Last night's Strictly Come Dancing results show ended with floods of tears from the contestants, the judges and the audience as show favourite Jimi Mistry was dramatically eliminated from the competition. With a fourth place finish on the leaderboard, most people presumed that he was safe, which was perhaps the reason behind the Hollywood actor's downfall. We caught up with him yesterday for a chat about his Strictly journey.
How are you feeling this morning?
"I'm a bit bewildered by it all. It's not really sunk in to be honest. It was a real out-of-body moment. It is going to take a while to sink in I think."
Was your silence on the show out of being upset or at being stunned to be leaving?
"I just didn't know what to say. I honestly didn't know what to say, mate. It was either burst into tears or... I didn't know what to say."
It was well known that you were loving the show perhaps more than anyone else. How much fun has it been over the last two months?
"Oh 100%, I was loving it. Hence, why I am feeling the way I am and hence the fact that I couldn't say anything. I put my heart and soul into this. I always do that with everything I do. I never want to paint by numbers or do it for the money. Because you won't get anywhere in life doing that. Everything that I've done in my career, I've given 100% and really believed in it totally. Of course, when you live your life like that, there's always the risk of getting hurt at the end of it. Normally in my work, with films, there is a definite start, middle and end. So with this, the end came much earlier than I had anticipated. It's nothing to do with glory or wanting to win, or anything like that. It's just a strange situation to be in where you enter a competition that you genuinely love, you have good support, and you have just performed your best dance of the bloody competition.... that's where the shock comes in. That's why I didn't see it coming. We hadn't been in the bottom two at all. So to not only be in it, but to go from fourth to last in a show is a shock."
When you were told that it was your best dance yet, you must have already been thinking about next week...
"It's the most relaxed that I'd been. Other weeks I had been tense. But this week, I was the most relaxed on stage and off stage. You saw on the VT afterwards where we were cheering backstage after coming off stage with the great judges' comments and it felt brilliant and we were confident we'd be back next week. And then that happens. It's really strange."
Bruno was annoyed with Craig's comments about you. Do you think Mr Horwood was being too harsh on Saturday?
"I think Craig on Saturday was being old Craig. You could see across the board he was being grumpy old Craig. I don't know how all the percentages work as far as the scoring is concerned and how much the judges' marks count towards everything. But there is a theory regarding the scoring and us leaving and that is when you improve, get your best scores and you are fourth on the board - that your are alright and safe. People don't feel the need to vote for you. And I think that is probably what has happened. I wouldn't like to think that I was the least popular out of the group. It is just that weird middle ground on the show."
And if you had been really unpopular you'd have been in the bottom two before now...
"Exactly, exactly. I mean, I couldn't do anything more. I have been improving every week, having loved the show, I've done great VTs, I really couldn't have done anything more. So, if it's the rules, the way the show is set up... it's a little bit of a lottery."
Did you enjoy the quickstep routine?
"Yeah, it was brilliant. Mate, I'm telling you, it was great. A lot of hard work went into that. I finally got to a point where I was relaxed and not enjoying it out there. If we stayed in another week we had the waltz, and that was along the same lines and would have been great. It's one of those things where I haven't been given the chance to go out there and get better - which I'm certain I would have done."
How is Flavia reacting to your exit?
"She is as stunned as I am. I mean, she couldn't say anything last night either. She's been to a final before and even last year with Craig Kelly she got halfway. She got to Blackpool with Craig! I mean, Craig is a mate of mine, but..."
He wasn't the hottest dancer ever, was he?
"Craig has been texting me all the time and giving me loads of support. He'll be absolutely shocked to the bone about this. The thing is that at least I have gone out with my head held high."
Is it getting to the stage where Ann Widdecombe's progress is annoying people?
"The thing is that I like Ann Widdecombe. The reason I like Ann is that I have never seen anything more entertaining on live national television than Ann Widdecombe and Anton Du Beke. They are a partnership made in heaven and utter TV gold. For a family entertainment show you can't ask for any better. Is Strictly an entertainment show or a dancing show? Well obviously it's entertainment. And it is not solely about dancing, you know that, I know that. If it was, the best dancer would win and the worst dancers would go week by week. And it would be quite predictable and like the old Come Dancing. Ultimately, the people at home are voting for the people they like and are the most entertaining. And that's fine. I just maybe think from a future participants point of view, this year will really ask some questions. What do you want to do? It's not solely on dancing and trying hard. You have to think about who you are going to be up against."
Who do you think can compete with Ann?
"I think Kara will do well because I think she can consistently move well and get the judges' scores. Scott is my amigo on the show and I know where he's coming from, what he's putting in and we're very similar. He's gone from zero and he's got where he is on the show with grit and determination. And he's got the charm to win a big fanbase. Scott, hopefully, will keep on pushing through."
What are you going to do this week with no training schedule?
"I'm as fit as I've been. I'm more focused than I've been. I'm feeling clear-headed. And now I'm going to lose that. I don't know, I may go to a spa for a few days, I may go running, I may hit the gym. I'm just going to keep that energy there."
I'd just sit on my arse all week...And it wasn't just Jimi and the judges who were upset by the result - check out the messages that were left on the official BBC Strictly blog - the result kicks in from message 110 onwards.
"(Laughs) I'd hate myself even more if I did that."
Well you should definitely pig out and stuff your face while sitting on the sofa watching the show next week...
"Yeah, throwing popcorn at the TV. Throwing it at Craig Revel Horwood. You never know, I might do that."
Farewell Jimi - you left us too soon!
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