Tony Adams explains why Strictly is "bizarre" after exit

The former footballer withdrew after sustaining an injury.

By George Lewis

14 Nov 2022

Strictly Come Dancing spoilers follow.

Tony Adams has reacted to his exit from Strictly Come Dancing, saying the BBC show is “bizarre.”

The former professional footballer, who was paired with Katya Jones, was due to face off with DJ Tyler West and Dianne Buswell in Sunday’s eliminator but couldn’t participate due to an injury.

As a result, Tony and Katya decided to withdraw from the series, which Tony described as “bizarre” before saying he had “fallen in love” with Shirley Ballas.

tony adams, katya jones, strictly come dancing 2022

BBC

“It’s a bizarre show. We’re all different age groups and we’re all different standards,” he said, before paying tribute to the head judge. “I really listened to Shirley; the week before she was very complimentary and has always been constructive with her criticism. I’ve fallen in love with her; she’s my favourite.”

Discussing the reasons for their withdrawal, Tony revealed he had been suffering from a tight hamstring muscle for a number of weeks, eventually taking the decision to preserve his own wellbeing.

“It's been getting tough the last couple of weeks. I had a bit of a hamstring issue last week and danced. Then on Thursday in practice, I pointed my toe down and hurt it again,” revealed Tony. “I didn’t practise on Friday, then on Saturday the BBC gave me the choice, but I wanted to do it because my mother-in-law was at the live show.”

tony adams and katya jones, strictly come dancing 2022, week 2

BBC

Speaking about their last dance, which saw them score 24 for a Jive, Tony said it was the first time he felt “connected” to his partner, with the footballer revealing he felt “alone” for the previous seven dances.

Katya said she forgot some of her steps, but she was so happy her partner was enjoying himself. “For the first time he looked at me and was like ‘I’m dancing with you Kat’,” she said. “I so wanted him to get every step right, I think I forgot all of my steps if I’m honest with you.”

After viewing a montage of their stint on the show, the pair paid tribute to each other, with Katya saying she had “loved their time” and “made a friend for life.” Tony, who said he took part to promote a message about mental health and addiction, described his Strictly experience as “amazing.”

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One, while spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows also stream on BBC iPlayer.

Interested in talking about Strictly Come Dancing? Visit our dedicated sub-forum