Smethwick-born Richie Anderson appeared ‘incredibly emotional’ on Monday evening’s It Takes Two after his exit from Strictly Come Dancing, a body language expert has said. 

The presenter became the second celebrity to leave the competition after he and dance partner Giovanni Pernice lost a dance off against Fleur East and pro Vito Coppola.

Behavioural and body language expert Darren Stanton – speaking on behalf of WeLoveBrum.co.uk – has said Richie’s gestures suggested he felt he had let Giovanni down, while the professional dancer himself felt “frustrated” at being voted out of the competition. 

Darren said: “Richie was very emotional on It Takes Two, as he was swinging his leg which is a sign of anxiety and frustration. He also had his arms tightly tucked in which is a self reassurance gesture, almost a self hug, because he was incredibly emotional. He looked down to the side which is a shame gesture suggesting he feels responsible for his position and feels he has let Giovanni down.

“Rapport has been most certainly broken between these two, this does not mean that anyone has fallen out or argued, it simply means that the high state of connection that the two had has been broken largely due to the fact that clearly they have not had to go to rehearsals and don’t have the thought of the next show on high alert in their minds.

“Giovanni by comparison sat very still with his legs crossed and his hands intertwined and maintained his composure throughout the interview. I think he felt awkward being in this position and perhaps embarrassment at being voted out. There was little or no physical connection between Richie and Giovanni, demonstrating that lack of rapport now present between them.

“I noticed that Richie kept looking at Giovanni, however, this was not reciprocated by Giovanni, I would stress this doesn’t mean he is feeling angry or resentful, rather more frustration and disappointment.”

Introducing Darren Stanton:

Darren Stanton is a former police officer with Derbyshire police with a degree in psychology, who used  his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects.

He later moved into media and TV as a consultant, being dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” appearing on the likes of BBC’s The One Show, ITV’s This Morning with Phillip and Holly as well as working on screen with criminal barrister  Robert “Judge” Rinder. He has also analysed heightened political situations including General Election debates and key interviews with the likes of Dominic Cummings.