While fans across the country have been voting intoStrictly Come Dancing to save their favourite couple, it has been revealed that the staff at Emma Weymouth's stately home were asked to vote for the Viscountess and her partner, Aljaz Skorjanec, with the cost of the calls being paid for by Longleat House. Emma is said to be "completely devastated" by the incident.
WATCH: At home with Emma Weymouth
According to The Telegraph, the head of animal operations at Longleat's safari park inadvertently caused the scandal after telling staff he had been "authorised" to pay for everyone to vote in and keep Emma and Aljaz safe. In a Facebook message, he wrote: "Tell your partners, mums, dads, cousins, granny and the dog if he can dial that number for Lady Emma and Aljaz. Phoning this week will be free because Longleat will pay. Let’s keep them in for another week x. Happy voting."
MORE: Inside Strictly contestant Viscountess Emma Weymouth's lavish home at Longleat
Emma is still in the competition
The post was reported to the BBC which soon took it down after it had only been seen by 109 people, and the network has said that the post will have "had no impact on the public vote". Emma and Aljaz found themselves in the bottom two in week four after her Jive to Kim Wilde's Kids in America, but the pair came back stronger than ever and have avoided being in the dance off ever since. Speaking about their comeback, HELLO!'s columnist and head judge Shirley Ballas said: "I just thought the improvement from week one to being in the bottom two and then coming out to do a performance like that was nothing short of miraculous. I take my hat off to Aljaz for getting her to do that!"
MORE: Strictly stars Aljaz Skorjanec and Emma Weymouth's emotional rehearsal revealed
The 33-year-old married her husband, Viscount Weymouth, Ceawlin Thynn, at his family estate, Longleat House, in June 2013. She gave birth to John on 26 October 2014 and the couple welcomed Henry via surrogate on 30 December 2016.
