Shayne Ward has spoken out about the alleged 'curse' on Strictly Come Dancing after he and Nancy Xu found themselves in the dance-off for the first time.
The 40 year old singer and his professional dance partner, Nancy, 33, were pitted against TV host Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk in the dance-off, with judges - Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke - ultimately choosing to save Shayne and Nancy.
The subsequent week saw JB Gill and Amy Dowden landing in the bottom two, competing against Paul Merson and Karen Hauer. Observant Strictly fans noted that both Shayne and JB had been the first to perform during their respective episodes, sparking speculation of a 'curse' that dooms the first pair to dance to end up in the bottom two.
During an interview on Morning Live alongside Nancy, Shayne addressed the supposed curse, confessing he considered it a "blessing" to be the first to dance on Strictly. "No, you know what, it's a blessing going first. There's so many of us as well, with so many dances happening. So who knows who the public are going to vote for," he shared with presenter Sara Davies.
Birmingham Live reports Shayne also confessed he was "gutted" to find himself in the bottom two, prompting him to reflect on his time on The X Factor, which initially propelled him to stardom.
"It wasn't nice being in the bottom two, I was gutted, you could see it on my face. I couldn't really hide it," he expressed. Recounting the stress of the situation, he added: "It brought back X Factor days! Hoping not to get eliminated. And I just didn't want it to stop there for me and Nancy. When the judges saved us, I was so grateful."
Going forward, Shayne is determined to perform every routine as though it's his "final dance" with the aim to avoid a repeat of the nerve-wracking experience.
Shayne has been candid about his personal life too, especially regarding his mum's wellbeing during his time on Strictly, sharing with host Claudia Winkleman that he's had her on his mind: "My mum is my absolute world and she's not been, unfortunately, able to come down to the live shows because she's not been in the best of health for many years.
"I know she's at home watching and that song I dedicate to you because I know you always try to get there."
