Sam Quek exited Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend alongside partner Nikita Kuzmin, much to the shock of viewers.

Following their departure, TV star Sam, 36, shared a lengthy statement to Instagram as she discussed her time on the show.

She admitted the stint was mentally “tough” as she was away from her two young children.

Sam Quek on Strictly

Sam also said it was physically tough, revealing she “danced my feet red raw and repeated the week’s routine until my legs couldn’t hold me up”.

Amy turned around to the audience and said, ‘Come on folks… it’s just a dance-off… it’s not a year of chemotherapy!’

She added: “Mentally, the process was even more demanding. I missed my two year old and three year old – all the time! I would often do 10-day stints in a hotel and hearing them ask me to ‘come home now’, was tough.”

During one part of her statement, Sam reflected on a moment involving pro dancer Amy Dowden.

Tess Daly alongside Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly
Sam and Nikita left Strictly at the weekend (Credit: BBC/Guy Levy)
Amy, 34, returned to Strictly this year after missing last year’s series due to her cancer battle.

Sam said she wanted to share a “little off-camera moment” a couple of weeks ago “that helped put everything into perspective for me”.

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She explained: “When JB [Gill] and Amy found themselves in the bottom two, the entire audience were in a state of shock. As the two of them took to the floor to do their dance-off, they weren’t greeted with the usual warm applause and support from the crowd, such was the tension, surprise and awkwardness in the studio.

“Amy turned around to the audience and said, ‘Come on folks… it’s just a dance-off… it’s not a year of chemotherapy!’”

Amy Dowden and JB Gill alongside Karen Hauer and Paul Merson in Strictly dance-off
Sam revealed Amy’s comment to the Strictly audience in the dance-off (Credit: BBC/Guy Levy)

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She added: “A sobering reminder that there are bigger and more important things going on around the world than Strictly Come Dancing. Amongst the glitz, glamour, twirls and lifts, you can sometimes forget that.

“I look forward to whatever the future holds and thank you all for the amazing support and well wishes.”

Read more: Strictly results shock viewers as Sam Quek sent home after dance-off with Montell Douglas

Sam also gushed over her partner Nikita, saying he has a “really good heart”. She added: “As a partnership, we agreed to shoot for the moon and if we missed, we might land amongst the stars.”

Sam said: “Your beautiful choreography often deserved a lot more than I was able to deliver in the moment. But never once did you blame me. You were the ultimate teammate. Thank you.”