Brian Conley, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing alongside Amy Dowden in 2017, has insisted his brother “ruined” his chances on the BBC show. The EastEnders actor explained that his brother Alan Conley, who is a floor manager for several BBC shows including Strictly, threw him off during his time in the competition.
Brian left This Morning presenters Dermot O’Leary and Josie Gibson in hysterics today as he explained the slip-up when he appeared as a guest on the ITV show. Brian and Amy were voted off in Week 5 of the fifteenth Strictly series after their Jive to Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual.
“As you well know, my brother is in the business,” he said. “Alan is, of course, doing Britain’s Got Talent at the moment and he does Strictly every year.
“That was very surreal when I did Strictly and he’d go, ‘Go on bruv, good luck.’ Brian then went on to share a rare insight into his Strictly experience.
“I’m going to tell you this,” he said. “The very first episode – and that’s why when you go ‘you conquered Strictly’ – the first week I’m in the dance-off.”
“We’re the very first people to dance, me and Amy. And I’m waiting for the ‘Daning the Cha Cha Cha’ – like that.
“But there was none of that! My brother just went, ‘Good luck’. And it just went ‘pa pa pa’,” he continued, imitating the music.
And then afterwards I said to Alan: “Why didn’t you tell me there was no ‘Dancing the Cha Cha Cha’!?”
“He said, ‘I was so nervous for you! I’ve never been so nervous in all my life!’
“So he ruined it for me,” Brian insisted as the presenters burst out laughing. “I could have won it,” he quipped mischievously.
He later admitted that he had shared concerns with his brother at the time over the fact that getting to the Strictly finals could clash with his pantomime appearances over the Christmas period.
However, Alan was quick to put his mind at ease by telling him: “With the greatest respect, you’re not going to win it. You’ll be out before then!”
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITVX.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
