‘It’s quite liberating’ - Krishnan Guru-Murthy praises Strictly Come Dancing for unexpected life lesson

Virgin Radio

13 Nov 2023, 12:17

Strictly Come Dancing’s latest eliminated celeb has opened up about his most surprising take-away from participating in the competition. 

The Channel 4 newsreader faced Angela Rippon in the dreaded dance-off on Sunday (12th November, with Krishnan and his professional partner Lauren Oakley performing their Samba to Bamboléo by Gipsy Kings. Then, Angela Rippon and her dance partner Kai Widdrington delivered their Paso Doble to Hung Up by Madonna.

After much deliberation, the judges decided to save Angela, which meant Krishnan was sent home just a week shy of the annual special in Blackpool. 

Speaking to virignradio.co.uk before his elimination, Krishnan revealed what had stood out for him in terms of lessons both on and off the ballroom dance floor, and one thing he wasn’t expecting was how the competition taught him how to really let loose. 

“Letting go is fine, is the thing I’ve learnt,” he told us. “I've spent a lot of my life being very buttoned up and worried about what people know about me and what people think and all the rest of it, and actually, just letting go is actually quite liberating.”

Krishnan has been very open about how his medical problems might’ve hindered his time on the show, but speaking openly with his fellow Strictly stars about his issues made him realise “it’s not a big deal.”

“Letting go is good,” he continued. “Performing is good and doing things that people don't expect to see you doing is good.”

Audiences are far more likely to see Krishnan presenting some hard-hitting news than sashaying his way across a dance floor, but the seasoned broadcaster admitted his time on Strictly was a welcomed break as it was “nice to not really worry about what people think.”

He shared: “When you're on the news, your audience feedback is often very serious and quite critical. You get drawn into the culture wars and all that kind of stuff. People are having a go on social media, and with Strictly, it's an entirely positive experience. People are just nice to me. 

“It's kind of very surprising when people stop you in the street and just say, ‘we're really rooting for you.’ That's never happened on the news before.”

The remaining seven couples will take to the dance floor next week, when the Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool Special returns to the Tower Ballroom on Saturday 18th November at 6.40pm, with the results show on Sunday 19th November at 7.20pm on BBC One.