Chris and Amy wound up in the first dance-off of the new season over the weekend, and were sent home by the judges, who opted to save the actor Jaime Winstone and her professional partner Carlos Gu.
On Sunday night, after their exit aired, the Welsh dancer posted a carousel of pictures of herself and the celebrity hairstylist on Instagram, telling him: “I honestly don’t think words can quite describe how proud I am of you.”
“Seeing your Strictly journey come to an end is emotional, but what I’ll treasure most isn’t the result, it’s the friendship, memories and special moments we’ve shared along the way,” Amy wrote.
“I know unfortunately only too well heartbreak. But I also know that the reason it hurts so much is because of the friendship and bond we’ve formed and that’s something that isn’t going anywhere.
“From the nerves, the laughter and the endless rehearsals to the moments when things felt tough, you gave everything you had. You showed such heart, determination and kindness, and it has been an absolute privilege to share this journey with you.”
Amy added: “Strictly may have brought us together as partners, but I truly believe it has given me a friend for life. Our dancing journey may have ended, but our friendship certainly hasn’t.
“Chris, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Thank you for every laugh, every memory, every hug and for simply being you. I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.”
“Love you, my friend,” she signed off her message, referring to herself as “your Welsh princess, as you call me”.
Following this, Chris commented: “I love you Amy. Getting to know you was the greatest gift.
“Thank you for being more than I could have ever wished for in a dance partner because you became a friend for life.
“Keep shining, keep smiling and keep showing everyone [your] talent [and] your heart because you are one of one my friend.”
After being eliminated by the judges in Sunday’s pre-recorded launch show, Chris enthused: “It’s been so amazing to be a part of such a special thing that I grew up watching, and I feel very proud to be a part of it. But the most important thing I think I’ll take from this show is having a friend in Amy, because I genuinely love [her] and am so grateful that I met someone who has so much heart.”
He admitted: “I already wish I’d done better for her because she deserves to go further in the competition. But we did put everything into it, so it is what it is.”
Alluding to the fact that this year marks Amy’s second in a row that her celebrity partner has been eliminated first, she continued: “Obviously, I’m heartbroken, it seems to be my luck the last few years. But my heart is only breaking because I don’t get to dance with you on Monday.
“But, I get a friend for life, and that’s what’s going to heal my broken heart.”
In Saturday’s Movie Week-themed live show, Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters and dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec landed at the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard, but secured enough votes from the public to save them from the dance-off.
Meanwhile, pop singer Delta Goodrem is the current frontrunner, after winning huge praise for her first two routines with pro dancer Kai Widdrington.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday night at 6.15pm on BBC One.
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