Strictly Come Dancing’s Blackpool showdown has come and gone – and Judge Rinder impressed with his hip action.

The TV barrister and his partner Oksana Platero danced a salsa to Spice Girls hit Spice Up Your Life, which earned them a score of 33 points.

But Judge Rinder has revealed to the Sunday Mirror that he admires one of the Strictly judges so much he is “rendered mute” when he talks to them.

He said: “I was rendered mute by Darcey Bussell when I met her, way beyond starstruck.

“I’m not impressed by celebrities … But I admire her. I never do terribly well in our conversations.

“Every time I walk away from Darcey, I’m like that ‘I carried a watermelon?’ scene in Dirty Dancing.”

The charismatic television judge also spoke about his facial expressions, which have become something of a bugbear for Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood.

He told the Sunday Mail: “They’re as much of a surprise to me as they are to anyone else. I watched it back and I was like, ‘Just look at me.’ I heard it described as ‘seven versions of sex face’.”

On Sunday night another couple will leave the popular show, which airs on BBC One at 7.15pm.