Strictly Come Dancing’s Claudia Winkleman and the show’s long-running conductor Dave Arch have delighted fans after they recreated the infamous Coldplay kiss-cam moment during Saturday night’s live show.
As host Tess Daly introduced a dance routine to the band’s 2008 song “Viva La Vida”, the camera panned to a balcony where Winkleman was embracing Arch, which was a nod to one of the most viral moments of the year when a kiss-cam captured Astonomer CEO Andy Byron in an intimate moment with his HR executive Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts.
Winkleman and Arch, mimicking the footage of Byron and Cabot, leapt out of each other’s arms and hid behind the balcony when the camera landed on them, feigning embarrassment.
The original kiss-came footage sparked reports of an alleged affair between the two colleagues that ultimately led both parties to step down.
Strictly fans found the moment amusing, with one viewer writing on X/Twitter: “Not Strictly recreating the Coldplay kiss cam moment! I need four to six business days to recover from this.”
Another person added: “That Coldplay cam was hilarious, oh Strictly, I really do love you,” as one fan said: “Claudia is an absolute legend.”
YouTuber George Clarke and his professional dance partner Alexis Warr danced a tango to the Coldplay number, scoring a total of 30 points.
Head judge Shirley Ballas praised Clarke’s “fantastic footwork” but said the routine “got lost in the middle” and led to mistakes.
Anton Du Beke, meanwhile, said he admired the internet personality’s “quiet, calm confidence”.
Elsewhere in the programme, ER star Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe performed a moving rumba to “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, which received high praise from Ballas, who gave the routine a standing ovation – and even arose from her chair to hug Kingston. The pair scored 36 out of a possible 40, with Ballas awarding her first 10 for a rumba.
