Ex-Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard has described Katie McGlynn of appearing 'cold' during her stint on the BBC show, as he suggested why the soap star hadn't been a hit with viewers.
Katie and her partner Gorka Marquez left the competition on Sunday night after failing to win over the judges with their Cruella de Vil inspired dance..
Since Katie made her debut at the start of the series tensions were said to be rising backstage between Strictly bosses and the Hollyoaks actress over her filming commitments.
There were also rumours of a rift between her and Gorka.
Now AJ, who left Strictly in 2020, has said the former Coronation Street star may have struggled to forge a connection with the audience.
Speaking to The Sun he said: “My four partners luckily gave everything they had to Strictly, their time, their effort and their energy.
“It is an usual one because someone can be fit and pick up the routines and have a great professional partner – but when they get onto the TV do people connect with them?
“I don’t think we connected to Katie, I wanted to see her fly or cry. I wanted to see her being competitive and angry – and sometimes it felt cold."
Since her departure Katie has been trolled on social media and has asked those behind the keyboard to think about what they're posting.
Katie took to Twitter to thank fans for their support and admitted she'd miss Strictly and her professional partner Gorka "terribly".
She also shone light on some of the nastier messages, reminding people that everyone on the show was trying to do their best.
She wrote: "Just wanted to say a huge thank you for everyone's lovely comments and messages! I’ll miss Strictly and Gorka terribly.
"But please remember to be kind with what you share on social media, none of us are dancers, we’ve all working hard and try our best each week!"
Katie's partner Gorka, who is engaged to actress Gemma Atkinson said he won't be losing any sleep over his early exit from the show saying Strictly "is just a job."
The 31-year-old made the revelation on Steph's Packed Lunch with Gemma as he dismissed the so-called Strictly curse – adding it’s not ‘real life’ and is just a show.
"I can guarantee you that for all of us it is a job," he insisted.
Gemma revealed she had been accused of not supporting Katie, but stressed she actually wanted Gorka to spend more time with the actress.
She told the audience: "I read an article saying I was to blame for Saturday because they [Gorka and Katie] lacked chemistry because they were fearful of me. I said to you, Katie is from up North, she lives near us, take her for coffee and dinners…"
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One on Saturday at 6.45pm
