What is Dan Walker’s religion? Why Strictly star won’t dance on Sundays and dressed as a lobster on Halloween

BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker caused a bit of a stir on social media after viewers “failed to see the connection” between he and professional partner Nadiya Bychkova’s lobster costumes and Halloween for theStrictly Come Dancing spooky special.

Others were quick to point out that Walker’s costume likely came down to his religious beliefs and that he and his family do not celebrate Halloween.

This is everything you need to know.

What happened on the Halloween episode of Strictly?

The latest episode of Strictly Come Dancing saw celebrities and their professional dance partners don spooky costumes for the Halloween special of the dancing competition.

However, some viewers were less than impressed with the outfits worn by Walker and his partner Bychkova. The pair wore bright red lobster outfits to perform their jive to The B52 song Rock Lobster.

Taking to Twitter, viewers expressed their confusion.

One person wrote: “Bad choice of costumes. Diabolical choreography. None of that is down to Dan Walker. Can’t for the life of me see the connection to Halloween.”

Another asked: “How is a lobster Halloweeny?”

“I’m really struggling to see the connection between Halloween and lobsters,” wrote another.

However not all reactions were negative, with others coming to his defence.

One person tweeted: “I LOVE that Dan Walker has dressed as a totally non threatening non fright night non Halloween crab. Amazing!! Prayers continue for him, allowing Jesus’ light to shine in the darkness.”

Another wrote: “Dan Walker - for those who don’t understand why you were a lobster, it’s good to see you not compromising your beliefs by wearing a costume which didn’t embrace the dark side of Halloween. Well done sir.”

“Love that @mrdanwalker was able to share that he & family don’t celebrate Halloween and lived that integrity out by dressing as a lobster for the strictly Halloween episode,” tweeted another, which received a “thanks” from Walker himself.

Responding on Twitter, the BBC Breakfast presenter wrote: “So amazing comments from last night (and a few weird angry ones).

“Thanks for voting. I know I’m not the best dancer but I’m having a wonderful time learning from Nadiya.”

Is Dan Walker religious?

The BBC Breakfast presenter is an Evangelical Christian and told Premiere Christianity that he was “a young lad” when he found his faith.

He said: “When I was a young lad, in my early teens, really, that’s when I first started thinking in great depth about my place in the universe.

“I know that’s a bit of a deep question to think about when you’re only 12 or 13, but for me it was an understanding of who I was; who God was; what my relationship with Jesus Christ was and what I wanted it to look like.”

In an interview with Sorted Magazine, he said that his faith plays a “very significant part” in his life.

Walker said: “I don’t take much seriously in life except for my faith and my family. I believe that if you have a strong faith in Jesus Christ, it has to make a difference to how you live your life.

“It informs who I am and who I would like to be, where I’m going, the way I talk, the way I act, hopes, dreams, aspirations etc. It is a significant part of every day I live.”

Why won’t he dance on Sundays?

Walker has previously talked about how he won’t be found working on Sundays.

Talking to Radio Times, he said that “Sundays are even more important than the best job in the world”.

Walker said: “For practical and spiritual reasons it’s really important to me. It’s a personal decision I made for the good of my family, and I’ve managed somehow to maintain it for 20 years. I’m in the job because I love doing it, but it’s not the be all and end all.”

In an interview with the i, Walker also added: “I’ve always had [Sundays] as a family day. Sometimes, it’s been difficult, and some people find it peculiar that that’s the stance I’ve chosen to take.

“But it’s really important. I work a lot, so I have to make up for the fact that I’m not there. My faith is important to me. It’s what makes me tick. Having that time to rest, gain perspective and concentrate on the important things in life keeps me grounded.”

Regarding his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, a source reportedly told Mail on Sunday: “Dan’s religion is very important to him and he won’t be dancing on Sundays.

“It is a sacrifice he makes for his faith.

“While Nadiya will have to understand, the professional dancers become more competitive than the celebrities as the series draws to a close, the rivalry amongst them is huge.”

How can he appear on the Sunday episode of Strictly?

While the results episode airs on Sunday evening, it’s actually filmed on Saturday night.

The Saturday episodes are broadcast live from Elstree Studios in London. The results episode on Sunday night is pre-recorded, with the filming taking place after all the dancers have shown off their moves for the week.

A change of outfit for hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and the judges as well, make it seem that the episode was filmed on a different day.

How is he doing on Strictly?

Walker, who is partnered with professional dancer Bychkova, started out the series by landing somewhere around the middle for the first few episodes, however has recently found himself nearing the bottom of the leaderboard.

This is how he has done week by week:

• Week one: fifth
• Week two: seventh
• Week three: 13th 
• Week four: ninth 
• Week five: eighth 
• Week six: eighth

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