Abbey Clancy may have won the glitterball trophy in 2013, but the Strictly star has now confessed that she was "traumatised" when she was paired up with Aljaz Skorjanec because she felt too embarrassed to dance so intimately with him. The mum-of-three made the revelation in Saturday night’s Strictly The Best, when she also explained how Aljaz would squeeze her ears to calm her down before dancing. Talking about her worries when being coupled up with Aljaz, 32-year-old Abbey told Caroline Flack and Kimberley Walsh: "I wanted Robin because I thought, 'I won’t feel as embarrassed doing all the sexy dancing with him'."
© Photo: Getty ImagesAbbey Clancy, Kimberly Walsh and Caroline Flack
Gemma Atkinson also shared her behind-the-scenes secrets from her time dancing with Aljaz, and she told fellow contestant Ruth Langsford and Daidy Lowe: "I used to get so embarrassed, and I remember one week, Janette [Manara] took me to one side and said, 'You really need to be more aggressive, and full on, and sensual with Aljaz' and I was like, 'What? That’s your husband!'." The 37-year-old actress also talked about her ongoing romantic relationship with professional dancer Gorka Manquez, and laughed: "I might not have won the trophy but I won a hunky Spaniard."
© Photo: InstagramGemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez
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Presenter Mollie King joined in the hilarious conversation about dancing so closely with the professional dancers, too, by adding: "I remember thinking, 'Well, OK, AJ [Pritchard] isn’t feeling awkward about this so, you know, he wants my leg in there - if you’re not feeling awkward, then I’m not feeling awkward,' but inside I was thinking, 'I don’t know you - this is so awkward!'." The 31-year-old also confessed she became immediately concerned about romance rumours as soon as she was paired up with AJ.
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The former Strictly ladies reflected on their time on the show in the run up to the 16th series, which will start on the first live show next Saturday.
