Bobby Brazier paid homage to his mother, Jade Goody, on Strictly Come Dancing with an emotional dance.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the 20-year-old EastEnders star and his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell, 34, performed modern dances to Maxwell’s This Woman’s Job.
Bobby’s father, Jeff Brazier, who described Bobby as a “walking tribute to his mother” in the VT, shed a few tears in the crowd.
And he wasn’t the only one; Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke both became upset when offering their feedback.
Anton, 57, given Bobby the highest praise when he said he would be happy if his six-year-old kid resembled him.
‘You danced it from your heart so I would say this is by far the best number you’ve done,’ Shirley, 63, told Bobby.
The dance received a score of 37, placing him second on the leaderboard behind Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.
Not only did his magnificent dance captivate the hearts of everyone watching, but so did his words.
Before hitting the stage, he spoke about Goody, who died in 2009 at the age of 27 from cervical cancer.
He recalled seeing his mum as a ‘superhero’ and shared his wish: ‘I’d love to spend a day with her to see where I got my smile.’
While Jeff, 44, told reporters that he was the ‘fortunate’ dad.
‘I’m the one who gets to bring the boys up I’m the one who gets to watch him on Strictly and it brings so much joy to my life, I’m very, very grateful for that.’
Bobby’s 19-year-old brother, Freddie, was in the crowd, passionately supporting his brother.
His personal portion in the broadcast also moved Strictly fans.
‘That was absolutely beautiful – his mum would be so proud of him,’ wrote one person on X, formerly Twitter.
The poignant dance began with Bobby and Dianne only visible through shadows on a tent and ended with Bobby looking at a lone shadow. One person felt particularly emotional after watching that conclusion: ‘Crying my eyes out. The last part of the dance where bobby was just looking at himself and his “mum” wasn’t there anymore.’
‘The walking tribute to his mam; haven’t been so emotional watching someone dance then this couples choice from bobby and dianne. the storytelling was so beautiful, and his mam would be so proud of him. definitely his best dance, so proud of this partnership,’ shared one viewer who was captivated by the performance.
that was absolutely beautiful – his mum would be so proud of him #strictly pic.twitter.com/XATLZsl2Q4
— Ruby Naldrett (@rubynaldrett) November 25, 2023
crying my eyes out. the last part of the dance where bobby was just looking at himself and his “mum” wasn’t there anymore. #strictly pic.twitter.com/zriF7h2sgp
— leah (@flickersuggs) November 25, 2023
the walking tribute to his mam; haven't been so emotional watching someone dance then this couples choice from bobby and dianne. the storytelling was so beautiful, and his mam would be so proud of him. definitely his best dance, so proud of this partnership ❤️ #strictly pic.twitter.com/CwysIsMCRu
— Louise (@xloucliftonx96) November 25, 2023
Bobby properly predicted how the dance would make people feel earlier this week.
‘I am a child, well there is me as a child and I come out as me now. I have got Dianne, who replicates a woman let’s say my mother probably,’ he explained on It Takes Two.
‘We go on this journey throughout. I don’t know the whole dance yet to tell you completely but it is emotional. I think there could be a few tears.’
Bobby later wrote a poignant message about his mother’s routine on his Instagram Story.
‘The inevitable tests of life can make us hate the world but bitterness only gets in the way of seeing our blessings. I’m so grateful for my story. God is great,’ he wrote, alongside a white heart emoji.
A black-and-white snapshot of a moment from his fluid dance was presented beneath.
Strictly Come Dancing continues tomorrow at 7.20pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
