Strictly Come Dancing star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has broken his silence after his elimination and facing the dance off against Amber Davies on Sunday night.
The former Leeds United and Chelsea footballer, 53, became the fourth celebrity to exit the show this weekend.
He found himself in the bottom two alongside Love Island winner Amber, 29, despite both being two of the highest scorers of the week.
While Hasselbaink and his dance partner Lauren Oakley scored 30 out of 40 for their American Smooth to Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution, Davies and professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin scored 33 for their Cha Cha Cha to Break Free by Ariana Grande.
But after both couples performed their routines again, Davies was saved in the dance off.
Soon after Jimmy took to his Instagram to break his silence on the exit as he shared a snap with Lauren.
He wrote: ‘My time on the show has come to an end, and while I left earlier than I’d hoped, I walk away proud of what I achieved. In just a few weeks, I made my point- a footballer can dance, and it’s more than okay to put yourself out there.
Most importantly, I made my daughters proud. I showed them that stepping outside your comfort zone is worth it, and that hard work truly pays off. Lauren- thank you from the bottom of my heart.
‘Your talent, patience, and belief in me made this journey unforgettable. Dancing with you has been a privilege, and I’ll always be grateful for the way you lifted me up and helped me grow. To the hidden heroes behind the scenes- hair, makeup, wardrobe/ costume, the runners, the backstage and camera crew- you are the heartbeat of this show.
‘To everyone who’s supported and voted for us. THANK YOU. To all the contestants I’ve met, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you. I’ll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines. Keep dancing and keep shining.’
Hasselbaink, who achieved his highest score of the competition on Saturday, said he had ‘absolutely loved’ his time on the show when speaking to host Tess Daly at the end of the episode.
He then added: ‘The only thing you can do is dance as best as you can and then it’s up to the public.
‘I was actually quite happy to dance again because I wanted to do better than my previous one.
‘So listen, I have had a blast. From the people up there [pointing to the other couples], to the judges – thank you very much for your comments.’
His professional dance partner Oakley said she was ‘gutted’ about his exit and added: ‘We have had the best time and I am so proud of how far he has come.
‘And it proves that anyone can be a dancer if you put your mind to it. He’s a footballer! And he just danced like that.
‘We’ve had the best time and I’m just so proud and I feel honoured to have been able to teach you. You’ve been an amazing student.’
Amber has been criticised for having years of dance experience in West End productions prior to appearing on the BBC dance show, and television viewers failed to vote for the star despite her high scores.
The only person to top Davies’s score was Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope with a score of 34.
He appeared in Billy Elliot the Musical and was part of the dance crew Ruff Diamond, who reached the final of Sky’s Got To Dance and the Semi-Finals of Britain’s Got Talent.
At the bottom of the leaderboard was YouTube influencer George Clarke with a score of 27.
He was followed by drag queen La Voix, Eastenders actress Balvinder Sopal, Down’s Syndrome model Ellie Goldstein, and former footballer Karen Carney, who all scored 28.
It came after presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they will depart the show at the end of the series.
