AJ Odudu was paid the ultimate compliment following her second dance on tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing – with Shirley Ballas bowing down to her after her Rumba.
The gesture is especially noteworthy given that the head judge is herself known as the ‘Queen of Rumba’, so to receive such positive feedback is high praise indeed.
“Can I say AJ, you definitely know how to pull it together in a semi-final, let me tell you,” Shirley said.
“I loved the sensuality of knowing where the female zones are on the body and the little bit of the shoulder, all those little nuances are just up my alley.”
She added, “But let me tell you: I have complained throughout the series about non-tracking of legs and feet and you proved me wrong today. You tracked, they brushed feather-like, one foot passed the other, the knees – everything was in a straight line.
“I just found it captivating, a moment in time – just beautiful!”
Asked by Claudia Winkleman how she found the Rumba, AJ revealed, “I honestly found it, obviously challenging, but I loved dancing that dance.”
She continued, “Thinking back to when I just started I only had the Macarena up my sleeve and you know over the last twelve weeks I’ve been learning to dance with Kai – so special, so devoted, and I just can’t believe I’m pulling off performances like that in the semi-final, I’m just so happy.”
Despite the incredible feedback, AJ didn’t quite manage to pull off her second 40 of the night, scoring 39 points to give her a total of 79 for her two performances.
Check out our Strictly Come Dancing live blog for all the action from tonight’s semi-final.