Viewers of this weekend’s first Strictly Come Dancing show were left in tears following an emotional tribute performance.
With Movie Week well underway, Sarah Hadland and professional dance partner Vito Coppola took to the stage for a moving rendition. The duo performed a Viennese Watz to John Williams’ ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ in tribute to legendary actress Dame Maggie Smith.
The Harry Potter-themed performance was a beautiful nod to the 89-year-old’s role as Professor McGonagall in the iconic franchise. The dance came just a week after Dame Maggie’s death. The Oscar-winning actress sadly passed away on September 27, her devastated sons confirmed in a heartbreaking statement.
As the dancing duo were introduced to the floor, Strictly host Tess Daly said: “Last week we lost a true icon of cinema.” In the pair’s VT, they also discussed their love of the late star, with Sarah admitting she “idolised Maggie Smith, one of the best actors ever”.
The performance was well received by those in the studio, with Tess labelling it a beautiful tribute. At the time of their dance, judge Motsi Mabuse named the performance the “highlight of the night” while Shirley Ballas gushed that it was “for the most part, absolutely lovely”. Both judges gave the couple some constructive feedback too, before they scored an impressive 33 points.
On Twitter/X, fans were quick to send praise Sarah and Vito’s way, with some admitting they shed a tear at the performance. One user wrote: “Sarah and Vito. Omg. One of my favourite ever Movie week dances. What a beautiful tribute to Dame Maggie Smith. That dance. That music. The wand raising at the end! I cried.”
Another added: “#Strictly the Tribute for Dame Maggie Smith Was really Emotional,” alongside a broken heart emoji. And a third said: “I’m one of the biggest Harry Potter fans possible and I took the loss of Dame Maggie Smith very strongly, to have watched that dance performed so breathtakingly…I am in tears. So wonderful done. I love it. I know she is applauding in the stars. #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing.” The paired the words with a gif of Dame Maggie applauding.
Elsewhere on the show, Dr Punam Krisha was emotional as she made history on the long-running BBC show. Partnered with Gorka Márquez, the duo danced the show’s first-ever traditional Bollywood number. Punam and Gorka chose to perform their Couple’s Choice routine to Bole Chudiyan from the iconic Bollywood movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
After the performance, the doctor struggled to speak when she was questioned about her dance chocie. Nearly welling up, Gorka comforted her as she said: “I feel like I would have loved to have seen something like this when I was growing up. And I guess you just can’t be what you can’t see.”
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