Strictly's Lawrence Robb called out by Josh Widdicombe after 'throwing' pro as lift comes 'crashing' down

Jowita Przystal landed with a bump after a Strictly stunt went slightly less than ideally to plan.

Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal perform a dramatic partnered move on a brightly lit stage, surrounded by vivid purple and pink lighting.

BBC

Published: Saturday, 17 October 2026 at 7:41 pm

He might have scored an impressive 30 points but Emmerdale favourite Lawrence Robb's Salsa didn't go entirely to plan on Strictly Come Dancing's Icons Week.

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Bringing enthusiasm and energy to the dance floor for their routine to La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin tonight, the actor and his partner Jowita Przystal packed the choreography with tricks and lifts. Perhaps one too many!

It was right at the end of the routine when Lawrence whisked Jowita into the air and spun her around, intending to land her deftly back on the floor to slide into a final pose, but it didn't quite pan out. Instead, Jowita came back to earth with a bump on her rear – causing an audible cringe from the audience.

Nonetheless, she seemed pleased and the pair celebrated in high spirits as the crowd erupted into applause.

Heading over to hosts Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis and the judges to receive their scores, it became clear the less-than-ideal exit from the lift hadn't gone unnoticed.

"No more lifts!" Josh shouted, laughing. "Stop the lifts, stop the lifts!

"Are you okay?" he added, checking in on Jowita, who smiled: "Absolutely!

"Oh my word," Josh gasped, still stunned as he turned to the judging panel. "Anton, I was watching you... That final – I'm gonna call it throw... you had your head in your hands!"

Anton Du Beke appeared to concur with Josh's assessment of the handling of the ambitious stunt, chuckling as he recalled the "whoosh!" of the lift followed by the "crash" at the end: "And everyone went 'Ohhh!'

"Well, good luck with that bruise in the morning," he told Jowita, who laughed it off.

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Despite the hiccup, Anton was dazzled by Lawrence's performance overall, praising him: "That was spectacular, I have to tell you.

"Your performance is outstanding, never drop below that. Your lifts are amazing."

Speaking to Johannes after plenty more positive comments from the rest of the panel, Jowita also gushed about Lawrence's transformation into Ricky Martin, saying: "I don't know what just happened. We've never had anything like that before!"

Strictly Come Dancing: The Results airs tomorrow at 7.10pm on BBC One.

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Minnie Wright stands before a red backdrop, is smiling and looking at the camera

Minnie WrightDigital Growth and Acquisitions Lead

Minnie Wright is the digital growth and acquisitions lead of Radio Times. She has a background in TV, film, showbiz and music at a major national publication and a degree in Popular Music Journalism.

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