Strictly Come Dancing's Anton du Beke breaks down as couple score first 40 of the series

Just seven couples remain on Strictly Come Dancing, with the couples set to perform their own routines as well as take part in the samba-thon

Anton du Beke broke down in tears as Tasha Ghouri bagged the first 40 of the series.

Tasha and Aljaž Škorjanec danced their American Smooth to Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi, which earned high praise from the judges. The pair managed to score a perfect 40 out of 40, the first of the whole series so far

Shirley said: "This is the first time I've seen you cry and you were very emotional." Anton then admitted: "It was beautiful. It just makes me go - this is why we dance. This is the point. People say why do you dance, and that's why."

This week, the celebrities also danced as part of a Samba-thon, where they took the dancefloor together to perform their best Samba moves to earn extra votes from the judges.

Comedian Chris spoke of how grateful he is for all the support from his fans and fellow comedians. Explaining what it means to have everyone's support, he revealed: "I’ve had lots of lovely messages from people saying you’re doing really well and it’s nice that fellow comedians think that I’m coming across as myself, that means a lot."

Gladiators star Montell added of what the show means to her: "It’s brought out a side that’s been hidden for a long time. I’ve never been able to express it because I’ve never danced before. It’s more about discovering that side rather than creating a new one. It’s like I’m nurturing a side that was locked up in a box."

*Strictly Come Dancing airs weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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