Brian Conley sets the record straight on controversial Strictly exit speech: "I didn't have a rant"
The comedian said he wanted to "defuse the situation" as he addressed reports that he had ranted about the show following his exit
Strictly Come Dancing's Brian Conley said he wanted to "set the record straight" on reports regarding his exit speech following his elimination from the show.
Although it was edited out of Strictly's pre-recorded Sunday night results programme, Brian allegedly left the studio audience shocked when – after finding out he'd be leaving the competition – he jumped up on the judges' desk, slammed the state of the toilets in the studio and said that Darcey Bussell was "horny".
Speaking on ITV's Lorraine, the comedian told guest presenter Christine Lampard: "It was like a funeral really, you know, and I just wanted to defuse the situation. Typical me, I’m an entertainer, I make people laugh.
"Tess [Daly] said, 'Thank you very much go over there'. I said, ‘Tess, I haven’t finished.’ The judges looked so miserable and upset that I said, ‘I want you all to know, I love this man’, talking to Craig [Revel Horwood].
"Darcey [Bussell] was really emotional and she looked really upset, so I didn’t know what to say to cheer her up, [so I said] ‘Darcey, you’re very horny’. And of course everyone laughed and it was a bit of fun.
"[I said] ‘Shirley [Ballas], you’re a legend’. And then I said, ‘There’s one thing that really upsets me being on this show… is the toilets’. Everyone thought I was going to say something profound. I went, ‘It’s the toilets, they’ve got to sort them out. Just buy ten quid’s worth of bleach to get rid of that smell’ and that was that."
He also added that during the speech, he thanked his brother Alan Conley who works as Strictly's Floor Manager.
"He’s been there right from the beginning," said Brian. "I said, 'The wonderful thing about being on this show is that every single person has come up to me and said I love your brother’. It meant so much and it made me realise how loved and respected he was on the show.”
The comedian, who was paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden, added: “I didn’t have a rant. I was having a laugh. And that’s all it was."
He concluded: "I wanted to put the record straight."
Conley lost the dance off to Simon Rimmer after the judges unanimously decided to save the Sunday Brunch host.
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 28th October on BBC1
