Strictly pro Amy Dowden says she's 'heartbroken' as she and Chris Appleton become the first pair to be voted off

Strictly pro Amy Dowden has detailed her bitter upset after joining Chris Appleton in being the first couple to be voted off the show.

On Sunday, it was revealed that the dancer, 36, and celebrity hairdresser, 43, were leaving the show following a Movie Week dance-off against actress Jaime Winstone and her professional dance partner, Carlos Gu.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, Amy shared her heartache as she posted a series of sweet snaps of the pair and added the caption: 'I honestly don’t think words can quite describe how proud I am of you...

'Seeing your Strictly journey come to an end is emotional, but what I’ll treasure most isn’t the result, it’s the friendship, memories and special moments we’ve shared along the way. I know unfortunately only too well heartbreak...

'But I also know that the reason it hurts so much is because of the friendship and bond we’ve formed and that’s something that isn’t going anywhere...

'From the nerves, the laughter and the endless rehearsals to the moments when things felt tough, you gave everything you had...

'You showed such heart, determination and kindness, and it has been an absolute privilege to share this journey with you. Strictly may have brought us together as partners, but I truly believe it has given me a friend for life...

'Our dancing journey may have ended, but our friendship certainly hasn’t. Chris, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Thank you for every laugh, every memory, every hug and for simply being you. I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way...

'Love you, my friend. Love your Welsh princess as you call me xxxx.' 

Motsi Mabuse, 45, Shirley Ballas, 66, and Anton Du Beke, 60 all chose to save Jaime and Carlos after they danced their cha cha to Pretty Woman.

It meant that Craig Revel-Horwood, 61, who would have had the deciding vote, was not required to do so, although he later said he would have also saved Jaime.

Appleton's dance to I'll be Ready from Baywatch only earned him a disappointing 17 points, just one more than he was given during the first live show the week before.

Despite a fun routine which culminated in Chris ripping open his red vest to reveal his washboard stomach and six-pack, the judges were critical of his technical ability.

'I felt it was a little bit disconnected and I felt there were some awkward moments in there for you,' said Craig after his performance on Saturday night.

'Your top of your body has to marry what's happening with your hips and your straight legs.'

Motsi, however, said she could 'see improvement', while Anton said the performance was 'another level' even though the dancing wasn't quite there.

Chris has been vocal about his nerves at appearing on the show and said he'd been struggling on Saturday night.

'I'm having a blast, I am really struggling with my nerves, I'm not going to lie, I've never done it. But I am finding a new part of myself and dancing, I'm just having so much fun,' he said.

A Strictly spokesman said: 'Strictly's Movie Week was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of 5.6 million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world.'