EX-footballer, The Wanted pop star Max George, was deemed to have been given his marching orders in the current BBC series of Strictly Come Dancing, with many viewers taking to media – alleging he was given a ‘red card’ for swearing live on TV.
Show co-host Claudia Winkleman had to apologise after former Preston North End youth prodigy Max shouted: “f***ing get in!”.
Singer, songwriter and actor Swinton, Greater Manchester born Max, 32, lead singer of boy band The Wanted, partnered Australian pro dancer Dianne Buswell in Strictly Come Dancing.
He was voted in the bottom two, with judges Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke voting to keep Eastenders star Maisie in the competition. Head judge Shirley would have voted for Max, currently in a relationship with Stacey Cooke, former wife of ex-Manchester United star Ryan Giggs.
After co-presenter Tess Daly asked him about his time on the show, Max said: “I’ve loved it. It’s all down to Dianne, she’s been literally amazing.
“For me to get through 90 seconds of a dance for four weeks is a credit to her, she’s just unbelievable.”
Max, whose football career ended due to injury, said: “I’ve got to say, all these guys over here are the nicest group of people ever. I love you all!’.
Dianne said: “He has done four incredible dances and I know how nervous you get, but you’ve come out here every week.
“I know you always say you want to do me proud and oh my goodness you’ve done me more than proud – so well done. “I also want to say thank you to the judges, Anton you were incredible. Thank you so much.”
Absent judge Motsi Mabuse, who was replaced by ballroom dancer Anton, due to being in isolation in Germany, revealed if she had been in the judging seat, she would have saved Max.
Professional dancer Mabuse, 39, told BBC Radio 2 she would have sided with head judge Shirley and kept Max in, saying: “I saw that Max had a very difficult routine, he had to control himself quite a lot.”
Max said of his time at Deepdale, where he sustained a career ending injury at Preston North End: “I started playing football from a young age but, after being forced to quit through injury, music was my only other passion.”
Max, set to sign a two-year contract with The Lilywhites, quit football and joined English boy band ‘Avenue’, making his singing debut.
Following disbandment of ‘Avenue’, he became a member of ‘The Wanted’: “It was either football or music. I knew I wanted to do one or the other – I guess the decision was made for me,” said Max.
