Strictly's Dr Punam says 'it's strange' as she gives update after 'surreal' week

Strictly Come Dancing star Dr Punam Krishan has given an update to her fans as she returns to training after making history on the BBC One dance show over the weekend

Strictly Come Dancing's Dr Punam Krishan has revealed she's taking full advantage of the physios on hand to keep herself in peak condition for the popular dance competition.

The GP and Morning Live star was updated her online followers after a successful weekend in the ballroom. Dr Punam and her dance partner Gorka Marquez made history by introducing Bollywood to the BBC One dance contest for the first time.

Only 13 out of the 14 remaining couples performed during Strictly's annual Movie Week, as DIY SOS star Nick Knowles and his dance partner Luba Mushtuk had to withdraw from the show at the last minute due to an injury Nick sustained just before the live show.

During the show, Dr Punam and Gorka delivered the first couple's choice of the show's 20th-anniversary series to Bole Chudiyan from the Bollywood film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, earning them joint second place on the leaderboard with a score of 33.

Their performance quickly led to an outpouring of praise on social media from Strictly viewers, who congratulated Punam and Gorka for bringing Bollywood to the hit dance show, reports the Manchester Evening News.

After her emotional reaction to the performance, Dr Punam took to social media to offer more insights into their spectacular Bollywood number with partner Gorka Marquez. Radiating pride, she posted photos alongside a heartfelt message: "'You can't be what you can't see.' This dance was more than just a dance, this was a moment that was layers deep, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring a piece of my culture and my story to you."

She poignantly recalled feeling her late grandfather's presence while lying on the Strictly dance floor, before starting her dance, and feeling he was there "watching over me, bursting with pride."

With vivid emotion, she recounted how the experience made her think of herself as a four year old, longing to see someone like her on television.

She went on to share: "This Glasgow girl danced her wee Bollywood heart out on that floor. I had the honour of doing this with my wonderful partner @gorka_marquez who embraced it all with such love and respect. Your outpouring of love and support since has meant the world to me. Thank you for voting for us and getting us through to week 4. I hope this dance sparked some joy for you, and piqued an interest in Indian music and dance. Go watch the film - it's amazing."

Dr Punam, who recently sailed through to week four of Strictly Come Dancing's 20th anniversary series with partner Gorka, has taken to social media to share an update, saying she's "back to reality" after experiencing "the most surreal 72 hours of my life".

She added: "I feel like I say that every week after the Strictly live performances but there is no other way to describe it, and this weekend it just went up several notches because it truly was the most magical, special, most memorable night of my life. But we are back to a new week, a new challenge, a new dance, back to not having a clue what I'm doing but really embracing it and soaking it all up.."

Dr Punam also mentioned she had been in rehearsals and took time to visit a physio, not due to injury but to get some support for her achy joints following Saturday's performance. "For somebody like me who has never danced before, going from just very normal levels of physical activity to essentially training seven to eight hours of dancing a day. It does take a toll on the body and you do really need to look after yourself.."

In a later update, Dr Punam was back at home where her son disclosed that she had earned some 'cool mum points' for appearing on Newsround. During their 'daily debrief', her 11 year old son Aarish shared how his classmates were thrilled to see his mum on Newsround discussing her historic moment on Strictly.

Dr Punam's child excitedly shared: "I just loved it and then at break, everyone was chatting to me about it and catching me up saying, 'Can I get your mum's autograph? ' I was like, 'Yeah! '" Dr Punam confessed: "It's just so surreal. Did I win the cool mummy award today? But it is all very surreal. This is not the kind of thing we're accustomed to."

She added: "I'm glad you found it cool," to which Aairsh replied: "I did," before they exchanged loving words.

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One