Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left in tears after Annabel Croft paid a touching tribute to late husband.
The 57-year-old and her pro partner Johannes Radebe danced their Couple’s Choice to Wings by Birdy.
The former tennis pro’s late husband passed away in May, a few weeks after he was diagnosed with stage three cancer.
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Annabel said: “This week it’s Couple’s Choice and we’re dancing a lyrical dance to the song Wings by Birdy. I think this song is definitely a tribute to my husband Mel. It couldn’t be anything other than that.”
“As soon as we met I was just taken by his massive smile and his great sense of humour. We were supposed to have our 30th wedding anniversary this year and I never ever saw what’s happened coming.”
“He got diagnosed on January 31st and he was told he didn’t have very long. I don’t think I could survive without the children.”
Their daughter Lily then told her mother: “I don’t think I recognise you from when you first started Strictly to now. You are so amazing now.”
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“My dad always loved watching Strictly. He adored watching Johannes. He’s definitely the angel she needed as much as he did too.”
Annabel took Johannes to a bench in Richmond Park where she and Mel would walk to every day, and burst into tears as she reminisced on their wonderful memories together.
The pair’s emotional dance moved both Head Judge Shirley Ballas and host Claudia Winkleman to tears.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday night, Annabel’s Strictly co-star Zara McDermott wrote: “Cried my eyes out at this. Well done you two @annabel_croft @johannesradebe ❤️ incredible choreo @arduinobertoncello @ashleighhunter83 💗✨💗.”
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Another Instagram user penned: “When she blew a kiss to the sky, and Johannes trying so hard to keep it together 😭 Johannes is an angel walking this earth 😇♥️.”
A third wrote: “I was in tears from the start, just seeing her on that bench by herself. It was a beautiful dance.”
Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “This is EVERYTHING I love about dance… Not the elitism, not the technical brilliance, not the dancer physique… It’s the healing power it brings, being lost in the moment, the expression, the creativity, the freedom, the emotional connection.
This reduced me to tears. I just LOVE them both 💖.”
