Strictly Come Dancing star Carlos Gu’s new career move as multiple pros axed

Strictly Come Dancing pro Carlos Gu is a full of the joys of spring when we catch up with him for an exclusive chat. And why wouldn’t he be – the 33-year-old dancer from Taiyuan, China, is the show’s reigning champ after lifting the Glitterball with his celebrity partner Karen Carney, melting our hearts as he revealed how much he’d grown emotionally with her and become a more “humble” team player.

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When we chat, the Chinese National Champion is excited about doing his first one-man show in London, which will include some dancing but also his other passion – singing. Here, Carlos – who calls his 2022 move to the capital to join the BBC show a “rebirth”, as it allowed him to embrace his sexuality freely for the first time – talks about his upbringing in his conservative home country, the women he’s most inspired by and the bonds he’s formed on Strictly – although he’s unable to discuss which of his fellow professional dancers are being axed from the line-up…

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Hi, Carlos. There’s lots of talk about the next Strictly hosts. Could you do it?

Ha ha, I could never be a host. But I do like judging – in the nicest possible way – so maybe I’d make a good judge one day. Tess [Daly] and Claudia [Winkleman] were iconic, irreplaceable almost, but the show carries on. I’d like it if we could go back to when the show first started with Bruce Forsyth and have one male, one female. I like that combo. Janette [Manrara] and Aljaž [Škorjanec] would be my top choice.

Which moments on Strictly have given you the most goosebumps?

Chris McCausland’s routines with Dianne [Buswell] always got me. The level of intensity and trust in each other was just beautiful. I think for me, it’s my journey with Karen – ending in picking up the Glitterball. I had no idea if she could even dance and she was amazing. We ended our Strictly journey with the jive, the dance that kicked it all off. It was so special. It will stay in my heart for the rest of my life.

What are the friendships like that you’ve forged on Strictly ?

We’re honestly a family, we always check in on each other. I have a few very close friends like Amy [Dowden], Katya [Jones] and Nikita [Kuzmin]. The work can be hard, but if you have great people around you, with brilliant energy, it makes the job a lot easier. The judges are great, too. I’ve known Shirley [Ballas] and Motsi [Mabuse] for over two decades, because they used to compete.

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We’ve seen you get very emotional on TV. Is it important to you to show that side of yourself?

I’m just an emotional person. I think we should all be able to express our emotions freely, whether you’re a man or a woman – especially men. Men need to cry more. Also, facing your own lack of confidence, accepting who you are is important. Last year on Strictly with Karen was amazing. She’s incredible and really helped me to dig deep and find myself.

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Away from the hectic Strictly schedule, what’s your perfect day off?

A nice walk in the park, going out on my bike in the city for some fresh air, finding a random café. The best part of living in London is because it’s so huge, everywhere you go you can come across a new area, find a new café, sit there and people-watch. It’s very simple, but I love it.

You’ve said your childhood has shaped you a lot. Can you tell us more?

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I grew up in a small town in China where you don’t see much of the world, but I always loved movement and music. It got to the point where my mum realised maybe she should send me to a dance class. But China’s very conservative. People tend to think dance is only for girls. So Mum held out longer than she perhaps should have, because I only started at 11. Normally kids go at six or seven.

You left home at 12 to go and study dance professionally, didn’t you?

Yes, I travelled 400 miles away to train in the professional dance school in Beijing, which is also a boarding school. It’s very intense and the school is very hard to get into. They accept maybe 70 kids out of 1,000 who audition. So yes, I started dancing and… never stopped.

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In China, did you feel you couldn’t be as open about your sexuality as you can here?

For me, as a gay man, everything within our community is not really talked about in China, especially growing up. You have to explore it in your own way. You can’t really speak up, you have to suppress yourself because not everybody can accept who you really are. Moving to the UK definitely gave me a lot of freedom and acceptance. And it’s so important to have diversity on TV, especially on a huge show like Strictly.

Who’s the most influential person in your life?

My mum. She raised me as a single mum and was so strong and tough, and so supportive. Every time I was going through something difficult, she’d always give the most brilliant, wise advice. She’s always given me a great sense of home and comfort. She’s my inspiration. I’m a feminist – I will always support women and their voice. Amy [Dowden] has really inspired me. She’s gone through so much with her health, but comes back stronger. She’s a powerhouse. I wish I could be like her.

You have a tour coming up with Amy called Reborn . Are there any other projects in the pipeline?

Yes. Everyone close to me knows how much I love singing. You can sing in the shower, but I started taking lessons last year and I’ve realised I want to sing professionally. So I’m doing a one-man show, singing some songs and doing some dancing.

Do singing and dancing invoke similar feelings for you?

That’s a very good question. Well, we’re using different muscles, and also the way you express yourself through movement and voice are completely different. The reason I started to sing was because I felt like dancing is sometimes not enough for me to express myself. Now I have more tools to do that. Either way, I know I’m going to be a performer until the day I die.

Cast exits are nothing new to One Chicago fans. Just this season, we’ve seen three major exits on Chicago Fire, an original cast member step back from Chicago Med, and watched Chicago PD lose a series regular with another set to exit as a result of an unexpected leave of absence. 

With how frequently the shows of the One Chicago franchise see actors come and go, it’s understandable that fans of the three One Chicago shows are always worried about the futures of their favorite actors on the show. So when reports recently surfaced that suggested Amy Morton was calling it quits and leaving Chicago PD after 13 seasons playing Sergeant Trudy Platt, fans took them at face value.

But is there any truth to the reports that Amy Morton is leaving Chicago PD? 

Allow One Chicago Center to clear something up for fans right away: No, Amy Morton is not leaving Chicago PD and has not told NBC that “it’s time to say goodbye.” So why exactly do so many people believe she’s about to exit the show and leave Trudy Platt behind her? Well, that would be the work of a pair of viral social media posts that have taken off on Instagram and Facebook, which allege that Morton is walking away from the show. 

As seen in the screenshot below, the false reports alleged that Morton has confirmed her exit and even included a link to a “news” article that seemed to support the social media posts.

The fake article connected to the social media posts even included the following fabricated quote to back up the claim: 

“Playing Trudy Platt has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. I knew this day would come, and while it’s bittersweet, it feels right. The cast, the crew, the fans — they’ve been my family. I’ll always carry Chicago with me.”

The statement was reported to have been said by Morton in an interview with NBC; however, there is absolutely no NBC report or clip containing the alleged quote from Morton. Just perform a search, and you’ll find the only result is the fabricated article connected to the social media posts. 

The social media posts have gone viral, which is what these outlets hoped to achieve in creating panic among the One Chicago franchise fans. It’s a shame that social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram continue to make it so easy for users to spread false information.

Thankfully, these are just false claims and Morton remains a part of the Chicago PD season 13 cast. While it is possible Morton could leave the show at some point, as cast exits are common, she has made no indication that she’s looking to exit the show. In other words, Platt ain’t going nowhere!