Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon has become the latest celebrity to be eliminated from the dance competition, after facing off against a surprise competitor in the dance-off.
Saturday (25 November) night’s show saw the remaining couples back in London after their outing to Blackpool and competing for a spot in next week’s quarter-final. With just six pairs remaining, the race has never been tighter, and only seven marks separated first place from last.
Former Coronation Street actor Ellie Leach and partner Vito Coppola topped the leaderboard with 38 points, with Irish presenter Scanlon and Carlos Gu at the bottom with 31. The latter couple had performed a Cha Cha Cha to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”.
Second from the bottom of the leaderboard were Nigel Harman and partner Katya Jones, with a score of 33.
However, it was not Harman, but Layton Williams and partner Nikita Kuzmin who they competed against during Sunday (26 November) night’s results show.
Despite being one of the highest scoring couples of the competition so far, Williams and Kuzmin were in the dreaded middle zone on Saturday. The musical theatre star came fourth out of the six couples with 34 points, their lowest score in seven weeks.
Finding themselves in the bottom two against Scanlon and Gu, Williams and Kuzmin performed their American Smooth to “It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork once more.
Williams and Scanlon found themselves in the bottom two— (BBC/Guy Levy)
After Scanlon also danced again, the judges delivered their verdicts. Craig Revel Horwood voted to save Williams, calling their number “the better dance of the night, and the dance I actually enjoyed the most”.
Motsi Mabuse also voted to save Williams. “Well, this was certainly a tough, tough dance off,” she said. “I based my decision on musicality and balance and that is why I will be saving Nikita and Layton.”
Anton du Beke agreed, declaring it “quite a tense dance off” and the closest of the series so far. “I don’t think either couple danced as well as they can… This is the only thing, I saw an error from one of the couples, so I’m going to vote to keep in to the quarter-finals, Layton and Nikita.”
As the three judges were in agreement, Williams remained, meaning Scanlon was sent home. Asked her verdict, however, head judge Shirley Ballas disagreed and said that she would have voted to save Scanlon and Gu, had her deciding vote been needed.
Scanlon said she was ‘gutted’ that her ‘Strictly’ journey had come to an end— (BBC/Guy Levy)
An emotional Scanlon then said goodbye to Strictly. Speaking to host Tess Daly, she described the experience as “honestly incredible”, adding that she was “gutted that it’s finished now” and to be leaving Gu behind.
“I have made the best friend in this man,” she said. We have had so much fun, he is such an incredible guy. He has supported me and picked me up and made me laugh so much. I don’t know what to say, it’s been magical honestly.”
Gu praised Scanlon for “her commitment and her strength every day, day by day. I’m a professional dancer and she works so hard, harder than me! Look at her now – I am so proud, her sense of humour and we had so much fun everyday. She cracks me up laughing!”
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 2 December at 7.25pm on BBC One.
