Angela Scanlon has shed light on what was going on in her head during her show-stopping Waltz from this past weekend on Strictly.
The TV and radio presenter bagged an impressive score of 33 - including her first nines of the series from Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke - but the performance was marred by criticism from Craig Revel Horwood.
Despite head judge Shirley Ballas lauding Scanlon's performance for including "some of the best footwork I've ever seen in the Waltz", Revel Horwood had other ideas.
He did praise the "grace style and story" of the routine but insisted "there were gaps everywhere" - something he branded as "unforgivable".
This was reflected in his score as he awarded a lowly seven to Scanlon and pro partner Carlos Gu while Ballas opted for an eight to accompany Mabuse's and De Beke's nines.
Discussing the routine on Wednesday's It Takes Two, Scanlon delved into her thought process during the dance and hinted the slip-up was down to being "distracted" by a fellow Strictly star.
Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu performed the Waltz in Week Eight
BBC
"I was so ecstatic," Scanlon said as she referred to the reception she received. "It's so funny because I said to Carlos I could feel Motsi and Shirley (clapping)...
"And he said, 'You shouldn't be listening to anybody! That means you were distracted!' I was like, 'I was little bit distracted'.
"But I had a sense it was going well from that first little shimmy... but amazing, and when they whipped out the nine I thought I was gonna keel over.
"I think in my mind ballroom has not been particularly strong for us. I think we knew it was decent but always the fear is you won't manage to keep it (up)."
When Manrara raised Revel Horwood's "unforgivable gapping" comment, Gu replied: "For the reasons Craig said that, it's perspective. It's okay, we take that and make sure next time we ballroom dance there is zero gap."
Earlier in the interview, Scanlon recalled the experience as a whole after making it to Blackpool Week: "It was absolutely gorgeous, we worked incredibly hard last week and there were moments where we discussed (how) that smoothness has been the ultimate challenge for me and the Waltz is the one where (you need it the most).
"Weirdly, it felt like the first week where everything slowed down in my brain and I was taking steps and there was time for it.
"Usually, I'm kind of feeling like I'm racing ahead but it felt quite still and calm," she added before Gu weighed in to tell his partner how "proud" he was.
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Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu has addressed their Waltz critique
BBC
The pair sailed through to Blackpool Week following their Waltz while Krishnan Guru-Murthy was the unfortunate celeb who was sent home.
The Channel 4 newsreader has since spoken out about his exit, admitting he was "heartbroken" in a lengthy tribute to the show on Instagram and even breaking down in tears on It Takes Two earlier this week.
Scanlon will be hoping she has what it takes to avoid a similar fate and she and Gu will be performing the Argentine Tango.
The pair's routine will be to the sound of Amy Winehouse classic, Back To Black.
