STRICTLY Come Dancing's Nadiya Bychkova was the star of the show in a plunging white cut-out dress – despite not having a celebrity partner.
The Ukraine-born dancer, 34, has missed out on a pairing for Strictly Come Dancing's 2023 series.
Yet while Nadiya expressed her disappointment at BBC bosses' decision prior to the season, she has made up for it with her wardrobe choices.
Nadiya – who dates fellow Strictly pro Kai Widdrington, 28 – is part of the group numbers and supports the performers in the upstairs studio once they have performed.
On Saturday, she pulled out all the stops as she went braless in her white sleeveless sequin-studded dress.
She styled her blonde locks into waves flowing down her shoulders while adding a bold pop of red lip colour.
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She captured herself shimmying backstage at Elstree Studios in the sexy frock before posing with her hand on her chin.
In her caption, Nadiya wrote: "We are ready for week 5 @bbcstrictly. Do you have your winner already? Who do you support tonight?"
One fan was quick to gush: "Just stunning!" as another added: "You are divine."
A third put: "Wowee."
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Another then added: "It’s a crime you not having a partner this year."
Following the first episode of the series, Nadiya broke her silence on her Strictly snub.
She told fans on Instagram: “I’m sure you’ll understand that I'm disappointed not to be partnered with a celebrity on @bbcstrictly this series.”
The star continued: “It is an amazing show to be a part of and I’m still so excited for all the group numbers, performing with some of our music acts and much much more.
“I’m also looking forward to supporting my fellow pros and I want to wish all the couples the best of luck for the competition this year.”
Her famous pals and fans rushed to support her, with boyfriend Kai commenting: “Always shining bright.”
The Sun then exclusively revealed the real reason for her omission – this being that she was too old to dance with contestant Bobby brazier, aged 22.
At 6ft 2in, Bobby would also have been the only one tall enough to match with leggy Nadiya.
A TV insider said: “At almost 6ft tall in heels, Nadiya is by far the tallest of all the pros.
“That meant she would have towered over seven out of the eight male celebrities in the competition.
“The only person she could have been paired with is Bobby, who stands at 6ft 2ins, and is by far the tallest celeb on this year’s show.
“On the basis of height, it was expected that they would form a duo on this series.
“But bosses felt there was something odd about the fact that the particularly fresh-faced Bobby only turned 20 this summer, while Nadiya is a mature woman."
The source continued: “Not putting Nadiya in a duo was a difficult decision to take.
“But the bosses always have Strictly’s best interests at heart and the golden rule is that nobody is ever bigger than the show.”
It was revealed at the weekend that Nadiya wouldn’t be getting a partner, prompting disbelief among Strictly devotees who have followed her closely since she joined the programme six years ago.
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However there are always more pros than celebrities — meaning that some professional dancers end up on the “subs’ bench” each year if a suitable match in terms of height, age and chemistry can’t be found.
Previously, Nadiya’s lofty stature has gone in her favour as she’s always bagged towering men such as TV presenter Dan Walker, who is 6ft 6ins, and former EastEnders star Davood Ghadami, who is 6ft tall.
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