Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe’s salsa didn’t go smoothly… (Picture: BBC)
Disaster struck for Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe as they took on a salsa in the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final.
The tennis ace, 57, and her South African pro partner, 36, brought plenty of energy to the dancefloor with a fiery routine to’s Gloria Estefan You’ll Be Mine (Party Time).
Dressed in vibrant yellow and red feathers, Annabel gave it her all, starting her routine with a big smile on her face and full of beans.
What followed was a series of impressive tricks and daring lifts as the athlete put her full trust in Johannes.
However, things got, erm, interesting… when Annabel ended up doing a ‘skid’ across the floor.
No, not intentionally.
The tennis ace used the wrong arm as she went into a floor spin (Picture: BBC)
She ended up with her legs in the air! (Picture: BBC)
Mid-way through the dance after leaping into Johannes’s arms, Annabel was spun around onto the floor before her partner picked her up.
It’s safe to say the move didn’t go smoothly, though, as she ended up on the ground for a millisecond too long with her legs in the air.
The blunder didn’t go unnoticed by the judges, with Craig Revel Horwood telling her that the dance ‘lacked fluidity’.
‘Your leg placement on the floor spin on that bum spin… something went awry there, darling, so you were in the wrong position for that,’ he noted.
Shirley Ballas did give Annabel some words of praise, telling her she is one of the ‘hardest working’ contestants.
‘I thought your energy was much, much better towards Johannes,’ she praised.
‘You are what the show is about, you started off as a beginner, you’ve come out here and you’ve danced this.
‘Unfortunately, just a little… the bum spin went wrong because you got the wrong arm movement.
Thankfully, the pair managed to recover (Picture: BBC)
Annabel still gave the routine her all (Picture: BBC)
‘But, do you know what was amazing? How you recuperate. It’s not always if you make a mistake, it’s how you recuperate and you did that marvelously well, I’m very proud of you and you should be very proud of yourself.’
Speaking to Claudia Winkleman after her performance, Annabel took the mishap on the chin and laughed it off.
‘I certainly went for it. I didn’t quite expect to do a skid on the floor and end up on my back, which wasn’t quite the move I was intending!’, she chuckled.
‘Might have a sleepless night over that one. But it was so much fun, it was hilarious.’
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, after the calamity, Strictly viewers were firmly on Team Annabel, describing her as ‘amazing’ considering she has no dance experience.
Viewer Laura Davidson penned: ‘I don’t care, Annabel and Johannes are going to get all my votes this week! They epitomise absolutely everything that #Strictly is about. I love them and all the sparkle and joy they bring to the dancefloor.’
‘A hot mess of a salsa somehow making Annabel and Johannes even more endearing’, quipped Frankie and Clover.
‘God love the judges for this feedback cos I know Annabel is mortified about this dance and just wanted it to be over. Bless her’, wrote Monica.
The salsa was one of two dances for Annabel in the semi-final, as she later took on a Viennese waltz to Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.
After scoring 32 points in the form of four eights for the salsa, Annabel’s fans were in uproar when she scored just one point more for her second routine.
Viewers blasted the panel for ‘undermarking’ her, while the duo became incredibly tearful as they reflected on their Strictly journey.
Speaking about why Annabel deserves a place in the final next week, Johannes sobbed as he said: ‘This woman has really respected our art form of ballroom and Latin.’
‘You have taken to training like duck to water,’ he added.
Annabel and Johannes shed tears as they reflected on their Strictly journey together (Picture: BBC)
Johannes told Annabel she has ‘won [his] heart’ (Picture: BBC)
Following the death of Annabel’s husband earlier this year, he said lovingly: ‘This has been the hardest year for Annabel, and we all know that, and for her family as well.
‘What I applaud is the fact that she came here to learn how to dance and I can’t tell you how proud I am.
‘It’s not about the glitterball, it’s what you have given me. So, Annabel Croft, youhave won my heart.’
Strictly Come Dancing’s semi-final results air tomorrow on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Their salsa didn’t go to plan…