BBC Strictly pro Carlos Gu could not hide his emotions as he burst into tears tonight.

Strictly Come Dancing fans experienced an emotional rollercoaster tonight as professional dancer Carlos Gu delivered a flawless routine, earning a perfect score from the judges despite the show’s chaotic episode. The dancer, who has rapidly become a favourite among fans, impressed both the audience and the panel with an unforgettable performance alongside his celebrity partner Karen Carney.

The pair performed a sensational Paso Doble that even won over the notoriously hard-to-please judge Craig Revel Horwood, who remarked: “That dance just got you into the Champions League, darling.” Fellow judge Motsi Mabuse agreed: “This was just next level.” Carlos and Karen’s routine managed to save the show, which had started uncertainly as celebrities, including Dr Who star Alex Kingston, YouTuber George Clarke, and EastEnders actor Balvinder Sopal, made mistakes in their routines amid mounting pressure ahead of the series’ finale.

Carlos and Karen impressed the judges. (Image: BBC)

With just six couples remaining in the competition, and the newly introduced Instant Dance challenge as a major new twist on the dancefloor, emotions were running high all throughout the episode.

However, despite the pressure, former footballer Karen kept her cool as she shared that the main reason for her dancing in the contest was to make her family proud. She explained: “My mum is my inspiration, and my dad, of course, and my grandparents just gave the fire in me.”

After hearing the judges’ praise, Carlos, who joined the show as a pro in 2022, wiped back tears and said: “The reason why I got emotional is because of this woman, she comes into the training room every single day, and we’ve all seen her since week one, we all know, she has posture, everything.

“She comes in and gives everything. This week, I have never seen her so happy to dance this dance. Every single day, I got emotional, I couldn’t tell her, I would just burst into tears because she loves dancing.”

Fans at home were quick to predict that they would be taking home the glitterball at the end of the series. As one typed: “Karen is going to win, pass it on,” one wrote, while another said: “Okay then. I have NO choice but to back Karen to win!!! They ate that.”