On Saturday night, Katie Piper was visibly nervous as she took to the dance floor for her first live performance on Strictly Come Dancing, but the author is in some very supportive hands! As well as having dance partner Gorka Marquez and her fellow celebrity contestants rooting for her, Katie has also received support from Gorka's girlfriend and former Strictly star Gemma Atkinson. On Monday, Katie and Gorka were back in the studio to practice their dance for Saturday night, and Gorka posted a short video of their rehearsal on Instagram, showing the pair practicing their rhythm through clicking. "Back in Business!! New week with @bbcstrictly rehearsals with @katiepiper – I think we found our rhythm right?" Gorka captioned the video. "You got this Katie!!" Gemma wrote encouragingly.
Gemma Atkinson is rooting for Katie Piper - who is partnered with boyfriend Gorka
Katie admitted that she was nervous on the dance floor, which as a result impacted her performance. Judge Bruno Tonioli told her to "relax" and to not overthink, telling her encouragingly: "Don't worry about it too much, let him guide you because you can dance!" Darcey Bussell added: "I know this is a big thing for you and it's so hard to hide nerves." However, Katie revealed that despite feeling anxious on the dance floor, she had enjoyed it and was looking forward to going back out there again.
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Gorka and Katie are feeling positive about next week's Strictly performance
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Following her performance, Katie was also inundated with supportive messages from her fans, which she later thanked them for on Instagram. Posting a photograph of herself and Gorka on the dance floor, she wrote: "Nothing could of prepared me for how last night was going to feel. What an emotional evening! My partner @gorka_marquez has been so patient and kind to me. I’m hoping to come back next week having learnt a lot more and be able to put it into action. Thank you to everyone who has sent me msgs and left comments you are all so supportive and real. #strictlycomedancing."
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