Olympian Adam Peaty has clarified what actually transpired when he and his Strictly Come Dancing partner Katya Jones got viewers talking earlier in the series.
Last month, Adam and Katya raised eyebrows after their Argentine Tango routine, with many viewers on social media claiming it looked as though he had leaned in and “almost kissed” his professional dance partner at the very end of the performance.
In the time since, the swimmer – who has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Eirianedd Munro since 2020 – has dismissed the speculation as “gossip”.
Adam was once again asked about the moment during an interview with The Times, insisting that he was simply “playing a character”, even after the Tango routine was technically over.
“I knew my role, I knew what I had to do,” he told the newspaper. I was playing a character and I’m not going to do it half-heartedly. You have to play it as much as you can, get into it, enjoy it.”
Following his Argentine Tango performance, Adam tweeted: “To everyone who wants to see what they want, your comments have real life consequences.
“I will not be overcome or lowered by your gossip. Protect your energy.”
He later insisted: “You don’t want to do a dance like that and not do it justice because you haven’t switched on right at the end.
“So it’s being believable, and that’s what I think some people get carried away with. But, hey ho, that’s life, isn’t it?”
Katya also said: “The judges kept saying we’re not connecting the emotion to the dance, there’s got to be more connection.
“So [our choreographers] were very specific about keeping the intensity throughout the entire dance and at the end just keeping that intensity. So we made them proud!”
Adam’s girlfriend also poked fun at the matter on her TikTok page:
Adam was eventually eliminated from the contest in week seven, after landing in the dance-off against social media star Tilly Ramsay.
Since leaving, the gold medallist has spoken candidly about the highs and lows he experienceed throughout the competition, as well as the life lessons he picked up while learning to dance.