STRICTLY Come Dancing pro Michelle Tsiakkas has defended her former dance partner Jamie Borthwick – after he was suspended by the BBC over an ableist slur.
Michelle, 29, who placed seventh on the BBC dance series with Jamie, 31, last year, revealed how the pair were still “really close”.
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She told The Sun on Sunday: “Whatever you saw on screen of our relationships together is what our relationship is like.
“We’re like brother and sister, we’re really close. He still actually messages me saying that he misses it.
“I saw him the other day, he remembered all of his routines, he was doing them again. I was actually so surprised.”
Speaking at the National Reality TV Awards, Michelle added: “For me, that counts more than any trophy because I feel like I had a positive impact on your life and changed it for the better – in terms of him finding this new found love for dancing.
“He’s honestly so passionate about dancing. I can’t believe it. He is trying to dance with everybody and do his routines with everyone.”
It comes after Jamie was banned from BBC soap EastEnders in June after The Sun on Sunday revealed a video of him using a severely derogatory term.
It saw him describe the people of Blackpool as “absolute m**s” while there for last year’s Strictly live show.
Asked if she and Jamie chat in a Strictly WhatsApp group, Michelle said: “We mostly talk just me and him so that is really nice that we still have a good relationship.”
Speaking about the pressure that comes with the BBC series, she added: “The show is about joy and dancing.
“It always needs to come back to that because it is such a special show.
“It’s about having fun and not taking anything too personal and creating memories that last a lifetime, which they truly do.”
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