Strictly Come Dancing star judge Craig Revel Horwood has raised hopes that AJ Odudu will be able to perform on Saturday night’s live final without a hitch – despite currently hobbling around on crutches.
The 56-year-old judge has given an update on 33-year-old AJ who has been competing on series 19 of Strictly alongside 26-year-old professional dancer Kai Widdrington.
The final of Strictly is due to take place this Saturday night – but has been hit with a plague of problems including Tilly Ramsay being struck down with Covid and show crew expressing concern about one of the returning contestants.
Taking a glass half full approach to the disaster struck series finale, Craig said AJ – who announced this week that she is battling injury – will be in enough shape to perform on Saturday.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he said: “We’re keeping our fingers crossed. She’s had treatment yesterday thank goodness, she thinks she’s going to be able to get through it.
“Like any sportsperson you soldier on. She’s worked months and months to get to this point.
“I think she just went over on it and hurt a ligament. I’ve been through this myself. I had an injection to get through the actual performance of it and then it was fine.”
Keeping his positive outlook, Craig added: “It is possible, lets just wait and see. She’s so good.”
Craig also hinted that anyone could win the Glitterball Trophy this weekend as AJ and Kai will battle against Bake Off star John Whaite and his dance partner Johannes Radebe, and EastEnders ' Rose Ayling-Ellis and partner Giovanni Pernice.
And the judge says AJ could still win the crown if she continues to dance while injured.
He said: “The point with judging on the final is we don’t have any power at all. Our scores are representative but they’re not taken into account.
“AJ could win the hearts and minds of the nation and she could sail through to the glitterball trophy.”
Craig’s words come just hours after AJ revealed she was relying on crutches to get around.
Sharing photos of herself looking downcast and holding the aforementioned crutches, the star announced via social media on Wednesday: “I've got a repeated traumatic impact injury to my right ankle affecting the joint, capsule and ligaments themselves. I can't pinpoint a moment it actually happened during training but the pain came on suddenly on Monday night.”
She continued: “The pain was so acute that I projectile vomited and currently I can't put any weight on my right foot without agonising discomfort. Because I'm unable to move without crutches, we haven't been nor will be able to rehearse properly ahead of the live final. To say I'm devastated would be a huge understatement and I am gutted.”
But remaining optimistic she added: “whilst it's not the week I had planned I'm trying to remain hopeful and positive. I'm surrounded by a fantastic medical team who are trying their best to get me back on my feet PLUS, I have the most incredible partner @kaiwidd who is carrying me emotionally and physically (literally).”
