Strictly Come Dancing's Will Best says he's "judged" by Big Brother co-host AJ Odudu

Strictly Come Dancing star Will Best revealed that he gets "judged" by his Big Brother co-host AJ Odudu while presenting the live Friday eviction shows, a role he continues to fulfil alongside his Strictly duties.

On Thursday's episode of It Takes Two, Will was asked whether AJ, who previously competed on Strictly's 19th season in 2021, had offered him any advice.

Speaking about AJ, Will praised her dancing skills, admitting that he feels judged by her on Fridays, when Big Brother's eviction night takes place.

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"She's better than me, instantly, it demoralises me! She's amazing, she is, she makes me show her the moves. And she gives me feedback. I get judged on a Friday," he quipped.

Set to air this Saturday, week three of the BBC dance competition will see Will and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell perform a waltz to 'With You I’m Born Again' by Billy Preston & Syreeta.

Speaking about this week's routine, Will said he is finding it more difficult than in previous weeks, adding that his confidence has been knocked.

"It's really different. It's very slow. A Waltz is terrifying. I've found this week much harder than the other two weeks," he said.

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He continued: "Partly because it's hard not to have criticism in your ears - which is important and you want that feedback, but you know when your confidence is maybe a bit lower? But it's very exposing. A Waltz is so slow and it has to be so precise."

On why the waltz is so difficult, Will explained: "But actually, that is one of the hardest things - what do I do with my face? I still want people to know I'm having fun!

"But today was the first time we were practicing it with a smile, a soft smile. And it actually made it easier, genuinely, it made it easier. It tricked my body into thinking 'this is fun, it shouldn't be painful'."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One, while It Takes Two airs on BBC Two.

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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.