Bobby Brazier has dedicated his Strictly Come Dancing routine to his mother Jade Goody.
The 20-year-old EastEnders actor performed a couple’s choice dance to This Woman’s Work by Maxwell with professional Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing.
His mother died in 2009 aged 27 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
In a video clip before he performed, Brazier said: “It changed my life completely, I’d love to spend a day with her just to see where I get my smile from.”
He is also the son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier, who spoke about the family’s grief.
Jeff said “loss makes you grow closer” before adding: “I’m the lucky one, I’m the one who gets to bring the boys up, I’m the one who gets to watch them on Strictly, it brings to my joy to my life.”
Following the couple’s choice, Brazier appeared emotional as his family including Jeff watched in the audience and judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse gave him standing ovations.
Ballas said she was “emotional” as she praised the dance saying it had the “most beautiful true movements through the body as you danced it through your heart”.
Mabuse said: “(The) steps and the dancing and technical aspects are important, but with such a beautiful dance, I think this is a dance that transcends that.
“This carries the message and the message that you both put on the floor was absolutely beautiful.
“I think you captured the song amazingly.”
When he was waiting for his score, Brazier said he said he was “blessed” and the dance was “something I’ll never forget”.
Meanwhile, former Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola received the highest score of the night from the judges with 37 points.
Mabuse said that “it was about intimacy” and there was a real story for their “brilliant” Argentine Tango to Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child.
Annabel Croft was also praised by Ballas for doing “some of the best footwork” she has seen for a paso doble.
Wearing co-ordinated black and yellow Latin-inspired outfits, she performed alongside professional Johannes Radebe to Espana Cani and scored a total of 36 points for the routine.
Nigel Harman said he was told he would be “doomed” doing a rumba, and was delighted by positive comments from the judges for the routine to It’s All Coming Back To Me Now by Celine Dion.
Anton Du Beke called the performance “super duper” and said Harman tried to dance with Katya Jones, instead of letting her perform around him.
The judges scored Casualty star and former EastEnders actor Harman and Jones a total of 33 points.
Bad Education actor and West End star Layton Williams and Nikita Williams were criticised for their American smooth to It’s Oh So Quiet by Bjork, which scored the routine a total of 34 points.
Ballas said the routine was “gestural and fun” and not “smooth enough”, which attracted boos from the live audience.
TV presenter Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu also performed a cha cha to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor and were awarded 31 points.
Meanwhile David Tennant, whose return as the Time Lord in Doctor Who was seen in a new episode on Saturday, also appeared in a video message on Strictly.
He explained the BBC show’s voting procedure as he appeared remotely.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Sunday.
