Strictly Come Dancing’s Melvin Odoom says he felt like he let partner Janette Manrara down with early exit

Speaking at the Radio Times Covers Party, the radio DJ said of being the first eliminated celebrity on the BBC1 show: “I was sad to leave everyone and then I just kind of felt like I let Janette down, because she worked so hard to teach me all the routines.

“But to be asked back to do the Christmas special and then to win was everything to me,” he added in the video interview below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1WhM1oddeY

He said that keeping his festive win a secret was a “really crazy situation to be in”, but that having his family around on Christmas Day to watch him take home the Glitterball trophy on the show made it “one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had”.

He’s also hoping to keeeeeep dancing when Janette and the rest of the Strictly cast come to London for the UK tour, which he said he would “loved” to have done.

“I’m a little bit jealous that I’m not on the tour at the moment!” he said, before adding: “I’m actually going to go and watch the guys do the tour when they come to the O2, and if Janette has any time I’d love to learn a few more things. I still want to learn the salsa and there’s a few Latin forms of dance that I’d actually like to learn.”