Daisy Lowe’s tears for granddad on Strictly Come Dancing debut

Model Daisy Lowe’s triumphant Strictly Come Dancing debut was a bittersweet affair.

The 27-year-old model struggled to hold back the tears after dedicating her first dance to her granddad, who tragically died on her first day of training.

Daisy and dance partner Aljaz Škorjanec are now in pole position after racking up the points for their waltz to Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable.

“Nat King Cole is really special to me as he was my grandpa’s favourite,” the star explained. “I really thought he’d be here but he passed away on my first day.

“I hope that I’ve made gramps proud somewhere.”

“He had been battling cancer for two years, and the chemotherapy was so tough on his system. But a week before he died, I went to his for tea and he was really chirpy – I hadn’t seen him like that since before he was ill. He said to me, ’You know Daisy, Strictly has really lifted me.’

“So the fact that I could give that to him before he passed away was lovely. Hopefully when I danced, he was watching.”

Daisy, who was watched in the studio by parents Pearl Lowe and Danny Goffey, says it was difficult to carry on training for the show after she was hit with the tragic news.

“When we were learning the steps the pressure really got to me,” she told The Sun. “It suddenly felt so real but it was like my body wasn’t listening to my brain and I started panicking that I wouldn’t be able to do Gramps proud. I was like ‘I can’t do this’ and I was really angry at getting things wrong.

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to do something special enough for him, and he was the most special man in my life, so I had to leave them room.”

All that practice paid off, though. Len Goodman said Daisy’s dance was the best debut he’s ever seen on Strictly. Her granddad would be so proud. Aw.