"Strictly Come Dancing" contestants left the audience anxious about the results as couples Danny Mac with Oti Mabuse and Cladia Fragapane with AJ Pritchard were set to compete against each other. After dancing their piece, Fragapane had an emotional moment as she held back her tears after hearing the announcement that she didn't make it to the next round.
Being the 12th celebrity to leave the British reality show "Strictly Come Dancing", the gymnast and her partner Pritchard will not be joining the final dance-off. Though the couple made a beautiful performance of the Quickstep to "When You're Smiling" by Andy Williams, the judges unanimously voted for Mac.
Mac and his partner Mabuse chose to do American Smooth to "Misty Blue" by Dorothy Moore. The routine featured his winning move, the marvelous leap towards the end of the song. Though faced with devastating news, Fragapane still managed to say goodbye with grace and left something good to say about the dance series.
"I can't believe I made it this far to be honest," she said. "Everyone is so lovely and I'm just so happy that I've made it this far and everyone has just been incredible... and to come out and not be as confident as I was, I feel like a different person now, all thanks to this show."
As for the 19-year-old's partner, Pritchard expressed how he felt about his dancing companion. "I'm just so proud of her, so proud of how far you've come and just how confident you are now. Thank you," he told Tess Daly.
The tight competition between the two couples left the judges with the difficult task of decision making as "both couples were worth 10s equally" according to Craig Revel Horwood. But now that Mac and Mabuse are pushed to the next round, they will be competing against Louise Redknapp with Ore Oduba and Kevin Clifton with Joanne Clifton.
"Strictly Come Dancing" finals will air on Dec. 17 at 6:40 p.m. on BBC One.
