Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly has come under fire as viewers accused her of speaking to Rhys Stephenson “like a toddler”.
Rhys became tearful after his Waltz to Light Up My Life by Whitney Houston with his partner Nancy Xu.
But viewers criticised Tess after she said to Rhys: “Are you having a little cry?”
What did Tess Daly say on Strictly Come Dancing?
Following their performance, Rhys and Nancy hugged as he became emotional.
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Tess spotted the emotional moment, and could be heard saying: “Come on, darling. Aww Rhys!
“Come over sweetheart. Are you crying hunny? Are you having a little cry?”
Rhys said: “Sorry, sorry. So embarrassing.”
Tess told him: “I know you were really nervous and I know you really wanted to do well. You don’t want to be in that dance-off again, do you?
“You were brilliant by the way, well done darling.”
Viewers soon flooded Twitter with comments about Tess, with many accusing her of talking to Rhys like a child.
One said: “Omg Tess speaking to Rhys like he was a toddler. That was so cringey.”
Another wrote: “That was uncomfortable to witness. Why did Tess feel the need to speak to Rhys like he was six years old? He’s an grown man, not her infant child.”
A third added: “Tess talking to Rhys like he’s a toddler is not it.”
One tweeted: “Did Tess forget she was talking to Rhys and not a toddler just then?”
Meanwhile, others branded her comments “condescending” and “patronising”.
One said: “Tess is so patronising I can’t even cope with how she just spoke to Rhys on live TV.”
Another wrote: “Tess being very condescending to Rhys there.”
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One added: “Jeez Tess just sounded so patronising with how she spoke to Rhys when he was crying!”
The Strictly Come Dancing results show airs on BBC One, tonight, at 7:20pm.
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