STRICTLY Come Dancing's Pete Wicks has revealed he is "overwhelmed" after swerving the dance-off following an error-ridden routine.
The former Towie star opened Saturday's live show alongside professional partner Jowita Przystal, 30, with a salsa in Strictly's first-ever Icons Week.
After things didn't quite go to plan in their Freddie Mercury-inspired routine, where they picked up just 22 points, he was captured whispering a sweet message to the former show winner after he realised his choreography mistakes.
And when Pete swerved the dance off on Sunday - due to votes from the public which pulled him off the bottom of the leaderboard - emotion hit hard.
Pete took to his Instagram Stories to upload a shot showing him dressed as the We Will Rock You hitmaker with a lengthy caption which read: "I don't even know what to say ... I'm very humbled and a bit overwhelmed.
"It wasn't a good night for me and I know just how lucky I am to still be part of the show but thank you everyone.
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"Jowita worked so hard last week and there is no way I would have ever made it this far without her.
"I will bounce back, this week is going to be a bit of an emotional one for me and your support means so much."
He finished off the heart-wrenching post with a black emoji love heart.
During the results show, he again expressed his surprise at staying in the BBC One show - which is now past the half-way mark.
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He told host Claudia Winkleman: "I can't believe I'm still here and part of me feels like I probably don't deserve to be here!"
She then replied: "No, no, no, no!" to urge him to stop talking himself down.
Pete then added: "Thank you, genuinely, thank you everyone.
"I am so happy to still be here!"
SWEET GESTURE
After their routine opened Saturday's live show, eagle-eyed Strictly fans were quick to clock Pete's sweet message to Jowita.
Though he ended the Another One Bites The Dust routine with a triumphant fist in the air, when Jowita approached him, Pete could be heard saying: "I'm sorry, darling.
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"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."
All the while, smiling Jowita reassured him everything was OK.
Pete picked up 22 points for the performance, with Craig Revel Horwood scoring a four and the remaining three judges - Shirley, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse - scoring sixes.
The scoring didn't sit well with some viewers who felt the marking was too generous given mistakes were made.
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One person wrote on X: "I hate to say it but Pete was overmarked."
Another said "Overmarked."