BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe furious over Annabel Croft pairing after family tragedy
09.02.2024 - 10:38
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe has told how he was initially left furious about being given a celebrity partner during the show's 2023 run after suffering a family tragedy prior to rehearsals starting.
The much-loved dancer shot to fame when he joined the BBC One show in 2018 and in 2021, he made it all the way to the final when he was partnered with former Great British Bake Off star John Whaite.
Joahennes was partnered with Annabel Croft during Strictly 2023 and the pair quickly captured viewers' hearts with their friendship and emotional routines before they just missed out on a place in the final, leaving the weekend before Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola were crowned the 2023 champions.
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But Annabel's time in the competition came after the 57-year-old said a heartbreaking goodbye to her husband Mel Coleman when he died last year, weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. During her time on Strictly, Annabel dedicated a tear-jerking dance to him that was hailed as "divine" by Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas.
Now, Johannes has shared how he suffered his own tragic loss that made him not want to be given a celebrity partner for series 21 of the hit dance show. Johannes' cousin had taken his own life and the funeral was just two weeks ahead of Strictly training.
Speaking on the Table Manners podcast, Johannes spoke about his fury at the producers for his latest pairing. "When they said I'm dancing with her, I was like, 'What are they trying to achieve?' And I say that because two weeks before I started, I buried my cousin who