'Strictly' Darcey Bussell shocked by 'Yah? Yah?' catchphrase

Darcey Bussell has opened up to Graham Norton about her first weeks as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, admitting that she was shocked by her repetition of the phrase "Yah? Yah?" after every remark.

Viewers complained about the ballet dancer's "Yah?" catchphrase after the first show and Bussell and eased it out in following editions.



Speaking on Norton's BBC One show about the incident, she said: "It's disappeared. I had such a shock because I really didn't appreciate how many times I said it until I watched the show back and I thought, 'Wow'. I didn't even hear it.

"I am used to coaching dancers and getting a response so I was waiting for their [the contestants'] response and they wouldn't speak back."

Photo gallery - Strictly week 5

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Bussell continued: "I try to be constructive. I've got Craig [Revel Horwood] next to me so I don't need to be vicious. He is rubbing off on me, but I suppose my marking is a bit low and that's where I'm a bit mean."

She refused to name her tip to win the show or her favourite dancer, but described Olympic gymnast Louis Smith as "very talented".

Strictly continues this weekend at 6.30pm on BBC One.