Krishnan Guru-Murthy left his 16-year-old son Jay wincing in embarrassment with a giant welcome sign on Saturday night’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing.
The Channel 4 presenter’s son begged his father not to take part in the show and refused to take part in the opening episode along with the rest of the family.
But Jay was fine with the idea of his dad dancing on the BBC show and eventually came along to watch him dance the Paso Doble to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ By The Way with his partner Lauren Watching Oakley.
As 53-year-old Krishnan received his feedback from the judges, a huge sign reading “Welcome Jay” was held up behind him.
Jay, who was sitting next to Krishnan’s wife Lisa, was filmed cringing in embarrassment in the audience, although he managed a good-natured laugh.
Oh dear: Krishnan Guru-Murthy made his 16-year-old son Jay cringe in embarrassment with a giant welcome sign on Saturday night’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing
Reaction: Jay cringed at the audience’s embarrassment, but laughed good-naturedly
Krishnan wowed the judges with his paso doble, which head judge Shirley Ballas said was “sharp, crisp and to the point.”
He wore a sparkly black suit with sheer panels and dramatic black eyeliner.
He received a 6 from Craig, 7 from Motsi and Shirley and was delighted with an 8 from Anton, giving him a total of 28 points.
Krishnan previously told The Chron about his struggle to get his son on his Strictly adventure.
“He asked me not to do it,” revealed Krishnan. “A week before I started and I hadn’t signed my contract yet, which I mentioned in passing, it got to the point where he said, ‘You haven’t signed your contract, so don’t you have to do it? Please.” Don’t do it.
While Krishnan’s wife and daughter were keen to go to the launch show, Jay was not keen on it. “He said, ‘If you’re going to do it strictly, don’t involve me,'” his father says.
But when Krishnan returned home after his first performance, the teenager surprised his father with his changed mood.
“His feedback was initially very muted,” says Krishnan. “He came in the door at 11pm on Saturday night and said he saw the show and then I said, ‘What did you think?’
“Then he asked if he could come next week, which was great, it’s such a breakthrough. “He didn’t want me to do it and now he wants to come into the studio and watch.”
Powerful: Krishnan danced the Paso Doble to By The Way by the Red Hot Chili Peppers with partner Lauren Oakley
Reaction: Krishnan wowed the judges with his paso doble, which head judge Shirley Ballas said was “sharp, crisp and to the point.”
Krishnan previously revealed he had lost two stone in preparation for his entry into the balloon dancing competition – having previously weighed 15 stone.
Urged to take control of his health ahead of his ball trip, Mr Guru-Murthy told the Times: “Suddenly I felt it was time to say, ‘Fuck, why not?’
“And it was probably now or never.” “The longer I waited, the less likely I was to physically make it.”
The father revealed that he suffered from the genetic heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which led to the deaths of his two cousins.
He recalled asking his doctor a matter-of-fact question: “Will I drop dead live on the BBC?”
“Of course I can’t give a 100% guarantee,” one of my doctors replied. No matter how out of character it may seem to many people for me to be doing Strictly, for me it made sense.
“I had already spent months grappling with some uncomfortable truths.”
Mr Guru-Murthy said that as he approached 53, “no amount of tailoring could hide the fact that 14 pounds and 11 pounds is far too much for a height of just 5 feet 8 inches.”
The news anchor said that “the self-loathing increased when I looked in the mirror.”
He recalled his teenage son saying, “Dad, you’re so fat!” and his mother making comments about his stomach before he took the plunge to lose weight.
The father said his medical history “made everything worse” and explained that he had suffered from high blood pressure and mild cardiovascular disease “for years.”
Strictly 2023: Week Four Dances
Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk: Waltz to I Wonder Why” by Curtis Stigers.
Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice: Foxtrot to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac
Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe: Jive to Feel It Still from Portugal. The man
Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington: Rumba to Rise Like a Phoenix by Conchita
Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu: Viennese waltz “You are the reason” by Calum Scott and Leona Lewis
Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell: Tango to Fashion by David Bowie
Eddie Kadi and Karen Hauer: American Smooth to Sex Bomb by Tom Jones
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola: Samba to Copacabana by Barry Manilow
Jody Cundy and Jowita Przystał: Salsa to Samba de Janeiro by Bellini
Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley: Paso Doble to By the Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin: Cha Cha Cha to Million Dollar Bill by Whitney Houston
Nigel Harman and Katya Jones: Salsa to Suavemente by Elvis Crespo
Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima: Viennese Walt to “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” by Brenda Lee