Magical - Mollie and AJ's Strictly Story

Part 7 - Anyone who had a heart

Anyone who had a heart, would look at me, and know that I love you. And this week I think that is what everyone watching saw. Ellen did. My own sister –the super fan. She knew. She knows me better than most: she said she's known since the start, which is more than even I did! Shirley knew. She commented on it – very believable chemistry, she called it. The crowd loved that. We just smiled but I felt him grip me just a little tighter. The Daily Star are putting an article in tomorrow about it. I've pre-warned my family. And him. He just laughed. I'll pretend that reaction didn't make my heart soar – like he didn't care, he was proud for people to assume something was going on. I don't like to publicise my relationships if I can avoid it, but some of my exes were so keen to keep things hidden, like they were ashamed. Of me? That's the conclusion I ended up drawing, rightly or wrongly. I try so hard not to think badly of them.

Anyway, back to our dancing. It was a magical night. I was a princess for the night and, wow, did he look amazing in those trousers. Oh, Mollie, so vain! He looked like a Disney Prince. And that dance...it was breath-taking. I was so in the moment. I've watched it back. There's a moment where were are forehead to forehead and the smile I give – that was not scripted, choreographed, meant to happen – but it was pure magic. Ellen said that was the moment she knew I was in deep. She's not wrong. There were so many moments tonight that I wanted to whisper to him that I was in love. But I don't want to scare him. He must know. How could he not?

I'm not going to pretend that he's perfect. Nobody is. He's so tough on a Thursday. But I totally understand why. It's our last chance to improve things before we get to Elstree. He knows that the judges will pick me apart in front of...how many millions of viewers...if he lets any obvious issues slide. It's done to protect me. And he knows what he's telling me. He is an expert.

Now I've watched the show back, I can see why Ellen said the feelings were both ways. I watch that and see a man in love with a woman. And the woman is me. I can't even...I can't even process that right now. All I can think is that we have another magical week together and nothing can take that away from us.

What if this is just the beginning? What if he is the love of my life? I glance at my reflection, thrilled to see excitement in her eyes and the flush of love in her cheeks. Oh, no. Oh, Mollie. You have it so bad. I so hope that Ellen is right and he feels the same way. Or I'm in more trouble than I realised.