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Lauren Steadman ‘loved every second’ of Strictly

Lauren Steadman didn’t think in her "wildest dreams" that she could look so "elegant" on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
The 25-year-old British Paralympic athlete – who was eliminated from the BBC show with her professional dance partner AJ Pritchard on Sunday night (09.12.18) – is amazed by how much her dancing skills developed as she progressed on the popular programme.
Looking back at clips of her dancing on ‘Strictly’ spin-off ‘It Takes Two’ with Zoe Ball, she said: "I actually feel super happy and looking back, we have had so much fun.
"And I’ve loved every second; never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever look so elegant on the floor."
AJ gushed: "Honestly, this dance for me was about personality, going out there and having fun and that’s exactly what happened."
Lauren’s parents later thanked the 24-year-old dancer for helping the brunette – who was born without a complete right arm – hone her dancing skills on the show.
In a video from home, her father said: "’Strictly Come Dancing’ semi-finalists… absolutely amazing and I am so proud of you."
"AJ, we really appreciate how much you have looked after Lauren and helped her to become a beautiful dancer, thank you."
The pair were voted off of the show after a dance-off against Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev.
AJ and Lauren performed the Samba to ‘Rock The Boat’ by The Hues Corporation and a Tango to Tina Turner’s ‘Nutbush City Limits’ and received mixed comments from the judges.
Head judge Shirley Ballas said: "I felt you kept the correct character from beginning to end.
"At the very end it got out of sync. But overall some great footwork, great frame, beautiful steps."
All four judges chose to save Ashley and Pasha after the dance-off, which put them through to the final this weekend.
The ‘Strictly’ final will air on Saturday (15.12.18) on BBC One.