Alexandra Burke said she broke down on Strictly Come Dancing after visualising her late mother in the audience.
The singer was in tears on Saturday when she and Gorka Marquez scored 39, the BBC1 show’s highest total so far this series, for their jive to Tina Turner’s Proud Mary.
Speaking on BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two, Burke said: “It wasn’t meant to be (emotional) because the jive is meant to be so much fun.
“But I think what happened to me is I saw my brother and my boyfriend in the audience and I visualised my mum.
“It was all a bit too much for me because I wanted her to be there to celebrate that moment with us.”
Burke said it had been a “tough journey” since her mother died in August and said she was very grateful to people for supporting her.
She said of her high score at the weekend: “I have to pinch myself that that moment actually happened to us.”
Brian Conley was also on the programme where he revealed to host Zoe Ball that he would be dancing to the music of Sir Tom Jones next week.
However, he quipped that he would probably be more “fridge magnet” than “babe magnet”.
The comedian said he could not believe he had made it to week five of the dance contest.
“I’ve always wanted to get to Halloween,” he said.
“I was inspired last year watching the show on Halloween and I went, ‘I’ve got to do this’.
“Everything after that would be a complete bonus.”