Strictly Come Dancing contestant and social media star George Clarke delivered one of the most poignant performances of the series during Saturday’s live show, dedicating his Rumba to his mother amid her battle with cancer.¹ However, the emotional routine sparked immediate controversy among viewers and the audience after judge Craig Revel Horwood delivered a fiercely technical critique that many felt lacked sensitivity.²

George and his partner, Alexis Warr, performed their Rumba to Lily Allen’s cover of "Somewhere Only We Know." The song held a deeply personal meaning, having been sung by his sister at his grandfather’s funeral, signifying family strength and togetherness (The Independent).³

A Heartbreaking Dedication

In a moving pre-recorded VT, George opened up about his mother’s recent cancer diagnosis, revealing it was the latest in a series of severe health battles.⁴ He shared the frightening moment when his mother suffered a seizure when he was 16, which led to a diagnosis of encephalitis—a severe brain inflammation.⁵

“Nobody deserves what she’s gone through, but least of all her. It feels like it’s taken up so much of her life now,” George shared with a tearful Alexis.⁶ He concluded that the dance was his rare opportunity to “show” his love and support to his mother, Nicky, who was watching live from the studio audience alongside his father, Shaun (The Daily Star).⁷

Craig's Technical Stand-Off

While the performance brought tears to the eyes of many, including fellow judge Motsi Mabuse, who commented on the “very, very beautiful” feeling and emotion (Manchester Evening News), Craig Revel Horwood remained fixated on technique.⁸

The notoriously tough judge declared: “Technically, it wasn’t great, I have to be honest. Actually, it wasn’t a Rumba, it was difficult to judge.⁹ I’m supposed to be judging a Rumba, but you danced a contemporary dance that belongs in musical theatre.”

While acknowledging the powerful narrative—“The story was absolutely magnificent, you told that beautifully... you will win the audience votes with that”—he stood by his professional assessment: “But unfortunately, you won’t win my vote. It technically was not great. I’m sorry to say.” He proceeded to give the couple a six (The Guardian), contributing to their total score of 29 out of 40, placing them third from bottom on the leaderboard.¹⁰

A Divided Audience Reaction

The audience loudly booed Craig for his comments, and viewers took to social media, expressing a deep split in opinion over his delivery.¹¹

• Critics felt he was needlessly cruel given the emotional context.¹² One user wrote: “Craig was critical to Vicky [Pattison], but what he said to George was downright cruel?! Especially for an emotional dance like that… and then gave a 6?!” Another user pointed out the fundamental issue: “You can’t critique the choreo when he has zero control over that.”

• Defenders of Craig, however, maintained that his job is to judge the dance itself, regardless of the backstory. One viewer commented: “I liked George’s dance but Craig is telling the truth. Not a Rumba and not technically good.” Another agreed: “I love George and I feel for him with Craig’s comments, but I do feel they were fair.”

Despite Craig's low score, the other judges showed their appreciation, with Motsi Mabuse giving a seven, and both Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke awarding the couple eights, reflecting the strong emotional connection they achieved (The Daily Star).¹³ George and Alexis ultimately secured their place in the competition, making it through to the crucial Blackpool special next week (The Guardian).

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