Katya Jones has cleared up the Lawrence Strictly clip that spread after the live show. She says she mouthed “fierce” about Lawrence Robb, not “fit”, after viewers thought they had caught a different word on camera.
Jones sent the clarification by WhatsApp, and Ed Balls passed it on to viewers on 30 September. He said Jones told him what she actually said, then showed a screenshot of the message with a crying-laughing emoji on screen.
Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain
On Tuesday 29 September, Balls had already said on Good Morning Britain: “Knowing Katya, I think she probably said fit”. That set up the follow-up a day later, when he repeated that he still thought she said “he's fit” before adding: “But she sent me a WhatsApp: ‘I said fierce!’”
The wording matters because the moment turned a one-word reaction into the main talking point from the live broadcast of Strictly Come Dancing. Jones was watching from upstairs with other professionals and celebrities when the clip appeared to capture her response to Robb and Aleksandra Isaeva.
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal
Robb made his Strictly debut on Saturday 26 September with Jowita Przystal and picked up 20 points from the judges for his paso doble. The clip of Jones then circulated over the weekend, which is why the exchange ended up being discussed publicly rather than staying a background reaction in the studio.
That live-show chatter also sat alongside stronger numbers elsewhere in the programme. John Nellis and Katya Jones topped the first live-show leaderboard with 31 points out of 40, while Anton Du Beke said he was “stunned” and Shirley Ballas called the routine “the best dance of the night”.
Strictly Come Dancing on One
For viewers, the useful takeaway is simple: the viral word was “fierce”, not “fit”. The next Strictly Come Dancing broadcast is on Saturday at 6.15pm on One, and the story now shifts back to whether the dance floor can keep up with the off-floor conversation.
