Former reality star Vicky Pattison has opened up about the emotional moment she knew her Strictly Come Dancing journey was over, confessing her 'heart broke' for professional partner Kai Widdrington when they found themselves in the dreaded dance off.
The Tearful It Takes Two Appearance
The 38-year-old presenter made a teary appearance on Wednesday night's edition of It Takes Two, following her absence from the spin-off show earlier in the week. Vicky and her 30-year-old partner Kai reflected on their shock elimination during Sunday night's show, where they were voted out after performing a Jive against EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal.
The pair revealed to host Janette Manrara that while they struggled with the Jive routine, they were particularly surprised to land in the bottom two after having topped the leaderboard just the previous week with their impressive Tango performance.
Vicky's Emotional Confession
'Even though I've come on leaps and bounds in terms of my nerves, I am still an anxious girl and if I was ever to find myself in that situation, I think the writing was on the wall,' Vicky emotionally shared during the interview.
She continued with heartfelt words about her professional partner: 'My heart absolutely broke for Kai in that moment because he did everything he possibly could as a professional, as a partner, as a friend. He tried everything. I just don't unfortunately have a dance off in my locker.'
The emotional moment intensified as Vicky wiped away tears while watching her Strictly highlights reel, adding: 'I'll never be able to put into words what Strictly meant to me, what meeting this lovely man has meant.'
Viewer Reactions and Birthday Absence
Strictly viewers took to social media platform X to express their devastation at Vicky's departure, with one writing: 'Still devastated about Kai and Vicky. Upset all over again now at how upset she is.' Another added: 'Hearing the judges talking about Vicky being a potential finalist and then seeing last week's result it's devastating.'
The emotional interview came after Vicky had missed her scheduled Monday night appearance on It Takes Two, with the star later apologising to fans and explaining that Strictly bosses had granted her the night off to celebrate her birthday. She shared on Instagram: 'Sorry if anyone was expecting to see me on It Takes Two tonight! My lovely Strictly family gave me the night off to enjoy my birthday!'
In a gushing tribute posted to her social media, Vicky expressed her gratitude to Kai, writing: 'I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart - the absolute BEST partner a girl could ask for.. and even more than that, a friend.' She concluded with an inspiring message to her fans: 'You're never too old to try something new.'
