“I’ve always absolutely idolised Maggie Smith because she was arguably one of the best actors ever,” said Hadland.
“She was my favourite professor,” said Coppola as they agreed to dedicate the dance to the late actress.
Dancing to Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, the pair received a standing ovation from the studio audience as judge Anton Du Beke praised their “beautiful dance”.
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With Craig Revel Horwood telling the pair that he “loved” the dance, all judges were grinning from ear-to-ear during their performance.
Fellow judge Motsi Mabuse said: “I absolutely loved it. That for me was the highlight of the night. That was nostalgic, you captured the atmosphere. I see that you’re so hard on yourself, you don’t have to be. You are brilliant.”
In September, Dame Maggie Smith died at the age of 89, with her sons Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin confirming the sad news in a statement.
“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” it read.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end.
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“She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
“We thank you for all your kind messages and support, and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 continues on Saturday nights on BBC One and iPlayer.
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