Dancing With The Stars fans were shocked when cook Hayden Quinn landed in the bottom two alongside comedian Nikki Osborne.
Following their dance off, the MasterChef alum became the second celebrity to leave the competition – much to the confusion of viewers at home who claimed he was “robbed”.
“To be honest, I was a bit shocked that Lily and I ended up in the bottom two,” Hayden tells New Idea following his elimination.
“Because we did so well. We were right at the top of the table,” he continues, adding that Nikki and Aric also scored well.
“I don’t know what happened. We just didn’t quite pull it together for our final dance, unfortunately. A bit of a bummer, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.”
Watching at home was Hayden’s wife Jax, who was obviously disappointed by the result.
“She was a little sad that we’ve done so much work and we didn’t get to complete all the dances,” the cook tells us.
Though he learned six routines, Hayden only had the chance to perform three – dishing on the moment fans didn’t see due to his untimely elimination.
“The next dance in the lineup was a Paso Doble. It was probably my favourite, so it’s a bit of a bummer that I didn’t get to do it,” he says, adding he might share a video of the routine at a later date.
While appreciative of the skills he’s gained from the show, Hayden confesses he probably won’t dance again.
“I don’t think I fully understood the level of commitment that’s required to become a dancer before I started,” he laughs, emphasising how inspiring he finds the professional dancers.
The chef was paired with Burn The Floor star Lily Cornish, describing the dancer as “so talented”.
“It’s just inspirational, the time and commitment that all of the professional dancers put into, not only this show, but their profession as a whole.”
While training with Lily, Hayden recalls “a few stacks” but no physical injuries. His was more of a “mental scar,” he laughs.
“I did get a bit of a sore back at one point just because there’s quite a bit of lifting that we were doing. We had to have a little break. But nothing full on, nothing as bad as my friend Julie Goodwin,” Hayden says.
Julie suffered a serious calf injury early on into the competition and was unable to perform her first dance, returning for her second routine to much applause,
“She was in so much pain. I don’t know how she managed to get up there and dance,” Hayden enthuses. “She’s impressive. She’s red hot. I was absolutely so blown away and so impressed by how well she danced. It was amazing.”
The chef is even placing his bets on his fellow MasterChef alum to win the entire show.
“She’s got a lot more to give once her calf gets even better. I think she’s going to be one to watch out for.”
Dancing with the Stars airs weekly, on Sundays at 7pm on Channel 7 and on 7plus.
