Strictly Come Dancing star Sarah Hadland admitted that she felt “really emotional” before walking on stage to perform her Viennese Waltz.
Hadland dressed as the character Professor McGonagall and paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith who died last week – performing in full-drag cosplay which was adored by Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse.
The couple scored a respectable 33 out of a possible 40, with Hadland recently opening up about her emotional moment minutes before walking onto the dancefloor.
She joined It Takes Two host Fleur East alongside partner Vito Coppola last night, and left East to ask: “Do you know, it was a beautiful dance.
“And you seemed really emotional by the end of it, what were you going through?”
Hadland explained: “At the very, very beginning, I saw one of my oldest, dearest friends, Annie. And she was right in my eyeline, and I connected with her, and I had a moment of just thinking…
“It was a really great moment, because it just made me think about it, just the emotion in the heart of the dance.
“And when you think about somebody that’s really special and Dame Maggie Smith was just an icon, a real icon, a real legend.
“And you kind of… It just really brought me into that moment. And then the minute I started dancing, I thought, ‘Gosh, I’m feeling really emotional.’
“No, it did feel really really special. And I’ve had some feedback from people who really surprised me and were really moved by it.”
At the end of their dance, Hadland pointed her “magic wand” towards the sky – a nod to the “wands up” moment film where final respects were paid to Professor Albus Dumbledore.
The final move left the audience on their feet, with judge Anton Du Beke praising the “beautiful” dance, whilst Craig Revel Horwood admitted he “loved” it.
Mabuse added: “I absolutely loved it. That for me was the highlight of the night. That was nostalgic, you captured the atmosphere. I see that you’re so hard on yourself, you don’t have to be. You are brilliant.”
Elsewhere, Coppola admitted via an Instagram clip that he found the creation of the dance emotionally challenging and added: “This has been just magical.”
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“When I had to choreograph, and I listened to this song I’ve got emotional every single time. It’s something special.
“I really hope that we have been able to have dedicated a beautiful tribute to Maggie Smith. We have danced with so much love.”
