Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two was thrown into technical disarray on Tuesday evening as host Fleur East was surprised with a birthday cake live on air. The presenter, who turned 37, was celebrating her special day while interviewing Shayne Ward and his professional partner Nancy Xu when Vito Coppola and Sarah Hadland unexpectedly walked onto the set carrying a cake.
The impromptu moment was followed by a series of heartfelt video messages from Fleur's family, including her sister Keshia East and her husband, fashion designer Marcel Badiane-Robin. The couple, who have been together since 2010, welcomed their daughter Nova in March 2024. Fleur gave birth at home in a squat position and shared the news on Instagram, describing the experience as 'a RIDE'.
The technical chaos came amid a busy week for the show, which also saw professional dancer Amy Dowden withdraw from this week's competition after collapsing backstage. Her celebrity partner JB Gill will now dance with Lauren Oakley, who returns to the Strictly dancefloor this Saturday.
Fleur East, a former X Factor finalist, returned to work just three weeks after giving birth, performing at a gig she had booked while still pregnant. She admitted it was 'touch and go' whether she would go ahead with the performance but ultimately decided she was ready to get back on stage.
