Strictly Come Dancing star reveals daughters' brutal comments about her dance outfits

Strictly Come Dancing star Annabel Croft wowed audiences with her dazzling outfits on the dance floor in 2023.

But the star says her daughters, Amber, 28, and Lily, 25, were less than impressed. In fact, they gave their mother a stern "dressing down" when she got home, telling her she was "too old" for some of the ensembles.

Annabel, 58, a former tennis player, singled out one particularly short skirt as a case in point. However, she's grateful her daughters spoke up, admitting that their words of wisdom have made her more mindful of her fashion choices.

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In an interview with the Daily Mail, Annabel revealed, "Age is a consideration in how I dress, as my daughters said to me many years ago, 'Mum, you're too old to wear that now'. A skirt I was wearing that was too short."

She added, "It was something I wouldn't have thought twice about, but I probably wouldn't do that any more because they were right... I'm glad they said it because who else was going to say it to me?"

Annabel, who was paired with professional dancer Johannes Radebe, finished fourth in the competition, narrowly missing out on a spot in the final, which saw Coronation Street's Ellie Leach pip EastEnders' Bobby Brazier and Bad Education's Layton Williams to the post. Her stint on Strictly came just six months after the passing of her husband, yachtsman Mel Coleman, who died aged 60.

At the time, Annabel hoped that taking part in the show would help "alleviate" some of the pain she was feeling. Speaking to Express.co.uk, she shared: "When I got the offer I thought, actually, what else am I going to be doing - coming home at 4pm to a dark, empty house, a house Mel built, in the winter?

"Also, I'm an athlete. The idea of using my body to try to alleviate something - the pain, I guess - was appealing.", reports Lancs Live.

In reflecting on her time on the show, she remarked it had brought "so much light" into her life. She continued with heartfelt gratitude: "It's been the most life-changing and extraordinary experience of my life. Johannes, you have been absolutely extraordinary. You have given me a reason to get out of bed and come and dance with you, distract me and to heal me."