The actor had completely dominated the competition before last week (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
Last Saturday night, Alex Kingston had her first wobble on Strictly Come Dancing.
After coming near the top of the leaderboard week after week and being universally adored by the judges, she struggled through her Paso Doble with Johannes Radebe.
This was particularly surprising given how much the dance relies on drama, and if anyone knows how to bring drama, it’s the ER actor.
Craig Revel Horwood called the routine ‘middle of the road,’ while Motsi Mabuse noted, ‘It’s the first time that I’ve felt a bit of insecurity from you’ and that the ‘old Alex’ needed to come back.
As Shirely said she ‘lacked a little bit of passion and fire’.
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Looking completely defeated as she headed to the Clauditorium for a debrief with Claudia Winkleman, Alex revealed that she struggles with dyscalculia – or numerical dyslexia.
‘The thing is, I’m numerically dyslexic, so I can’t count,’ she said as she emotionally tried to catch her breath. ‘And that’s quite difficult.’
Alex Kingston should have been given a better song choice that accommodated her dyscalculia (Picture: PA Wire)
Essentially, Alex was let down by the song choice: Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor. The Doctor Who star explained that she’s been relying on lyrics for timing, and in their absence, she had nothing to work with – because she struggles so much with numbers.
I don’t know if that impossible hurdle became apparent earlier in the week, and I might be underestimating quite how hard that would be, but the moment it became clear Alex wouldn’t be able to find her rhythm to a lyricless song, it should have been scrapped.
Surely, at some point during rehearsals, someone could have intervened and changed the music to include a song with lyrics that would barely have altered the choreography.
For a series which has championed diversity for years and provided accommodations for so many different contestant, having its first pregnant professional this year, their lack of flexibility in a song choice is disappointing.
Amber Davies was a last minute addition, after Dani Dyer had to drop out from an injury, having 24 hours to prepare for her debut performance (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
If Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin didn’t even know they’d be performing on Strictly until days before the first live show, it’s hard to believe it wouldn’t have been possible to tweak Alex’s song to something with the same beat – but with lyrics.
Granted, even Alex herself may not have realised how much her dyscalculia would affect her performance until they were deep into rehearsals.
It’s not the first time in this series that a contestant’s condition has been overlooked or disregarded as a serious obstacle.
Former England footballer Karen Carney explained she has a condition called Scheuermann kyphosis, also known as Scheuermann disease – a skeletal disorder that typically develops during adolescence. Those with the condition cannot consciously correct their posture.
It affects the vertebrae and rounds the upper back, creating a hunched appearance.
‘It’s really, really hard for me to open my back up. There are certain elements that I just won’t be able to do as well as I’d love to,’ she said.
After her Tango in week two, judge Motsi Mabuse suggested that Karen’s curved spine was something ‘we would have to challenge’.
Granted, it was an innocent remark – ill-judged rather than malicious – but it was another example of Strictly Come Dancing being relatively flippant about a serious condition that impacts performance.
It hardly needs saying how much incredible work this show has done when it comes to representation and inclusion, especially around disability.
Reigning champion Chris McCausland was the first blind person to compete and win on Strictly Come Dancing (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
Deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis won Strictly in 2021 and transformed lives with a dramatic surge of interest in people learning British Sign Language, as well as venues making BSL more readily available.
Last year, blind comedian Chris McCausland lifted the Glitterball trophy and proved that people without vision are capable of so much more than people might expect.
And this series welcomed model Ellie Goldstein, who lives with Down syndrome, bringing one of the most joyous journeys Strictly has ever seen, with clear improvement week on week.
I have absolutely no intention of knocking Strictly Come Dancing, its intentions, or its remarkable history of doing so much good for disability awareness.
But it felt like Alex was let down on Saturday night. Her potential was hindered by a song choice, which feels bizarrely careless for Strictly.
Thankfully, I have no doubt she’ll bounce back. Alex has been absolutely phenomenal on Strictly – she’s given this show her everything, and each week her relationship with Johannes just gets deeper and deeper.
Strictly Come Dancing has championed diversity and disability visibility (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)
They have the best chemistry of any couple in the contest by far, which feels like a recurring pattern with the South African dancer’s partners every year, speaking volumes to his warm nature that shines through the screen every week.
For someone with Alex’s CV in television, it’s a wonder she’s taken part in Strictly at all.
Alex recently told Metro: ‘I was one of those people that was such a massive Strictly fan but there was always that thing [that] you don’t ever admit that you watch Strictly because you’re a serious actor.’
And she has proven that you can be a hugely celebrated actress and retain all dignity and credibility on Strictly. Every week she is so determined that I know, with a slight knock, she’s just going to return even stronger – with her Waltz to Weekend in New England by Barry Manilow.
Firstly, it has lyrics, and secondly, Alex and Johannes are never brighter than when they’re totally transfixed on each other and they’re in their own universe.
The Waltz will be perfect for them both, and I have no doubt she will secure her place in next week’s Blackpool special.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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