fans, though it coincided with Carlos not being given a celebrity partner in the 2023 series.
The Telling Finale Moment
During the emotional final last week, Carlos gave a tearful speech after winning the Glitterball Trophy with celebrity partner Karen Carney. He reflected on being 'self-centred' in the past, which he said was why he missed out on a partner the previous year. As he spoke, cameras captured Nancy maintaining a stony expression, a moment fans quickly noted on social media.
An insider told The Sun: 'It was painfully obvious that Nancy was the only person not completely elated about Carlos' win. Everybody was hoping the pair had put their issues behind them but the feud is more potent than ever.' The source added that the fear is the divide will only continue to grow.
Mixed Reactions and a Public Denial
The reaction to Carlos's speech was divided among the show's professional dancers. Half believed his comments were a deliberate insult aimed at Nancy, who also was not given a partner this year and had expressed her disappointment. The other half interpreted it as an attempted 'olive branch'.
Carlos had previously addressed rumours of a feud, telling the Daily Mail last year: 'We're fine. We've been friends since childhood, and friends argue, we're too close and are like brother and sister to completely fall out.' However, the latest reports and the visible tension at the final suggest the childhood bond may now be beyond repair.
