Alexandra Burke says she feels sick with nerves on Strictly Come Dancing despite her high scores.

The singer and former X Factor winner scored 39, the highest total of the series so far, on Saturday, collecting three tens and a nine for her jive to Tina Turner’s Proud Mary.

She told Radio Times magazine that waiting to discover her fate, as it is announced who will be in the dance-off, was nerve-wracking.

“I can’t describe the feeling when you’re waiting in that spotlight for your name to be called,” the 29-year-old said.

“It’s something that I became familiar with on The X Factor, but it still makes me sick. You’re longing to be safe, but at the same time dreading anyone else being in the bottom two.”

Burke said of Saturday’s performance: “I wanted my jive to be fierce, a powerful female dance to celebrate all the strong women who have influenced and inspired me.”

But she added: “Halfway through rehearsals I was regretting my choice of music — it’s so fast and I struggled with the steps more than I have done with any other dance.”

Burke broke down in tears following her high scores, saying she wished her late mother, Melissa Bell, could have seen it.

She told the magazine: “I hope that I did myself, Tina and my mum proud”.

Strictly Come Dancing
Reverend Richard Coles with Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

Meanwhile Rev Richard Coles, who was ejected from the BBC1 show last week, said he would keep dancing.

“I suppose the best tribute I can pay to the whole experience is the dance class I’ve signed up for with some parishioners,” he said.