Melvin Odoom has spoken out about his shock exit from Strictly Come Dancing for the first time. The 36-year-old became the first contestant to leave the show on Sunday after the usual dance-off had to be scrapped, and he has now admitted he felt "really sad" to be eliminated.
"I feel better today, but it was really sad over the weekend," he told It Takes Two host Zoe Ball.
Melvin was automatically eliminated from Strictly when Anastacia was unable to compete in the dance-off, after reportedly suffering a tear to a scar from her double mastectomy.
"We just didn't want to leave, and so soon," Melvin continued. "We had so much work still to do and we already knew what we were doing for this week."
Melvin's professional dance partner Jeanette Manrara, meanwhile, dismissed claims that there had been some kind of 'fix'.
"It was such a specific situation and it is no one's fault," she said. "Things happen sometimes and you just have to abide by the rules. We love Anastacia and Brendan (Cole), we wish her the best, best speedy recovery. What can you do? You just have to bow down and say thank you very much."
At the start of It Takes Two, host Zoe directly addressed the circumstances surrounding Melvin's elimination.
"So, in case you missed it, in training on Saturday's show Anastacia sustained an injury," she said. "She was seen by a doctor and advised to modify her salsa on Saturday with Brendan.
"Her performance that night aggravated her injury further and the decision was made during the results show that she could not dance her routine again in the dance off.
"As fans will know this is the first time ever this situation has happened. The rules state that if a contestant finds themselves in the dance off and they are unable to perform then there can be no dance off."
Zoe continued: "In this situation the power goes to the Strictly Come Dancing viewers, the viewers votes decide. The couple in the dance off with the fewest votes must leave the competition."