Strictly: Gorka Marquez backs Helen Skelton in 'defiant' speech
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Strictly Come Dancing star Helen Skelton jokingly rejected her professional partner Gorka Marquez before their routine on Saturday. The Countryfile presenter aimed the cheeky jibe seconds before their stunning performance. The pair wowed audiences with their Quickstep to Valerie.
Helen quipped to Gorka he can forget any chances of adding their names to the list of dancers who have succumbed to the infamous Strictly curse.
She gestured to the dancer “he wishes” moments before they stunned the judges to 39 points out of 40.
The moment was picked up by secret microphones and shared on the BBC show’s social media channels and was all part of the act behind their routine.
Helen’s jovial dig shows how the pair have clearly built up a strong dynamic in the competition.
Read More: Helen Skelton’s Strictly win ‘sealed’ as pro spots advantage
The dancing duo strutted their way to their highest points score in the BBC series so far.
Only Fleur East and Vito Coppolla topped the TV presenter’s efforts in Blackpool as they secured the first full set of 10s from the judges.
After Helen’s breathless performance, the audience in the famous Blackpool Tower ballroom was on their feet.
Before their dance to the version of Valerie by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson, Helen voiced her joy at making it to the iconic week in the series.
She told Claudia Winkleman on BBC Radio 2: “I wanted to organise a class trip.
“The last time I was here was for pigeon week and Gorka literally said to me, ‘Is that a real thing?’
“And then he said, ‘Is it legal?’ and as soon as we got to Blackpool I mentioned it and I kid you not this guy in the back of the pub went, ‘Pigeon weekend, excuse me, Helen, it is World Class Pigeon weekend’.”
The star has been working relentlessly since the beginning of the dance series too. She told Claudia: “I have been allowed the day off!
“It doesn’t happen often and in my defence, before your jaw stays on the floor any longer, in my defence I haven’t had a day off since it started.”
Helen and Gorka have been two of the most fancied hopefuls to lift the Glitterball Trophy in December.
Their success looks set to continue, according to one dance expert.
Gary Edwards heaped praise when discussing their chances of winning to Express.co.uk.
He explained: “The thing with that performance is she was pre-empting, he wasn’t having to lead her.
“She was off to the races, you could see that a mile away.”
He continued: “Normally in that dance you see the pros having to use their right hand to give them that push.
“But she was off, she was flying. I thought she actually got a bit too carried away as there was a bit of gapping there.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7.15pm on BBC and BBC iPlayer
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