EastEnders actor Jake Wood's journey on Strictly Come Dancing came to an end tonight when it was announced that he had been voted out of the competition with his professional dance partner, Janette Manrara.
Out of the thirteen weeks that the show has been on, Jake found himself in the bottom two for the first time tonight up against former TOWIE star Mark Wright and his pro dancer Karen who found themselves at risk of going home for the third time. However, it was third time lucky for Mark and Karen as their performance of the rumba to Eva Cassidy's 'Fields Of Gold' impressed Len Goodman who was given the deciding vote when Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli both decided to save Jake and Janette. Commenting on Jake and Janette's cha cha cha which they performed to ‘;Boogie Shoes' by KC and the Sunshine Band, Len said: “This is very difficult. The cha cha cha had little cha cha cha content and the rumba had little rumba content so in that respect it's a very level playing field. One was totally performance driven, the other was more about artistry and this is for me the toughest of all but I'm going to save Mark and Karen.”
Jake was up against Mark in the bottom two (BBC Pictures)
Admitting that he was sad not to get to the final for a chance to win the glitterball trophy, Jake said following his exit: "It's a huge disappointment to go out in the semi-finals but for a 42-year-old dad of two, who's never danced before, Janette has worked wonders. It's been a real privilege to watch her work and she's so passionate about what she does that it's infectious. I'd like to thank all the people at home who voted - it's just meant the world. And I'd like to thank my wife Alison and my two children Amber and Buster as well. Without their support I couldn't have done this.”
Gushing about her pride for the EastEnders actor who plays the role of Max Branning, Janette said: “I don't have enough words to say how proud I am of him. He's come from nowhere and gotten all the way to the semi-final. He's been an absolute pleasure to work with - so driven, so focused. He's just phenomenal. Thank-you, Jake, for making this such an amazing experience. He's my friend for life now. For real.”
The dancing couple were gracious about their exit (BBC Pictures)
So, who is in the final? Caroline Flack, Frankie Bridge, Simon Webbe and Mark Wright will all dance again for one last time next week in a two show special where the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2014 will be announced.
