BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Annabel Croft says it's 'been an honour' after partner swap
12.02.2024 - 13:18
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Annabel Croft has told her fans it's been an 'honour' to dance with a new professional dancer after wrapping up her time on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour. The former tennis ace has been touring the country with a number of her co-stars after signing up to the show's 2024 tour.
Annabel was partnered with Johannes Radebe in the latest run of Strictly at the end of last year (2023) with the pair just missing out on a place in the quarter-final. But to take part in the recent string of live shows, which started in January and visited nine cities in three weeks, she had to get a new partner.
With Johannes busy with other commitments, Annabel was instead paired with Graziano Di Prima. Before the tour, Annabel described the Italian professional dancer as 'joyful' she's 'sad' not to be in the company of her close friend. "Obviously, it is really sad he's not doing it," she told the Daily Mail of Johannes.
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"I loved every second with him and I just adore him and I think he's very sad that he's not doing it as well… so it's different. But Graziano is so joyful… he's like a big Tigger. He kind of bounces into a room with a great big smiley face and he's terribly positive and upbeat and jolly and he's very smiley and he's made it very easy to just transition into a different partner."
Since then, Annabel and Graziano have completed the tour with a number of their co-stars - including Strictly 2023 finalists Ellie Leach, Vito Coppola, Bobby Brazier, Dianne Buswell, Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin - with the tour ending at London's O2 Arena on