She’s trained ferociously hard over the past 13 weeks to maintain that dazzling standard. Of her fellow finalists, Rose Ayling-Ellis is a ballroom specialist, while John Whaite’s strength is Latin. AJ excelled at both and she’s topped the leaderboard four times, more than anyone else.

AJ was also, to deploy a cliché, what Strictly is all about. Raised in Blackburn as one of eight children to Nigerian parents, she came into the contest as a complete novice. The 33-year-old says she’s been living out the childhood dancing dream that her family couldn’t afford. Judge Craig Revel Horwood told her: “I wish you’d started dancing as a child. You would’ve been an absolute pro.”

She was peaking at the right time, and in tremendous form, having notched her first maximum 40-point score during last week’s semi-final for her smooth, jazzy Hollywood-style quickstep. Confidence was high. In the final, she was due to reprise that jive, bringing her Strictly journey full circle, along with her outrageous flapper girl Charleston. Her anything-goes showdance was going to be a dramatic Beyoncé-influenced epic, mixing ballroom with Latin, lifts and tricks.

Her withdrawal is also a huge shame for her dance partner, Kai Widdrington. One of the increasingly rare home-grown Strictly professionals, gentlemanly Kai from Southampton was bidding to be only the third pro to lift the trophy in his debut series. Such has been the pair’s chemistry and closeness that there’ve been showmance rumours throughout the series. No “Strictly curse” here, happily – they’re both currently single.