Chris Appleton kids came up in the same breath as a scorecard that started at two and ended at 10. Kim Kardashian first gave him a two, then later an eight and eight, and Appleton treated the maths as a win rather than a rebuke.
Speaking to Magic Radio's Sonali Shah on the red carpet at the WellChild Awards, he said, "It's been lovely. She sent me a beautiful arrangement of flowers and she didn't have to do that," and added, "And she's been asking me how I've been getting on."
Strictly and the UK fit
Appleton is taking part in the twenty-fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside Amy Dowden, and he has already framed the UK run as the better fit for his life and work. "I have friends who've taken part in Dancing with the Stars in the US, but for me, Strictly felt like the right fit," he said.
That choice lines up with the other pull he described: "Being from the UK, there's something really special about taking part in such an iconic British show - it genuinely feels like coming home to my roots." He added that having his family in the UK makes the experience more meaningful, because they are excited to support him throughout the whole journey.
Kim Kardashian's scorecard
Dowden then sharpened the story with the bluntest line in the exchange: "She did score you a two when she watched your dance though," she said. Appleton answered with a joke that turned the early low mark into part of the punchline: "Well, she did first, but then she scored me an eight and eight, and two equals 10, so I'm going to take it as a 10,"
That sequence matters because it shows the performance is being judged outside the studio as well as inside it. Appleton said he is hoping to come away having learned a completely new skill and wants to enjoy every moment, challenge himself, embrace the experience and hopefully surprise himself with what he is capable of.
One on Saturday 26 September
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 26 September on One and iPlayer. For Appleton, the immediate story is simple: a friend, a client and a public score have already turned his first weeks into a test of how quickly he can move from novelty to competence.
