Strictly Snub
Toyah Willcox, 66, reveals TWO Strictly pros she refused to dance with as she ‘didn’t want a young head near her crotch’
During her time on the BBC show, viewers were convinced that producers were trying to get rid of her
TOYAH Willcox has revealed the two Strictly partners she refused to dance, joking she "didn't want a young person's head near her crotch".
Singer Toyah, 66, told how bosses initially wanted to pair her with Vito Coppola, 32, but - with 34 years between them - she rejected the pairing due to the significant "age discrepancy".
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The I Want to Be Free songstress also said she also declined to be partnered with Ukrainian dancer Nikita Kuzmin, 26, citing their 40-year age gap as the reason.
In an interview with , she said: "I told them I did not want to dance with someone when there was a 40-year age discrepancy.
"I would have hated to do an intimate dance with someone that young. I said I really want to be age-appropriate and dance with someone who is right for my physicality."
Toyah explained that the show then suggested Nikita, but she declined, saying, "I just said, look, it's going to look so wrong."
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The musician shared that her co-star Sarah Hadland, 53, agreed with her concerns.
She revealed: "Sarah and I said we don't want young people's heads anywhere near our crotches, and I don't want my head anywhere near their crotches
"I said, 'Please keep this age-appropriate,' and the team respected that. Nikita is gorgeous, but I didn't want him to be frustrated performing with an old woman."
Toyah ultimately agreed to team up with Neil Jones, 42, with the pair lasting until week two of the competition.
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During her time on the BBC show, viewers were left convinced that producers were trying to get rid of her, thanks to an 'obvious clue'.
Toyah and Neil were chosen to perform their Samba second during yesterday's Movie Week installment.
Watch moment Toyah Willcox takes awkward swipe at fellow Strictly star Chris McCausland on live TV
Toyah did little to impress the judging panel as she came out with low scores.
But it wasn't the scores that Strictly fans thought could land her in the dance-off again.
Many took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain that she had been given the dreaded "death slot" by going second.
The "death slot" refers to the place in the running order which is least likely to throw up success.
It left fans to suspect that the Beeb secretly want to get the 80s pop singer out by giving her the spot.
Writing online, one fan said: "Toyah has the death slot, seems like they want her to go now that she's made it to Movie Week."
Another added: "A Samba and Toyah is in the death spot. OH DEAR!"
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A third wrote: "Lol @ production doing Toyah and Neil no favours by dumping them in the death slot."
Before a fourth penned: "Toyah and Neil death slot oh it’s over for them."
Strictly stars at risk of the axe in 2025
Gorka Marquez joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2016 when he was partnered with EastEnders actress Tameka Empson. The following year he was partnered with singer Alexandra Burke. They reached the final and finished as one of the runners-up.
In 2020, he was partnered with actress Maisie Smith. Again, he made it to the final and finished as a runner-up.
He failed to make it third time lucky in 2022, finishing runner-up again with Helen Skelton.
Nadiya Bychkova joined the show in 2017 with EastEnders actor Davood Ghadami. The pair reached Week 11, finishing in 6th place.
Her best performance to date came in 2021 when she finished fifth with Dan Walker.
Neil Jones has been without a celebrity partner more times than he's had one since joining in 2016.
His best finish was with ex-footballer Alex Scott in 2019, finishing in fifth.
Katya Jones was another 2016 addition and made an instant impression with politician Ed Balls. Their Gangnam Style routine is still a favourite to this day.
In 2017 she lifted the Glitterball with Joe McFadden.
The following year she was at the heart of a show scandal after snogging her dance partner, the comedian Seann Walsh.
Karen Hauer has been an ever-present since 2012.
Despite her lengthy association with the show, she's never lifted the Glitterball. The closest she came was in 2020 when she finished runner-up with Jamie Laing.
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