Former Olympic hockey player Sam Quek and her professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin wrre the latest couple to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing.
Saturday’s episode saw the dance couples compete in the first ever Icons Week, dancing to songs by legendary musical acts such as The Beatles, George Michael, Bruno Mars, Queen, Madonna and Shirley Bassey.
The episode featured a very high standard of dances with the top scores of the week going to Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec and JB Gill and his replacement partner Lauren Oakley, who stepped in for the ill Amy Dowden, with both couples scoring 39 points each.
Propping up the leaderboard was Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał with 22 points. However, Wicks managed to survive and surprisingly wasn’t in the dance off either.
The dance off was contested between Quek and Kuzmin, who were given a score of 29 by the judges for their American Smooth to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”.
On the other side of the dance off was Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe who had scored a very respectable 35 for their Waltz to “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.
After the pairings performed their dances again judges Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood all voted to save Douglas and Radebe, meaning that Quek was eliminated. Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed and said she would have decided to save Douglas and Radebe.
Speaking afterwards to Tess Daly, Quek said: “I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It’s just been an absolute joy. Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give.”
Kuzmin said: “I’m just in awe of this girl. Sometimes they say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but to me, it’s about the company. Sam, you are the most wonderful company I could have had.”
Quek added: “I’m guilty of watching the competition and thinking ‘how do they have that relationship as a celebrity and a dancer?’ All I can say is, the time you spend with each other and what you bring out in each other. It really is, and it sounds dead cheesy, magical.”
Quek’s elimination follows the exit of Dr Punam Krishan, footballer Paul Merson, Toyah Willcox, Nick Knowles and Tom Dean, who all left the competition in its earlier stages.
