Strictly Come Dancing’s Annabel Croft has shared the news she won’t be dancing with series partner Johannes Radebe during next year’s live tour.
The 57-year-old tennis star competed in the BBC show but sadly missed out on a spot in the final. And Annabel had been looking forward to dancing with Johannes once again on the Strictly Live tour.
But it’s now been revealed that the pair won’t be reunited.
Strictly news: Annabel Croft re-partnered on tour
Talking on Monday’s Lorraine (December 18), Annabel said: “We’re both sad about it, Johannes has his own tour so he’s promoting his own show. I think it was too close to this tour. His body also needs a rest, I’m sure his brain too. He needs to recharge his batteries.”
With Johannes out of the tour, Graziano Di Prima has stepped in to replace him.
She continued: “I think he’s probably sad he couldn’t make it work but I hear that term ‘keep dancing’ and I now realise what that is because I do want to keep dancing. So when I got the opportunity to do the tour, I thought oh wow, how wonderful to keep going! But of course, I would have loved to have been with him [Johannes].”
‘Graz is a good friend of Johannes’
Meanwhile, Annabel also spoke about being partnered up with Graziano. “Graziano is a very good friend of Johannes, they know each other very well. Of course I’ve met him and been around Graziano through the whole show so it’ll be different but I’m hoping a lot of fun as well!” she added.
Annabel was the 10th star to be eliminated from the show and failed to make it to the final.
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Earlier this month, Annabel thanked her dance partner when she told him he had given her “a reason to get out of bed”. She reflected: “It’s been the most life-changing and extraordinary experience of my life.
“Johannes, you have been absolutely extraordinary. You have given me a reason to get out of bed and come and dance with you, distract me and heal me. I can’t thank you enough for that. You have been so patient. So caring and so loving. You are an unbelievably special human being. I simply adore you. Thank you so much.”
The news comes after Annabel broke down in tears when she spoke about her show exit on Strictly: It Takes Two.
Read more: Strictly fans fume as they claim Annabel Croft was ‘robbed’ of a spot in the final
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