Hamza Yassin has spoken about the importance of communication with his professional dancer Jowita Przystal, saying that the amount of trust needed is like “having a partner or [being in] a relationship”.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview, the wildlife cameraman – who currently holds the highest score on the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard so far – revealed that the key to their success is “a good pro-celebrity relationship”.
“The amount of mental willpower that you have to give to your partner, or vice versa – that’s the bit that’s hard, but that’s the beauty when you have to share it with somebody and you get to know someone pretty well,” he said.
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“[Jowita] can read me like an open book. She knows when I’m just about to call it quits. She goes like ‘five minute break’ and I’m like, ‘How does she know this?’”
Jowita, who joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2021, added that “understanding each other” is important, as a celebrity’s performance and dancing will improve if they “feel comfortable in [their] environment”.
“I think we try always to be with each other like an open book so we tell each other about our feelings, and we will tell what we need, what are we hoping for,” she explained. “And I think the communication is really important, which I think we have really good.”
Hamza continued: “It’s literally like having a partner or a relationship, you have to tell the truth. Because if you’re not happy about something, you can’t bottle it up, and then kind of go, ‘Oh, she won’t notice this.’ No, it will come out.
“And it’ll come out later down the line, when you’re on Thursday, or Friday, and you’re like, ‘I wish we changed it on Monday.’ So it’s a proper trust process.”
The Countryfile star also said that he tends to struggle with knee pain in the competition but communicates that to Jowita. “Whatever it is, I can share that with her and say, ‘Look, my knee’s aching a little bit.’ Then we tape my knee and we can continue. I think communication is so important and having a good pro-celebrity relationship is key.”
This weekend, Hamza and Jowita will be taking on the Tango to Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game, while just 11 contestants remain in the competition after Jayde Adams‘ exit last week.
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 continues on Saturday 29th October at 6:50pm on BBC One. Find something to watch with our TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
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