Scottish GP Eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing Notes Positive Impact on Patients

A general practitioner from Scotland, who was the fifth contestant to be eliminated from the current season of Strictly Come Dancing, stated that participating in the show brought happiness to herself, her relatives, and those under her care. Dr. Punam Krishan and her professional dance partner, Gorka Marquez, were eliminated from the televised dance competition after performing a tango to the song “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics. The physician, known for her appearances on BBC’s Morning Live and Radio Scotland, was defeated in a Halloween-themed dance-off by singer Shayne Ward. She indicated that the experience enhanced her ability to manage time effectively and instructed her to “say yes more”. Following her elimination from the program, she informed BBC Scotland’s Drivetime that the experience allowed her patients to gain a better understanding of her. She stated: “It’s brought lots of joy to consultations, I think people forget that as doctors, as healthcare professionals we are under so much pressure in the NHS but we are also people.” She added: “It has been nice for my patients to see another side to me, we’re not just those serious people who sit at the other side of the consultation table.” The doctor managed her general practitioner duties alongside training sessions that extended up to eight hours and regular weekly journeys to London. She further remarked: “Consultations have been a lot longer than normal, and it is bizarre when you are talking about a rash and then all of a sudden you are talking about Strictly,” she continued. She concluded this point by saying: “It’s been really fun, I feel like my patients have got to know me a lot better outside of the room and it has brought a bit of joy to them too.” She described the experience as a genuine collaborative effort, partly facilitated by her practice manager, who is a Strictly “super fan”. Krishnan, whose spouse is Scottish Conservative MSP Sandesh Gulhane, mentioned that her family also participated in the enjoyment. She stated: “My whole family has been so invested in this, and its brought so much joy, excitement and escapism to all of us,” she said. She added: “I feel like we’ve just been on this epic ride as a family, we’ve had so much fun, so many memories have been made and I know we’ll just be talking about this for years to come.” Previously in the series, Krishnan and Marquez made history as the first competing pair in the program’s two-decade existence to perform to a traditional Bollywood track. Krishan, whose parents relocated from the Punjab to Glasgow during the 1970s, conveyed to the Strictly spin-off show, It Takes Two, her hope that her children would feel “really proud” witnessing her perform the couple’s chosen routine to a Bollywood song. She remarked: “Representation matters, so for me this is a huge moment.” She confessed to being “gutted” about her elimination but stated that she largely enjoyed the experience. She elaborated: “It is the most nerve wracking thing I’ve ever done, there’s no saliva in your mouth, the heart is racing – you can feel it pulsing through your eyeballs, and then the music starts.” She concluded her description of the experience by saying: “And the you have to face the judges, it is like getting your exam results in front of the whole country, that bit I just hated.”