Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison pens emotional farewell to co-star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
His exit came as she topped the leaderboard
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Vicky Pattison has penned an emotional tribute to Harry Aikines-Aryeetey on social media. It came after he became the latest star to be voted off the BBC dance show over the weekend.
Taking to Instagram, the former Geordie Shore star described Harry’s exit as “a really difficult pill to swallow”. He and professional partner Karen Hauer – the longest-serving pro on the show – were sent home by the judges following a dance-off against La Voix and Aljaz Skorjanec.
Despite performing a high-energy Samba to Samba by Gloria Estefan, Harry became the sixth contestant to leave the show. They follow in the footsteps of Thomas Skinner, Ross King, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ellie Goldstein and Chris Robshaw. Stefan Dennis also quit due to injury.
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Vicky Pattison posts tribute to Strictly Come Dancing pal Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Sharing a carousel of behind-the-scenes snaps and selfies with Harry, Vicky wrote a touching caption in honour of the athlete and Gladiators star.
“Harry, you are one of the genuinely nicest men I have ever been lucky enough to meet,” she began. “Everything you’ve done over the last few months – showing young men that it’s okay to show emotion, be passionate, kind… has been truly inspiring to watch.”
Praising his energy and spirit, she added: “The dedication and enthusiasm you brought to the competition week after week has been amazing. I know I speak for the whole Strictly crew when I say we’re going to miss you so much!”
She also celebrated the close friendship between Harry and Karen. “You and the gorgeous @karenhauer put on an incredible show for us every week, and watching your gorgeous friendship was always a highlight for me!”
The post closed with a farewell. “Love you, Nitro, and I just hope you know how much joy you brought to millions of homes every Saturday night.”
Alongside the caption, Vicky shared a quote that seemed to capture Harry’s spirit: “I like people who are vibrant disco balls of energy and refuse to tone it down.”
In response, Harry commented: “What a journey it’s been! Thanking you all!” Meanwhile, Karen added: “Love you, babe. Thank you.”
Vicky tops the leaderboard with her tango
While Harry took his final bow, Vicky was riding high. The reality star soared to the top of the leaderboard with a fiery tango to Taylor Swift’s Fate of Ophelia. Channelling her inner Taylor Swift, the performance earned her a massive 39 points. And the star got two 10s from Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
The dance was so good that her pro partner Kai Widdrington even said that it felt like he was dancing with a fellow pro. Viewers also named Vicky as their winner after the stand-out performance.
Read more: Strictly fans spot ‘real reason’ La Voix was saved in shock dance-off
