TEARS ON THE DANCEFLOOR Strictly Come Dancing judges break down in tears as they’re ‘blown away’ by semi-finalist’s transformation

Karen and Carlos were seen gathering themselves after their emotional danceCredit: Refer to source

The pair needed a second to gather themselves after their performanceCredit: Refer to source

Even Craig Revel Horwood was noticeably moved by the routineCredit: Refer to Source
Former Lioness Karen Carney’s performance with partner Carlos Gu left everyone struggling to talk, with both dancers needing a moment to gather themselves during their waltz to Whitney Houston’s One Moment in Time.

With the pair both struggling to talk, even the judges admitted they had shed tears or were trying to hold them back as they gave their feedback.

While Anton Du Beke admitted he needed his glasses after welling up, even Craig Revel Horwood looked red-eyed as he praised the “elegance” of their routine.

As the pair received overwhelming praise, the duo clung on to each other with Carlos struggling to hide his emotions.

Anton told them: “You came into this competition with a certain aptitude for a style of dancing. We saw that in week one with your drive, and you’ve carried those qualities on through into other dances.

“But when you can, when you start off from where you started off, I look at your […] tango back in week two, and I mean, it was all right. It was a bit of a bad reps, but it was all right for you to be able to come out.

“This is your journey being able to produce this. My heart skips a beat when I see this. This is beautiful, and I love you for this. Congratulations. That was amazing.”

Shirley Ballas also admitted she found the whole thing “overwhelming”, holding Motsi Mabuse’s hand to gather herself as she also praised the two.

Motsi added: “This growth, for me, is one of the biggest in this whole competition. You have faced your challenges, but with such courage, and now you have shown that everything is possible.

“Beautiful hold, beautiful feet, beautiful musicality, beautiful connection between you two. This is the connection you want to see on the ballroom dance.”

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Once upstairs with Claudia, Carlos completely broke, needing another moment to gather himself before joking it off before heaping praise on his partner.

When asked by Claudia what made the pair so emotional, Karen said: “Because for the first time, I let loose and let go, and I I leaned into him. I’ve always done in this competition.

“I’ve always felt so safe with him, but today I was like, just go out there and just enjoy it and lean into him. It’s me and him, it’s me and him on the floor, and when I connect with him, there’s no better feeling.

“He made me emotional. I saw him kind of wobbling, and I was going and I feel so nice, and I want to thank the costume team, because they’ve made me feel beautiful. I really appreciate them for making me feel like this tonight.”

The pair ultimately received 39 points, putting them to the top of the leaderboard after their first of two dances this evening.

Will it be enough to keep them in the show for next week’s finale?

Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturdays on BBC One.

Shirley was seen choking back tears as she praised Karen’s transformationCredit: Refer to source

Karen and Carlos were both in tears after their waltzCredit: BBC