Magical - Mollie and AJ's Strictly Story

Part 30 - Chicken legend

I adore the fun we have! We laugh so much my sides actually ache. I have had such a great day. I may have slightly messed up on an instagram story and said I loved him, but it was in a joke context, so hopefully I got away with it. I was moaning about his armpits. Then he was saying I stank of beef hula-hoops and it wasn't his fault his armpits were smelly because he had been dancing since 8am, and I responded that I had been eating beef hula-hoops since 8am. I'm laughing just thinking about it. We are such dorks. Then we played around with the romance rumours by me saying on an insta story that he was taking me out to dinner – to Macdonalds. The boy loves a chicken legend! Maybe that will make it easier tomorrow when we go on This Morning and state we are just friends.

And with the thought of that, my smile fades. We are 'technically' just friends. Friends that are in love with each other. Friends who don't want to be accused of having a showmance to pull in votes. Friends who want the focus to be on our dancing. Friends who can spend over 12 hours a day together and still feel the need to send messages to each other when we're apart. It's fine for me. I can pull a straight face and say we're just friends. Just because you're asked a question in an interview doesn't mean you have to give a completely honest answer. I just won't be able to look at him at that moment. I think my movements for this interview might have to be more choreographed than my rumba! Zero body contact and zero eye contact when they ask about the romance rumours – and we know they will. I'm sure he'll be on board – it's for us, a little white lie to protect us – he'll understand. I've seen him in interviews 'dance around the issue' to use a pun. To take the focus off our personal lives and put it back onto the dancing.

I look at you in the mirror and rehearse saying, "AJ and I are just friends."

I manage to say it seven times before my voice is overcome with emotion and tears spill from my eyes. I'm sure I'll be able to lie to the media. It's tougher to lie to myself.