Ellie Simmonds’ ‘authenticity’ and close bond with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin makes her a fierce Strictly contender, a body language expert has said.
The Paralympic champion, who hails from Aldridge in the West Midlands, has made it through to the next week of the competition after dancing a salsa on Saturday night.
Body language and behavioural expert Darren Stanton has now discussed the signs that point out the swimmer as a potential finalist based on her genuine nature, work ethic and strength of her partnership.
Darren says: “Ellie and Nikita have grown to be a much-loved couple by the general public as shown by them making it through every week of Strictly so far without landing in the dance-off. I think one of Ellie‘s endearing qualities is her humility as she never assumes that she has made it to the next week or expects to sail through the competition. She wants to work as hard as she does on her Paralympic training as she does on Strictly.
“When it was announced she got through on Sunday night’s results show she displayed genuine elation, never taking the success for granted, which shows great humility and a person who is not being ruled by ego.
“There are also a few interesting tell-tale signs that Ellie and Nikita have grown to be incredibly close to each other. In the results show, when Ellie spoke to Claudia Winkleman about being recognised by someone while out with Nikita, it was noticeable she did not use the word ‘I’. It was not ‘I did this’ or ‘I did that’, it was about them as a pair as she told the story.
“Ellie also placed her hand flat on her chest in the heart area, this gesture displays genuine feelings, passion and authenticity. Plus, she kept turning her body toward Nikita, bringing him into the conversation and showing how at ease she is with him. Once again this interaction demonstrated her humility at being recognised on the street, while also showing the closeness of her partnership with Nikita.
“I think Ellie demonstrates the importance of having a great attitude and a very solid work ethic, with these qualities being able to take you far. I have no doubt that Ellie is a strong contender for the final, if not to win.”
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.
