Strictly Come Dancing star Graeme Hall emotional as he shares backstage 'meltdown'
Graeme was supported by his pro partner Lauren OakleyLauren Oakley reassured an emotional Graeme Hall after he revealed how difficult his latest Strictly Come Dancing routine had been.
The Strictly Come Dancing couple scored 25 out of 40 during Saturday’s live show on October 10.
Speaking on the BBC programme, Graeme traced his nerves back to Wednesday’s rehearsals.
The moment carried extra weight for Graeme Hall, who previously revealed a stroke had stopped him dancing in 2019.
Lauren Oakley reassures Graeme Hall after Strictly Jive
He and Lauren performed their Jive to Jackie Wilson’s Reet Petite. After the judges delivered their feedback, host Johannes Radebe asked Graeme about the routine’s challenges.
Graeme turned towards Lauren before explaining what had happened during training: “I had a bit of a meltdown Wednesday. I didn’t think I’d be doing that but we did it.”
Lauren immediately offered encouragement to her celebrity partner: “You did it. You got through it.”
The professional also acknowledged the demands she had placed on him that week.
Lauren said: “I’ve challenged him this week. It was tough at times but I can see we’ll learn from it and we’ll move forward. You’ve kind of fought through this week and you’ve been amazing so thank you.”
Graeme Hall’s return to dancing after his stroke
Graeme’s love of dancing goes back beyond his Strictly appearance. He previously competed in amateur ballroom and Latin competitions.
He has said a stroke in 2019 forced him to stop dancing completely. According to his account, the stroke was caused by a hole in his heart.
He feared he would never dance again.
When his place in the 2026 line-up was announced, he acknowledged feeling nervous about the challenge. Learning from professional dancers was something he had been eager to experience.
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley’s Strictly scores
Saturday’s Jive brought six points each from Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas. Anton Du Beke awarded seven, completing the couple’s total.
That left them six points below their previous week’s score.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas under fire for ‘harsh’ feedback to Lawrence Robb
During Movie Week, Graeme and Lauren topped the leaderboard with 31 out of 40. They performed a Waltz to The Godfather Waltz from The Godfather.
The routine earned praise from both the judges and viewers.
Whether their latest performance secures a place in Icons Week remains to be seen.
Strictly Come Dancing’s results show airs from 7.10pm on Sunday October 11 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
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