Strictly's Johannes Radebe fights back tears as he reveals his family were ... trends now
Strictly Come Dancing pro Johannes Radebe fought back tears during the opening night of his show after revealing his family were banned from entering the country.
The dancer had hoped his mother Jacobeth, and siblings would be able to fly into the UK from South Africa to watch his show at the London Palladium, but 'Visa issues' prevented them from doing so.
According to The Sun, Johannes told the audience that he hopes his family will be able to attend a later show on his House of JoJo tour once their Visas are approved.
Johannes previously detailed his struggles going up in poverty in South Africa, and the prejudice he faced for pursuing his passion for dance in his memoir.
Speaking about his family's absence, he told the audience: 'I was hoping that they were going to be here this evening, but [they can't] because of visa issues.'
Strictly Come Dancing pro Johannes Radebe fought back tears during the opening night of his show after revealing his family were banned from entering the country
Choking up, he continued: 'Don't even start. But it's fine, she'll make it to Liverpool.'
In between his performances, Johannes was joined by his celebrity dance partner Annabel Croft.
She said: 'Thank you so much for the honour to dance with your here at the Palladium.
'This is beyond anybody's dream, but to dance with you Johannes has been extraordinary.
'You gave me the most wonderful joyful, and most healing experience on Strictly. And I can't thank you enough for that.
'You are such a special person, you sprinkle your magic everywhere, and I'm so thrilled to see it.'
Johannes and Annabel previously bonded over their grief while competing on the show together.
The former tennis ace was widowed after her husband of 30 years Mel Coleman died from cancer in May 2023, while Johannes, 36, was struggling during the series after the loss of his cousin who died by suicide.
The dancer had hoped his mother Jacobeth (pictured), and siblings would be able to fly into the UK from South Africa to watch his show, but 'Visa issues' have delayed their plans
Speaking to The Mirror at the event Johannes said: 'Strictly can be hard because you never know what is going to happen'. I was dreading it because it's six months and you don't know who you will be paired
