Zoe Ball says Richie Anderson's Strictly exit is…

Zoe Ball says Richie Anderson's Strictly exit is 'totally undeserved'

Zoe Ball has said it was "totally undeserved" that her Breakfast Show colleague Richie Anderson had been the second contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing. There has been anger after the Radio 2 traffic presenter and his partner Giovanni Pernice left the show. The couple ended up in the dance off with Fleur East and Vita Coppola.

The contestants found themselves in the dance-off during Movie Week, which saw Richie and Giovanni perform a routine inspired by The Lion King, while Fleur and Vito opted for a number from The Little Mermaid.

Taking to the dance floor again following the public vote, Richie and Giovanni danced the Samba to Hakuna Matata, while Fleur and Vito performed their American Smooth to Part Of Your World. Three of the judges voted for Fleur to stay, but head judge Shirley Ballas said she would have given Richie her vote.

Zoe, who was in the audience on Saturday night to support her colleague, started the morning Breakfast Show by saying: "It's a sad day here at the Breakfast Show this morning after the shock news last night. Our favourite meerkat went out of Strictly Come Dancing, and we are all gutted. As is the nation.

"I have had so many messages overnight. We are very proud of our meerkat, and we are going to celebrate him today and make him feel better. Richie, we love you. There is lots of cuddles going on this morning, but sadly, he is not still in his meerkat outfit."

She then went on to tell Richie: "We love you. It was totally undeserved. Proper shock exit. It is like when Aston Merrygold went out."

Riche said: "I am a bit gutted, but I am so proud that I got to go on Strictly and got to live a dream I always wanted to do."

Zoe then read out messages of support from listeners. BBC viewers at home took to social media to share their thoughts after the results show on Sunday night, with many believing neither Richie nor Fleur should have been in the bottom two to begin with. One viewer wrote: "This is absolutely shocking!!! Neither of them deserve to be in the bottom two, what an absolute joke." While another added: "Ridiculous! Neither Fleur nor Richie should be in the bottom two."

And a third commented: "Furious! Really furious! Neither should have been in the dance-off." "Neither couple deserved to be in bottom two!" said a fourth. "So very sad!" Read more here.

Kaye Adams and Kai Widdrington were the first to be voted off last week.

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