Taekwondo Olympian tops dance leaderboard with American Smooth

Jack Woolley topped the leaderboard in what was an emotional night on Dancing with the Stars, as the remaining nine couples took to the floor for Dedicated Dance Week.

Taekwondo athlete Jack Woolley and his dance partner Alex Vladimirov danced an American Smooth to Grace by The Wolfe Tones.

Jack dedicated the dance to his friend and two-time gold medal-winning boxer, Kellie Harrington, inspired by the support shown to him when he suffered a random assault just weeks after his first Olympic appearance in 2021.

New judge Karen Byrne said: “When raw emotion and steps come together like that, it’s not just a dance we were looking at, it was like a journey we were all on with you. You were like a feather, floating effortlessly around the room.”

Loraine Barry said: “From start to finish this was truly sublime. Telling the story of the song, through the movement, and the connection. Alex congratulations on the sublime choreography.”

Arthur Gourounlian said: “This American Smooth was truly breathtaking. You were gliding across the dancefloor. This wasn’t just a dance, it was a masterpiece in motion. J’adore!

Brian Redmond said: “From the waist up, I have never seen a male celebrity use the flow and the feeling that you’ve created tonight.”

No couple were eliminated from the show last time, so all couples will dance again next Sunday. Jack Woolley and his pro partner Alex Vladimirov will be exempt from next week’s elimination however, as their American Smooth saw them achieve the highest combined vote between the judges scores and the public vote.