Strictly Come Dancing's Tasha Ghouri fiercely defended by X Factor champ amid 'unfair advantage' row

Kenzi Devine
·2-min read
Tasha Ghouri
-Credit: (Image: FILE)


Alexandra Burke has leaped to the defence of Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha Ghouri after she faced a wave of backlash for doing the show with previous dance experience, competing against celebrities who have none.

Former Love Island star Tasha has been wowing the Strictly judges in recent weeks with her breathtaking performances alongside professional Aljaz Skorjanec, and received one mark away from a perfect score during last week's live show. And following some criticism towards trained dancer Tasha, Alexandra, who has previously appeared on the show, said: "Tasha's not had Latin and Ballroom dancing. I got that negative response, but I'd never had Latin and Ballroom dance experience."

Alexandra starred on Strictly Come Dancing alongside Giovanni in 2017
Alexandra starred on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 -Credit:Karwai Tang/WireImage

She continued to The Sun: "Actually, let her live and let her live her best life, because she's having the most amazing time, most likely." Alexandra appeared on the show back in 2017 and faced similar criticism for her career in performing arts, which included dance training.

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The singer added: "I didn't take that moment for granted because I've always wanted to do Latin and ballroom, but we couldn't afford to as kids."

While Tasha has received backlash for her talents, it was her co-star Wynne Evans who hit headlines over the weekend for an awkward moment during the Saturday live show, where his partner Katya Jones appeared to move his hand away from her waist.

Wynne was seen moving his hand across Katya's waist during the show, with Katya seemingly batting it away. While anther moment during the show saw Wynne hold his hands up for a high five and Katya ignore him. This sparked a wave of controversy online, with many accusing the opera singer of making his partner uncomfortable.

Strictly's Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Aljaž Škorjanec found themselves at the top of the leaderboard once again with 39 points.
Strictly's Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Aljaž Škorjanec found themselves at the top of the leaderboard once again last week with 39 points -Credit:BBC

However, both Katya and Wynne have spoken out since to explain that it was a 'silly joke', with Katya sharing she 'can't bear' to see negativity about Wynne and dismissing any awkwardness.

A BBC insider told the Mirror regarding the situation: "Wynne and Katya have confirmed that their interactions in the Clauditorium were silly jokes they had planned together and have apologised to anyone who may have misinterpreted them. They addressed them on Wynne's Instagram, where their apology can be found. Katya would like to clarify further that she was not offended by Wynne and was not made to feel uncomfortable in the least she has also clarified on her Instagram. The welfare and production teams have checked in on the pair and there are no further actions planned."