BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly in tears over tribute to late co-star

Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly broke down in tears as she paid an emotional tribute to her late co-star, Sir Bruce Forsyth, on the launch show in 2017

Tess Daly was visibly moved to tears during a poignant tribute to the late Bruce Forsyth on Strictly Come Dancing. The beloved presenter, who passed away in August 2017 at the age of 89 after battling illness, was honoured by the show's cast with a heartfelt performance weeks after his death, reports OK!.

The Strictly professionals danced gracefully to Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon as an image of Bruce shone in the background. Tess, 55, attempted to deliver a few words but was quickly overcome with emotion, prompting Claudia Winkleman to step in and say: "He was a legend to so many people but to us at Strictly he was just Brucie." Gathering herself, Tess then added poignantly: "And to put it in his own words, didn't he do well?" The emotional segment touched viewers deeply, with social media users expressing their feelings.

One viewer tweeted: "OF COURSE I'M NOT CRYING WHILE WATCHING THE BRUCIE TRIBUTE ON STRICTLY." Another shared: "Crying because brucie will be proud; bruce should be here watching everyone performing live #StrictlyComeDancing2017," and another commented: "Just watching #Strictly's tribute to #Brucie. No I'm not crying, there's something in my eye."

Strictly's executive producer Louise Rainbow has opened up about the show's plans to honour the late Sir Bruce. She revealed: "The thoughts of everyone here are still very much with Sir Bruce's family. Of course, we will be paying tribute to Sir Bruce at our launch show and this will include a heartfelt performance from our Strictly professional dancers. We all want to celebrate him and all that he loved about the show. Sir Bruce was, and will always be, a huge part of Strictly Come Dancing."

Tess, deeply moved by the loss of her friend and colleague, also shared a touching tribute on X, formerly known as Twitter. She expressed: "There are no words to describe how heartbroken I am to be told the saddest news that my dear friend Sir Bruce Forsyth has passed away..." She continued to share her fond memories, saying, "From the moment we met, Bruce and I did nothing but laugh our way through a decade of working together on Strictly Come Dancing and I will never forget his generosity, his brilliant sense of humour and his drive to entertain the audiences he so loved."

Tess also reflected on the personal impact Sir Bruce had on her life, saying: "He has been there for me as a co-host, a mentor but most importantly as a friend and I'm extremely fortunate to have worked alongside the man who defined Saturday Night Entertainment for so many decades."

She added: "He was a gentleman and a true legend. I will miss him deeply. My heart goes out to Winnie his wife and his beautiful family at this sad time."