Judi Love left feeling 'sad' after Amanda Abbington's dramatic Strictly exit

11 November 2023 , 11:30

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Judi Love left feeling 'sad' after Amanda Abbington's dramatic Strictly exit

Judi Love has shared her initial reaction to actress Amanda Abbington's dramatic decision to quit Strictly Come Dancing.

The Mr Selfridge actress has kept tight-lipped over her decision to walk away from the BBC One competition, with sources previously saying that she was "fed up" with the show having been plagued by difficulties. It was speculated that Amanda and Giovanni were at the centre of a feud since they were partnered together on the BBC show – although both were keen to squash these rumours.

However, when breaking her silence, Amanda failed to acknowledge Giovanni, despite him praising her. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, former Strictly star and Loose Women broadcaster Judi Love has shared her heartache over Amanda walking away.

Judi Love has shared her thoughts on this year's Strictly Come Dancing (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The comic said of Strictly: "Am absolutely loving it – I've been hooked since I was on the show a couple of years ago. I just love watching the growth in each dancer. Every time I hear the music I get nervous for them. It's a fantastic line-up this year with some incredible dancers already!"

Although she has her favourites, Judi explained it's impossible to choose just one, saying: "I love Bobby (Brazier), Eddie (Kadi), Krishnan (Guru-Murthy) and Angela (Rippon)." She added: "I was really sad to see Amanda leave as she was very good and one of my favourites."

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

While viewers often see Judi and her Loose Women co-stars engage in playful feuds on screen, she revealed that their friendships are genuine and dismissed any hints of a feud. It comes weeks after celebrity talent agent Melanie Blake claimed that the ITV panel show is a "toxic environment" – which many stars were quick to shut down.

Judi admits she was 'sad' to see Amanda Abbington leave the series (BBC)

Judi said: "It's like a girls' night out every time we work together, what I love about the ladies is they're all so talented and bring something different to the desk." Her friendship with her fellow panellists is so genuine that Judi appears on-screen with Charlene White away from the ITV show.

The pair can often be seen in fits of laughter on Channel 4's Celebrity Gogglebox, sharing their views on the week's television. Discussing their time on the show, which some could perceive as exhausting the 43-year-old said: "The show is not exhausting at all, we're on a sofa, eating snacks and gossiping and sharing our opinions on a TV show!

Higgidy chef Jordan Kerridge was blown away by Judi (Higgidy)

"That sounds like a normal Friday night to me and who better to do it with but Charlene!" Judi recently teamed up with the team at Higgidy Pies to create a bespoke chicken pot pie. Sharing her funniest moment on TV, the star said: "My funniest moment was definitely on Great British Bake Off. One of our challenges was to make a cake that looked like someone that we idolised or fancied when we were young. My cake was meant to look like Jason Donovan and honestly, it looked more like Boris Johnson! It was so bad – he had no neck! And Paul Hollywood was nearly crying with laughter.

"About four months later when the show was aired on TV, I saw a picture of me and the cake and thought 'Why on earth did I pick Boris Johnson?' – It was only then that I realised it was supposed to look like Jason Donovan." On her decision to create a pie with a kick, she added: "I love cooking and I always cook with love. My friends and family think I'm a good cook and I'm always the one at my friends' parties who will bring a plate of food.

"My favourite pie flavour would have to be Steak and Kidney - brings back all the nostalgia of going to the fish and chip shop for pie! But I also like strong spicy flavours, so when I thought about my own pie recipe, I combined chicken which I also love, with all my favourite veggies and gave it a bit of a spicy kick - delicious!" However, Higgidy's chef Jordan Kerridge bit off more than he could chew with Judi as she joked: "We cooked together, shared a lot of laughs and I even got the chance to make my own pie recipe for a Spicy Chicken Pot Pie. There was quite a lot of Scotch Bonnet in my recipe which was great for me, but I think it might have been a bit too much for Jordan!"

Daniel Bird