Strictly's Craig weighs in on Annabel as she's brutally axed before Christmas

13 December 2023 , 11:39

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Craig has spoken about Annabel Croft after the British tennis star's elimination (Image: BBC)

Craig Revel Horwood has spoken out about Annabel Croft after her Strictly Come Dancing elimination on Sunday evening.

The British tennis champion was axed from the BBC reality series in the Semi Finals alongside partner Johannes Radebe, after landing in the Bottom Two against Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell. Three out of the four judges chose to save the EastEnders star, however, after his knockout performance of the Quickstep to Mack the Knife with his Aussie mentor.

Craig, who has served as a judge on Strictly since its launch in 2004, has shared sweet words about Annabel following her disappointing eviction. When asked for his standout 'moving' routine of the series, he immediately pointed to the 57-year-old's tribute to her late husband, Mel Coleman. "There have been many, but for me, the most moving moment of the series was the beautiful couple's choice by Annabel and Johannes, in tribute to her late husband, Mel," he said. "They were both spectacular. You could feel so much emotion, which is what dance at its purest is all about."

Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe paying tribute to Mel Coleman (BBC/Guy Levy)

The pair narrowly missed the Strictly final after being voted off the show on Sunday (BBC/Guy Levy)

Annabel lost her beloved spouse of 36 years in May, just 16 weeks after he'd been diagnosed with colon cancer. The sports presenter honoured Mel in November with a stunning routine to Wings by Birdy. She scored an impressive 35 for the breath-taking dance, with Shirley Ballas calling it 'divine' and Motsi Mabuse hailing it as "the best dance so far" of the competition.

Annabel later described the dance as "an out of body experience", admitting that she'd been "quite overwhelmed" by the strong response to it. The athlete, who shares three children with her late husband, also said she "literally sobbed" over the song choice as its lyrics "mean so much" to her.

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"This dance, I want to do this for Mel, there's a lot of meaning behind the dance. It's really special to be able to do it," she said before the performance. "I just hope that Mel is watching from somewhere, to watch, and will hopefully be proud."

Annabel's husband Mel died in May after being diagnosed with cancer (Getty Images)

Annabel and Mel had been married for 36 years (Mirrorpix)

After failing to make it to the final, Annabel took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message about her Strictly Come Dancing journey. "I have learnt to love ballroom and that’s all down to Johannes for being such an amazing, patient and genius teacher," she wrote. "Strictly really has been so life changing! When I think back to week 1, I was apprehensive and terrified… a bit like a rabbit in the headlights. But Strictly has brought me out of my shell and allowed me to discover things about myself that I never knew." After sharing her gratitude for all the support over the past several weeks, she continued: "I'm not sure where I would be at mentally, had I not taken on this challenge and pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I am so appreciative that Strictly gave me this opportunity, at this time in my life."

The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 final this Saturday will see Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, and Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell perform three routines each in the hope of landing that coveting Glitterball Trophy.

Emma Dooney