Strictly Come Dancing: Hamza Yassin 'always stood out'

Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał impressed the judges on Saturday

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Hamza Yassin was hard to overlook long before he hit the dancefloor, his former university tutor has said.

The wildlife presenter, a former student at Bangor University, won three 10-point scores for his performance with partner Jowita Przystal on Saturday.

Conservation science professor Julia Jones recalls him turning up for a field trip in a tutu and tights.

"He did stand out," she said.

Hamza, who studied zoology with conservation in Bangor, now works as a CBeebies presenter but still comes back every year to give lectures to conservation practice students in their second year.

"He's been so generous with his time," Prof Jones told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"All of us staff and students are behind him."

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As a student, he once called her bluff when she told him jokily to wear a pink tutu and shiny tights rather than sensible waterproofs and wellies on a field trip to the Menai Strait to count water birds.

"Overnight he sourced a pink tutu and shiny tights," Prof Jones said.

"He comes pirouetting down the road in his rugby top - he was a keen rugby player - and a pink tutu."

Hamza Yassin studied zoology with conservation at Bangor University

Hamza was given an honorary Masters degree at Bangor University this summer and gave an address to the graduating students.

"The real theme of the lectures he gives is the hard work needed to make luck happen," Prof Jones said, adding that while he was "living his dream", it took real perseverance.

Hamza is severely dyslexic and said Bangor University offered him a lot of support.

"He's just a really nice chap, what you see is what you get. He's just utterly likable," she added.

She did not expect him to be as light on his feet as he has proved to be, adding that she thought he could "go all the way" in the competition.

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