There was a hint of tension in the air after Anton du Beke and Emma Barton received criticism from head judge Shirley Ballas for their rumba last weekend. And now, Strictly Come Dancing professional Anton has revealed his version of events on Saturday night's show.
WATCH: Anton talks clashing with Shirley on Saturday night's show
Speaking on Thursday's This Morning alongside his celebrity partner Emma, Anton explained that he was teasing the head judge when arguing back to her criticism on the couple's timing. "I just sort of laughed because I was teasing her a bit really." The professional continued: "But [then] she looked down at her pad and I thought 'Oh hello, there's a list. We're in big trouble here.'"
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Despite saying his comments to Shirley on the night were in a light-hearted fashion, the King of Ballroom – as he's fondly known – was quick to defend the dance that landed them at the bottom of the leaderboard. Accepting that the technical side of the rumba is crucial, Anton explained that him and Emma were focused on more of the emotional side of the dance.
Emma and Anton failed to impress the judges with their rumba
"You’ve got to get the emotional side right and that’s the thing that we’ve been working on all week." He continued: "So we worked solely on that part of the dance and I thought that came together quite well." Emma also expressed her disappointment on their score, saying: "I was disappointed, definitely. I know it wasn’t our best dance, but it wasn’t the worst. I was really proud of myself for not wobbling."
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Shirley Ballas defended her comments in her weekly HELLO! column
Some on social media may have considered her comments "harsh", but head judge Shirley stood by her criticism and score. Writing in her weekly HELLO! column, the former world champion said: "Anton had a bit of a disagreement with me, but I was just trying to help. Emma is elegant with beautiful legs, she's got everything going for her, but unfortunately the phrasing was off and the timing was not up to scratch for week seven."
Let's hope Emma and Anton's jazz theatre number this weekend will earn them a higher place on the Strictly leaderboard!
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