Actress Alex Kingston experienced an emotional breakdown during Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing, revealing a hidden learning difficulty that has made her competition journey particularly challenging.
The Emotional Revelation
Following her paso doble performance with professional partner Johannes Radebe on November 8, 2025, the ER and Doctor Who star fought back tears while speaking to host Claudia Winkleman. "The thing is I'm numerically dyslexic, so I can't count," Kingston confessed, visibly distressed. "And that's quite difficult."
The British Dyslexia Association describes numerical dyslexia as a lifelong condition that can significantly impact education, workplace performance, and daily life. For Kingston, this specific learning difficulty has created substantial obstacles in mastering Strictly's complex choreography.
Judges' Mixed Response to Performance
Despite her emotional struggles, Kingston received constructive feedback from the judging panel. Head judge Shirley Ballas noted she had stumbled on "a few steps" and felt the dance "lacked a little bit of passion and fire."
Anton Du Beke offered encouragement, telling Kingston: "You looked a little nervous... You need not to be nervous because you are fab-u-lous." However, Craig Revel Horwood delivered more critical comments, stating the performance "lacked any form of showbiz pizzazz" and felt "a little bit middle of the road."
The couple ultimately received a score of 30 points for their routine.
Cast Support and Personal Struggle
Seeing Kingston's visible distress, host Claudia Winkleman called for "everyone in", prompting the entire Strictly cast to rush onto the dance floor for a supportive group hug.
In her pre-recorded VT, Kingston had already shown signs of strain, admitting "the steps are so complicated" before bursting into tears. She expressed particular concern for her partner, saying: "For me it's always about Johannes. I just care about him and I want to do the best for him."
The actress further explained her challenges, noting: "I should love this dance because it's drama. It's just I'm used to dancing to lyrics and I didn't know that I can't do that." As she fanned away her tears with her hand, Kingston repeatedly assured everyone, "It's fine, it's fine," despite clearly struggling with the competition's demands.
