James Cracknell "had fun" and "learned a lot" about himself during his \'Strictly Come Dancing\' stint.
The former Olympic rower was the first celebrity voted off this year\'s BBC Latin and ballroom show over the weekend alongside his partner Luba Mushtuk, and he praised his pro partner, despite admitting it was "probably a struggle" for her.
James - who damaged his brain\'s frontal lobes after he was hit at 70mph by a tanker while cycling in America in 2010 - wrote on Twitter: "Thank u @LubaMushtuk for being an amazing partner/teacher/choreographer sadly you\'re not a miracle worker. I\'m no dancer (& knew it), I\'ve always avoided things I know I\'d be bad at, but I wanted that to stop. I had fun & learned a lot about myself thanks Luba @bbcstrictly (sic)"
Amber Davies Shares Heartfelt Support for Strictly Professional Luba Mushtuk
The 47-year-old star admitted he had started to get to grips with the steps, and is a "way better dancer" than he was two weeks ago.
He added: "You become more regimented, so you have to work within that.
"It\'s probably been a struggle for Luba, her having to say, \'Do the steps and they will come,\' rather than having to make sure it\'s perfect.
"I definitely enjoyed the last three days of the last week as I got to grips with the steps and started to enjoy it. I\'m enjoying it anyway, the luxury of being with someone so good and learning off them.
"I\'m a way better dancer than I was two weeks ago. Luba\'s been amazing with being so patient with a couple of left feet."
Luba added: "I would like to say a huge thank you with all my heart to make this journey so amazing.
"You inspired me every day and I hope you inspire many more other people to start dancing."
The pair scored 11 points from the judges for their Tango last week, and their Jive received 13 points over the weekend.
Those scores combined with the public vote meant James and Luba faced David James and his partner Nadiya Bychkova in the Dance Off, which they lost.
23 December 2025 - 4:12 AM
