In a touching moment at a BBC press event, Nikita Kuzmin of Strictly Come Dancing quickly moved to console his good friend Carlos Gu, who became emotional and shed tears. The two, along with their celebrity partners Amber Davies and Karen Carney, as well as fellow finalists George Clarke and Alexis Warr, gathered ahead of the show’s grand finale set for Saturday night. During a Q&A session, Carlos, aged 32, was asked about the significance of potentially becoming the first openly gay professional and the first Asian man to win the show in its two-decade history, if he and Karen were to claim the glitterball trophy.

Overcome by the moment, Carlos was brought to tears, covering his face with his hand. He handed the microphone to Karen, 38, who spoke on his behalf as Nikita stood up to comfort him with a hug. Karen addressed the audience, saying, “He’s clearly emotional about this. But more importantly, Carlos is a remarkable individual, and that’s what truly matters to me as his partner.”

“Regardless of the outcome, what matters most is that we’re all human, and he’s a wonderful person,” she continued.

The former professional footballer humorously added, “I’m glad someone else has managed to make him cry. Strictly is about more than just dancing.”

Earlier in the discussion, Karen revealed how participating in Strictly has helped her regain confidence after facing challenges in recent years.

She said: “For the last five or six years I’ve been open and honest about how I’ve been crushed by a lot, in terms of my confidence. I couldn’t figure out how to fix that. I always knew in my heart that Strictly would be the thing to fix me.”

Karen explained how her own experience watching Strictly has led her to perform every night with a smile on her face, and credited Carlos for restoring her confidence.

The star continued: “Every Saturday I’d watch it at home and forget about everything else. I’d fall in love with everybody and enjoy their journeys. I thought if I ever got the opportunity and the privilege to join it, I felt like it would be the safe environment to fix and help me again. It absolutely has for me.

“It’s really built my confidence and this guy next to me has definitely done that for me. It’s by far the happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve smiled like I’ve never smiled before. I’m so grateful for the show and to Carlos for that.

“For me, that is enough. Strictly gives so much to people so when we dance, I feel I have a responsibility to give it everything and to smile because I know when I’ve sat on the sofa, it’s helped me.”

Karen added: “I believe I have that responsibility to give that back to everyone at home.”

Carlos beamed with pride as he discussed how he has watched Karen transform since week one.

He gushed: “We can see really loud and clear how much you have grown physically, her posture, the way she carries herself from day one until now. I remember in the beginning when I met her, she was so hunched and not confident and insecure.

“I was like, ‘Karen. This journey with us is not about dancing for me. I want you to transform from a caterpillar into a butterfly. I want you, by the end of the journey, to be able to walk in the room and people see you with full confidence. That’s my goal. It’s not about dancing. It’s about how much you learn about yourself and how much you can change in yourself physically and mentally.’”

A proud Carlos declared: “And she’s done it so well. We’ve all seen her walls drop and she’s become a princess.