Strictly Come Dancing professional Aljaž Škorjanec has revealed that the moment he is asked about the most from his time on the show is not one of his many incredible performances, but an iconic gaffe. The star won the Glitterball Trophy with Abbey Clancey and was part of the highest-scoring partnership of all time with Tasha Ghouri – but it's something else entirely that still gets people talking, in the best way possible.
Speaking on spin-off It Takes Two tonight (18 December), Aljaž said it's an unforgettable faux-pas with Alison Hammond back in 2014 that still follows him around to this day.
"I feel like over the years there have been moments for me on Strictly that I love to remember, for whatever reason it is – dancing, lifts, costumes," he said.
"But the most amount of times that people have stopped me, has been [about] the moment with Alison Hammond when that dress went over my head."
Alison was competing in the Dance-Off during Halloween Week eleven years ago when the sleeve of her dress landed right over Aljaž's face, completely covering it.
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Footage of her howling with infectious giggles in the aftermath went viral at the time, and is still extremely popular now.
Aljaž added: "Once we finished dancing that dance-off, Alison burst into laughter that lasted about ten minutes. You can't help but laugh with her. Thank you for making me laugh, every single day."
The professional dancer was paired with La Voix this year, but they had to bow out ahead of the Blackpool special when the Drag Race star sustained an injury.
Still, they'll be back in the ballroom this weekend along with the other eliminated contestants, bar Thomas Skinner, to perform a special routine.
George Clarke, Karen Carney and Amber Davies are the last three celebrities standing, and the final will also mark Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's final episode as hosts, after they pre-recorded the upcoming Christmas special last week.
Speaking last night, Tess revealed an interesting piece of trivia about the finale: the cue card she holds in her hand during the winners' announcement usually has nothing on it.
"Often, the cards are blank," she said on The One Show. "The winner's name isn't on it. We haven't had time to fill it in! We've got the result, and myself and Claud, we're cantering into position, in the heels, always running, on the floor, ready to reveal the winner.
"And often it's coming into my earpiece at the very last second and I'm very nervous in case it doesn't come! Everyone's got bated breath. And live, our lovely producer is telling me who the winner is."
While speculation over Tess and Claudia's successors has been rife, an announcement is not expected until 2026.
The final of Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm on Saturday, 20 December.
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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
