Strictly Come Dancing's Nancy 'snubbed' by show pro after Les Dennis feud claims
Strictly Come Dancing's Nancy Xu has been 'snubbed' by a former pro on the show after Les Dennis left the competition on Sunday.
The comedian, 69, failed to win over the judges or the public after his tango to Human League's 'Don't You Want Me Baby' amid reports he and Nancy didn't "gel ". Following his shock elimination in which he became the first celebrity to leave the show after a dance-off with Nikita Kanda, former Strictly pro James Jordan reckons the funnyman would have fared better if he had been paired with Katya Jones.
Lamenting Les' exit, the dancer, 45, said he wanted him to stay in the competition because he “loves him”, adding he thought the comedian “didn’t deserve” to go. Weighing in on the drama, James said: “I’m not trying to put blame on anyone here, but [his routine] wasn’t entertaining. When you watch the likes of Ann Widdecombe or John Sergeant, it was still fun to watch. [Les] wasn’t just bad dancing, it wasn’t entertaining and that’s why the public haven’t voted.
“I’m going to put it out there and say he probably would have had a better chance with someone like Katya [Jones]. To be able to take someone that is a total non-dancer and make it entertaining, there is a skill and an art in that, and Katya has it," he said on HELLO! Magazine’s Strictly The Truth.
In Les' exit speech, the father-of-three had nothing but praise for Nancy, saying: “I’ve had the best time, this lady has been amazing, a great teacher, she’s really put me through my paces." However, the comic 'struggled' to connect with his Strictly partner before being eliminated on Sunday's live show, it's been reported.
Strictly's Molly Rainford and Tyler West fuel romance rumours while on tourIt's been alleged Les struggled to 'gel' with the dancer, 32, over differences in attitudes towards training. While the Chinese choreographer was said to have had plenty of "enthusiasm and positivity" in rehearsals, her partner apparently didn't mirror her punchy personality.
"Les the entertainer may have charmed audiences with his style, but behind the scenes it was a vastly different story," a source told the Sun. According to the TV insider, the former Family Fortunes host was "often moody and erratic" during the "draining process" of training."
It's claimed that Les was easily annoyed in the dance studio, becoming frustrated "at the slightest misstep" of choreography despite Nancy's ongoing "patient and encouraging" instruction. While they never had an official falling out, the pair were reportedly "polar opposites" when it came to work ethic.
The Mirror has reached out to Les Dennis' representative for comment.