Strictly Come Dancing fans in disbelief after discovering Annabel Croft's real age following her 'incredible' jive complete with a surprise cartwheel

• e-mail

Strictly Come Dancing fans have voiced their shock after they discovered how old Annabel Croft is, following her latest amazing performance.

The former tennis player, 57, has been taking part in the latest series of the BBC ballroom dance contest with dance partner Johannes Radebe. 

Saturday night saw the pair dancing an energetic jive to Feel It Still by Portugal The Man and scored an impressive 29. 

Annabel looked sensational in a red, black and white 60s minidress that showed off her incredibly toned legs.

She showcased her fitness and skill as she performed the tricky choreography and even ended the performance with a surprise cartwheel.

Cannot believe it! Strictly Come Dancing fans have voiced their shock after they discovered how old Annabel Croft is, following her latest amazing performance

Incredible: The former tennis player, 57, has been taking part in the latest series of the BBC ballroom dance contest with dance partner Johannes Radebe

Wow! Saturday night saw the pair dancing an energetic jive t o Feel It Still by Portugal The Man and scored an impressive 29

Viewers were blown away by the performance and their admiration only grew when they discovered Annabel's real age, taking to Twitter to praise the sports star. 

One person gushed: 'How stunning is @Annabel_Croft. That figure, those legs. Can't believe she's 57? Loved that. She dances brilliantly ever week.'

Another quipped: 'Annabel Croft is 57 Blimey.....I need to exercise more. Tremendous'.

A third agreed, writing: 'Fitness goals, to look like #AnnabelCroft She looks amazing at any age let alone 57! #inspiration'.

And a fourth echoed: 'Ohhh, WOW! @Annabel_Croft doing a cartwheel at 57. Absolutely flipping awesome!! She’s FABULOUS.'

A stunned fifth asked: 'how in hell is Annabel Croft 57' while someone else added: 'Annabel, you Hotty McHotski! Those legs! I love her!'

And a seventh praised: 'Wow @Annabel_Croft incredible performance its weird to ask a lady her age but you looked like a 20 odd year old Amazing'. 

Her dazzling performance comes after Annabel told how Strictly has helped her to 'be in the moment' as she grieves her late husband Mel Coleman.

Impressed: Viewers were blown away by the performance and their admiration only grew when they discovered Annabel's real age, taking to Twitter to praise the sports star

Her husband and father to their three children, Charlie, Amber and Lilly, died earlier this year, aged 60, a few weeks after he was diagnosed with stage three cancer.

The tragedy is what inspired her to take part in the competition and she insists it has helped take her mind off her difficulties at times. 

Annabel told the Mirror: 'I just love the fact that it just takes you away to a different place, trying something completely different, but also try and let go and try to be in the moment. We're trying to get there, I don't think I've got there yet.

'But try to feel the music and start to, once you've got the steps, then just to let go of everything and just dance and just be free in your spirit. And it is very joyful. It does take me back to my childhood a little bit.'

Former America's Cup yachtsman Mel passed away just two months after he started complaining of stomach pain.

And Annabel recently told Lorraine Kelly during an appearance on her ITV1 show how dancing has helped her rest her brain from 'thinking too many dark thoughts'.

She said: 'It's been a nice distraction from grief.

'It's been nice to do something joyful and use my body and try to rest my brain from thinking too many dark thoughts.'

Overcoming heartache: Her dazzling performance comes after Annabel told how Strictly has helped her to 'be in the moment' as she grieves her late husband Mel Coleman

Devastating: Her husband and father to their three children, Charlie, Amber and Lilly, died earlier this year, aged 60, a few weeks after he was diagnosed with stage three cancer (pictured together  in 2021)

The radio presenter previously revealed she was in a dark place following Mel's passing and she cried every day in the weeks following the loss.

Before Strictly, she said she hoped the gruelling training schedule would help take her mind off the heartache and help her 'find some joyfulness'.

Since being on the show, Annabel has revealed that her spirits are higher and the competition has allowed her to get stuck into a new challenge.

But her time on the dancefloor will be bittersweet without her husband of 31 years there to cheer her on.

'He always loved the show and he used to cry watching it,' she said previously. 'So I'm completely heartbroken that he's not here to watch with me.

Annabel told the Metro that Mel was also a big fan of her dance partner Johannes, saying: '[Mel] always loved the show, he loved watching Johannes. He got very emotional watching Johannes actually. 

'I can picture him in the kitchen and calling us all to the screen to watch [Johannes] so I’m a bit sad that he’s not here to witness it. 

'That would have been a big thing for us as a family.'

Bittersweet: Annabel told the Metro that Mel was also a big fan of her dance partner Johannes, saying: '[Mel] always loved the show, he loved watching Johannes. He got very emotional watching Johannes actually'