Well, this was unexpected! Prince Harry made a surprise appearance (opens in new tab) on the BBC reality show "Strictly Come Dancing" (the British equivalent of "Dancing with the Stars") on Saturday night to cheer on contestant JJ Chalmers (pictured above), a close friend of the royal family.

Chalmers, a former Royal Marine who was seriously wounded in Afghanistan, met Harry through the Invictus Games, an international sports tournament for wounded warriors that Harry founded in 2014; as USA Today (opens in new tab) reported (opens in new tab) opens in a new tab), Chalmers became an ambassador for the Games after winning three medals at the first edition, became close friends with the Duke of Sussex, and attended his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.

Harry made a video call to Chalmers during the veteran's training session with professional dancer Amy Dowden, offering his support for her Strictly Come Dancing journey and reflecting on their friendship. When I first met JJ, he was in his shell," Harry said, according to the Independent (opens in new tab). 'But seeing him shine at Invictus made me feel like myself again.'

"I'm genuinely proud," Harry continued." You are not a dancer." "You're proving you can do anything." "It's amazing."

Chalmers, meanwhile, spoke of the transformative impact that the Invictus Games and his friendship with Prince Harry had on his life after leaving the military. He said, "If Prince Harry hadn't founded the Invictus Games, there wouldn't have been a moment in my life that would have changed my life forever. Without him, I would not be here."