Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison became emotional on Wednesday night’s episode of It Takes Two, opening up about her heartbreaking exit from the competition and admitting she “knew deep down” she wouldn’t survive the dreaded dance-off.

Vicky and her professional partner Kai Widdrington were voted out last weekend, ending her bid for the Glitterball Trophy on what should have been a day of celebration — her 38th birthday. The bittersweet timing added to the emotional blow, especially as the pair had topped the leaderboard just a week earlier (BBC News).

Their jive failed to impress the judges or secure enough public votes, landing them in the bottom two against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon — a pair who already had extensive dance-off experience. Reflecting on the moment, Vicky told It Takes Two host Janette Manrara that her nerves made her feel “the writing was on the wall.”

Vicky Pattison admits she’s still ‘sad’ to leave Strictly

Vicky appeared on It Takes Two for the first time since her elimination — after missing the usual Monday exit interview due to long-standing birthday plans, something she says no contestant can schedule around because “you never know” when you’ll be voted off (Metro).

Speaking to Janette, she admitted:

“It’s been an absolute joy from start to finish… I’m really sad it’s over.”

She became particularly emotional when discussing her Tango, which earned widespread praise from fans and judges. A friend even gifted her a framed print of the moment, which Vicky said left her “in tears” all over again (Radio Times).

Her husband recorded a secret video (Credit: It Takes Two/BBC)

A surprise message from her husband Ercan

Janette then revealed a surprise video message from Vicky’s husband, Ercan Ramadan.

On screen, he told her:

“We are all so proud of you. You’re an incredible woman, an inspiration. We love you and can’t wait to have you back home.”

He even turned the camera to show their two dogs “waiting patiently” for her return.

Vicky became visibly emotional at the sweet message, later joking:

“For a second I thought that was going to be Taylor Swift!”

Kai and Vicky reflect on the shock dance-off

Kai admitted the pair were stunned to find themselves in the bottom two.

“It was tough because we weren’t expecting it… For Bal and Jules, it was their fourth dance-off, so they knew what to do. For us, it was new territory.”

Vicky then added that anxiety has always been her biggest battle throughout the series:

“Even though I’ve come on leaps and bounds, I’m still an anxious girly. If I was ever to end up in a dance-off, the writing was probably on the wall.”

She also expressed guilt about letting Kai down:

“My heart was absolutely broke for Kai. He did everything he could — as a professional, a partner and a friend. I just didn’t have it in my locker.”

Vicky reiterated that the situation felt like a lose-lose, as she previously told Tess Daly during her exit interview that her nerves ultimately “got in the way” (ITV News).

Vicky appeared emotional on the episode (Credit: It Takes Two/BBC)

A fan-favourite exit that still stings

Her elimination sparked a wave of disappointment from viewers, who had expected to see Vicky perform in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, especially after her standout routines earlier in the series (The Independent).

Although her Strictly journey has ended, Vicky’s authenticity, humour and vulnerability struck a chord with fans — and her emotional appearance on It Takes Two showed just how much the experience meant to her.