Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec became the first couple on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing to land a perfect score last weekend, after inspiring Craig Revel-Horwood to dust off his 10 paddle following their flawless American Smooth. But fan favourite Aljaz wasn’t even in the 20th anniversary series until a few weeks before it launched, having quit after a nine-year stint in 2022. Hastily drafted in at the 11th hour when Graziano di Prima was sacked by the BBC for his “unacceptable behaviour” towards previous partner Zara McDermott , it would be understandable if Aljaz felt a little on the back foot.
However, flashing his trademark ear-to-ear grin, he says that becoming the first pro dancer in Strictly’s long history ever to be invited back onto the show has made him nothing but incredibly happy. “I replaced nobody,” he declares, when asked if his return felt bittersweet because of the circumstances. “I felt like coming back.
I decided myself to step away, and then I came back into my own dancing shoes. And I'm still doing Strictly exactly the same way as I did before I left. And I'm really happy.
I'm proud of it.” Aljaz, 34, says that, having started on the programme in 2013, he’s seen scores of pro dancers come and go - in fact the only one who is still there from when he started is Karen Hauer. “I have always tried to do Strictly in my own positive way, focused on my celebrities 100% of the time,” he says.
“It feels even better second time aroun.
