JJ Chalmers became the sixth celebrity to depart the dance floor in Strictly Come Dancing 2020 during Sunday’s results show.
The TV presenter, 33, who is set to remove shrapnel from his inflamed leg next year, faced Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing in the dance-off after landing at the bottom of the leaderboard with 20 and 24 points out of 40, respectively.
Despite missing out on reaching the semi-finals, the Invictus Games star praised his professional partner Amy Dowden for ‘not letting him down’ amid her Crohn’s disease.
He’s out! JJ Chalmers became the sixth celebrity to depart the dance floor in Strictly Come Dancing 2020 during Sunday’s results show (pictured with pro partner Amy Dowden)
JJ and the Welsh choreographer, 30, performed their Charleston to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang again in a bid to stay in the competition, while TV star Jamie, 32, and Karen Hauer, 38, showcased their Jive to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood chose to save the Candy Kittens entrepunuer as he explained: ‘Well I think both couples danced to the best of their abilities and both couples upped their game considerably.
‘But for me the best couple on the night that I would like to go through to semi finals – Jamie and Karen.’
Fellow panellist Motsi Mabuse, meanwhile, voted for JJ after observing a ‘little hiccup’ with Jamie’s routine.
Bottom two: The TV presenter, 33, who is set to remove shrapnel from his inflamed leg next year, faced Made In Chelsea ‘s Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer in the dance-off
‘You’ve built me up’: Despite missing out on reaching the semi-finals, the Invictus Games star praised choreographer Amy, 30, for ‘not letting him down’ amid her Crohn’s disease
Head Judge Shirley Ballas, who had the overall say, shared her verdict: ‘Both couples lifted their game, I adored both performances very very much, and both couples made small mistakes, both couples.
‘But on a more powerful and through difficulty of choreography and through sheer determination, I’m going to save Jamie.’
When asked about his stint on the series by hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, public speaker JJ gushed: ‘I’m unbelievably proud.
Kind: An emotional Amy added: ‘Aw JJ it has been an absolute honour to be your partner and most importantly friend, throughout your Strictly experience’
‘I never thought I would make it this far, I’ve gotten half decent maybe at something which I had no clue about to begin with and I’ve enjoyed every second of it, it has just been an absolute blast. It’s just a privilege to be in this long.
‘I mean this competition is insane! To be counted among that cast at this stage in particular means the world to me. It’s meant everything.
‘It’s been an unbelievable challenge, well outside my comfort zone but I’ve had this one to just keep me in it and I can’t quite express what she means to me.’
Thanking Amy for helping him through his dance journey, the father-of-two shared: ‘She’s lived through so much in her own right in fairness.
‘I know that any day she can wake up and she could be hospitalised essentially so she lives fearing she’ll let people down. But the way you’ve built me up, you could never let me down.’
Gutted: Jamie and Karen were saved by the judges for the second week in a row, landing a place in the semi-finals
An emotional Amy added: ‘Aw JJ it has been an absolute honour to be your partner and most importantly friend, throughout your Strictly experience. He is, and everybody would agree, one of the world’s most truest gentlemen.
‘I honestly believe from working with JJ over the last few months I’ve become a better person and I’ve learned so much.
‘The way he faces challenges with such strength and determination, you have helped me for the rest of my life on how to face my own personal challenges. And honestly I’m so proud of every single step you’ve performed on this floor, I just had the best time.
‘I didn’t think I could possibly fall in love with Strictly any more and this year my heart is just beaming full of Strictly and that’s down to absolutely everybody and I love you all.’
Elsewhere in the episode, viewers were treated to a musical performance by the cast of the musical & Juliet and West End and Broadway star Marisha Wallace.
Earlier in the week, JJ, who previously served as a Royal Marine, revealed he’ll have surgery to remove shrapnel from his leg.
In an interview, the Scottish ex-Royal Marines Commando said his limb became inflamed and leaves him with a ‘tender, stinging pain’ whenever he trained for the BBC competition.
The TV star admitted that while he hasn’t gone a year without surgery since 2014, he won’t his injury ‘slow him down’ as he prepares to go under the knife in January.
Impressive: Elsewhere in the episode, viewers were treated to a musical performance by the cast of the musical & Juliet and West End and Broadway star Marisha Wallace
JJ, who was injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011 and sustained damage in the warzone, said: ‘My body is covered in scars and it’s full of shrapnel and frag and stuff from Afghanistan, which can sit quite happily for many years without any real issues.
‘But the problem is, this one has been exacerbated. Unfortunately, what it does is it looks for the quickest way up to the surface of your skin, which is where the scar is. So it’s about a six-inch scar that’s pretty inflamed. It’s a very tender, stinging pain.
‘When Amy presses up against it, it’s not a nice thing to poke at. Since 2014, I’ve not gone a year without a surgery, so it’s a pretty routine thing for me, unfortunately. But, as I say, I’m not going to let it slow me down. It’s amazing what you can get used to.
‘It’s a stinging pain’: In a recent interview, the TV star, who served as a Royal Marine (pictured in 2014), revealed his limb becomes inflamed whenever he trains for the competition
He added to The Sun that he’s currently nursing his injury with antibiotics and virtual medical appointments with his surgeon.
The Lance Corporal’s military career as a reservist ended in 2011 when he was caught up in a bomb blast aged 23 in Helmand, Afghanistan, which killed two of his comrades.
JJ suffered a broken neck, lost two fingers and both arms were nearly wrenched off, with one elbow mangled. Holes were blown in his leg. He also suffered a crushed eye socket and shattered eardrum.
He went on to have 30 operations over four years and had to learn how to walk again, dress and feed himself.
‘It’s not a nice thing to poke at’: The media personality is currently nursing his injury with antibiotics and virtual medical appointments with his surgeon