Vilani: 'Rav makes me feel like a lemon'

BBC

Strictly pro Aliona Vilani has claimed that Rav Wilding makes her feel like a "squeezed lemon" in training.

The dancer, who is one of three new female pros in the BBC reality series, claimed that Wilding's strength left her feeling drained after their daily practice sessions.

She also confessed that she broke down in tears outside the TV studios after Saturday's dance-off.

"I watched it back and I was smiling during the elimination, but once I got outside afterwards, I broke down and couldn't stop crying," she told Claudia Winkleman on It Takes Two.

Wilding added: "I thought we were going and then when Bruno [Tonioli] gave us one vote, I thought it was a token vote and that was it. Martina [Hingis] was so good as well."

The duo were saved from exiting the show in week one by head judge Len Goodman, who chose to eliminate tennis star Hingis instead.

Speaking about their future in the competition, the Crimewatch presenter said: "We tried really, really hard, we put 30 hours a week in and we still ended up in the dance-off, so somehow we've got to raise the game even more.

"On a personal level we've got to shine, otherwise the judges will say, 'Why did we vote to save him?'"