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Actress Jay Anstey couldn’t fight back tears of disappointment during her interview with YOU on the Strictly Come Dancing set last night. Jay and her dance partner, Tsholo Moholwane, were the fifth couple to get sent off the SABC3 dance show.
They were one of the couples with a low score and danced for the chance to make it into next week’s episode against comedian Mpho Popps and dance partner Nombulelo Hlathi.
It was Jay’s goal to remain in the competition and be able to dance again next week. However the votes from the public and the scores by the judges weren’t enough to keep her in the competition.
To prepare for the dance show Jay says she watched as many dance movies as she could and last night she even brought her acting skills onto the dance floor in a jive inspired by the musical Hairspray.
One of the judges, Tebogo Kgobokoe, said Jay was “too cute” in the jive but that she needed more personality from the actress. Throughout the season the judges encouraged Jay to come out of her shell and to let go.
“I really enjoyed the last dance. We went out with a bang,” she says. This wasn’t the first competition-driven show this 22-year-old’s been a part of. She was a contestant in the Tropika Island of Treasure series earlier this year. “The show was more about sport activities, something which I am very familiar with. But dancing was something completely new to me.”
Before Strictly Come Dancing Tsholo only knew Jay as Charlie, her character on the local soapie Isidingo on SABC3. But now the two are good friends. Today the pair are going out for lunch. “That’s how tight we’ve become. Jay can even call me at 2 am if she ever needs to talk.”
"I'm going to miss the Strictly Come Dancing family," says Jay while wiping away the tears.
And there'll probably be more tears, with the competition heating up and contestants feeling the pressure.
Watch the show next week Wednesday on SABC3 at 8 pm to see which couple will next hang up their dancing shoes.
-Katlego Mkhwanazi
