Strictly Come Dancing 2021 star Dan Walker has shared high praise for his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova, expressing how grateful he was that she stayed with him at A&E when he went to hospital.
On Saturday evening, the new series of Strictly officially commenced, as the BBC One launch show revealed to viewers which celebrities had been paired up with which professional dancers.
BBC Breakfast presenter Dan, 44, was partnered up with Nadiya, 32, who shared her prediction that Dan will be good at the ballroom dances, thanks to his 6ft 6 frame and long legs.
Before Strictly kicked off, Dan revealed on social media that he suffered a painful head injury after accidentally walking straight into a glass door.
He ended up going to hospital to have his head assessed after feeling ‘wobbly’, where he was scanned for a bleed on the brain. ‘Thankfully… All ok,’ he told his followers.
When Dan shared his Instagram post about his hospital trip, Nadiya hadn’t yet been announced as his partner, with Dan writing in the caption: ‘Even though I’m not allowed to tell you who my Strictly pro is… I can tell you that she waited for hours in the car park to make sure I was ok. Whatever happens on the telly… she has a friend for life.’
Now that the cat’s out of the bag, on Sunday morning Dan shared posts on Twitter and Instagram showering Nadiya with praise for being there for him during his ordeal.
‘Thanks for all the lovely messages about #Strictly… I am really enjoying it so far,’ he wrote on Instagram after the launch show.
‘For all those asking if I can actually dance… I don’t know either… I guess we’ll all find out next week!
‘I hope you all get to know Nadiya a bit too. She’s really funny and such a great teacher. We’ve had a real giggle already and the partnership was cemented when she waited for hours for me in A & E the other day.’
Dan added that Nadiya will be making an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Monday, just days before they take to the Strictly dancefloor as a couple for the first time.
Nadiya has been a pro on Strictly since 2017, partnering up with EastEnders actor Davood Ghadami in her first year.
In 2018, she competed with Blue singer Lee Ryan, while the following year, she was in a couple with former England goalkeeper David James.
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One.
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