Strictly Come Dancing contestant Vicky Pattison has paid a heartfelt tribute to her fellow competitor Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, following his shock elimination from the competition on Sunday night.
Taking to Instagram, the former Geordie Shore star described Harry’s exit as “a really difficult pill to swallow”, after he and professional partner Karen Hauer were sent home following a dance-off against La Voix and Aljaz Skorjanec.
Despite performing a high-energy Samba to Samba by Gloria Estefan, Harry became the sixth contestant to leave the show.
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Vicky Pattison posts tribute to Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Sharing a carousel of behind-the-scenes snaps and selfies with Harry, Vicky wrote a touching caption in honour of the athlete and Gladiators star.
“Harry, you are one of the genuinely nicest men I have ever been lucky enough to meet,” she began. “Everything you’ve done over the last few months – showing young men that it’s okay to show emotion, be passionate, kind… has been truly inspiring to watch.”
Praising his energy and spirit, she added: “The dedication and enthusiasm you brought to the competition week after week has been amazing. I know I speak for the whole Strictly crew when I say we’re going to miss you so much!”
She also celebrated the close friendship between Harry and Karen. “You and the gorgeous @karenhauer put on an incredible show for us every week, and watching your gorgeous friendship was always a highlight for me!”
The post closed with a farewell. “Love you, Nitro, and I just hope you know how much joy you brought to millions of homes every Saturday night.”
Alongside the caption, Vicky shared a quote that seemed to capture Harry’s spirit: “I like people who are vibrant disco balls of energy and refuse to tone it down.”
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey eliminated on Strictly
In response, Harry commented, “What a journey it’s been! Thanking you all!”
Meanwhile, Karen added: “Love you, babe. Thank you.”
During the live show, Harry gave an emotional farewell speech after host Tess Daly asked about his experience.
“First things, I just want to thank Karen,” he said. “You have given me an opportunity to shine.”
He also added that the show had been “a dream come true”.
“I wanted to show everyone that no matter what happens, there’s always a silver lining. Thank you for this lovely gift. At the end of the day, we carry on, we give it to them, and we continue to shine.”
While Harry took his final bow, Vicky was riding high. The reality star soared to the top of the leaderboard with a fiery tango to Fate of Ophelia.
Channelling her inner Taylor Swift, the performance earned her a massive 39 points, including two 10s from Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
Read more: Strictly fans spot ‘real reason’ La Voix was saved in shock dance-off
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