The question of who left Strictly Come Dancing this week has no doubt been the minds of fans since the celebrities took to the ballroom for their ninth week and two couples prepared to face the dreaded dance-off.
September is an exciting time for Strictly fans, with the month always marking the beginning of a new series of the beloved show - this year also saw the triumphant return of professional dancer Amy Dowden, following treatment for breast cancer. However, After the initial excitement of an all-new batch of celebrities debuting their dancing skills, fans’ joy can be mixed with sadness as their favourite couples begin to depart the glitzy competition.
While nobody was eliminated in week one, week two saw the departure of Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova. The couple were followed in week three by Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones, and in week four by Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk. Hot on their heels and with the competition getting even more intense, during week five we saw Paul Merson and Karen Hauer also leave the competition, followed by Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez the week after.
Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin then bowed out and danced their way out the door during week seven, followed by Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu in week eight after a tense dance-off and rather excellent rumba.
But who left Strictly Come Dancing this week?
Who left Strictly Come Dancing last night?
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones were the ninth couple to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2024 this week.
The pair performed a Charleston to Carmen Suite No. 1: 5. Les toréadors, facing up to Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe in the dance-off who performed their salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston.
The judges were unanimous in their decision to vote off Wynne and Katya. Wynne's time on the show has been marred by controversy surrounding an apparent "running joke" between him and Katya. A viral clip showed him trying to high-five his partner, and her looking at him disdainfully before leaving him hanging.
He was then seen moving his hand around her waist, and Katya removing it in a way that viewers felt made her look uncomfortable. The pair apologised for events in the clip, insisting there was no basis in any of the speculation surrounding it and confirming they are good friends.
Speaking of the media coverage of the event, Wynne said it "went on for days" and was "pretty relentless." He and Katya refused to explain the joke, which could've resolved the situation if the public understood the context. When asked if he thought this might've helped, Wynne replied, "Maybe. Maybe not. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it was just something that happened and that was it."
Wynne did however, express how much he'd enjoyed his time on the show despite the controversy. "I hope Strictly’s still there when I’ve got grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and they can watch their favour people on the television," he said.
Katya took to Instagram to share a beautiful tribute to her dancing partner, that appears to put to bed any thoughts of bad blood between them. She praised Wynne, sharing that she "adored" him and had come to love Wales and the Welsh people who'd "welcomed me with open arms."
"We got on like a house on fire from the moment we said hello," she wrote, adding "If there’s a way of doing this wild, bonkers, intense thing called Strictly Come Dancing I would only want to do it the way we did it. With non stop laughter, humour, lots of singing, staying true to ourselves, being silly and being there for each other."
Added a big touch of humour, Katya concluded with, "I ADORE YOU. Please remember, you are enough. You are more than enough. You are the light that we all need in our lives. Keep shining. And more importantly never miss a high five."
Strictly leaderboard after week nine
- Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec (8+10+10+9) = 37
- JB Gill and Lauren Oakley (9+9+9+10) = 37
- Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał (8+9+10+9) = 36
- Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe (9+9+9+9) = 36
- Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola (8+8+8+9) = 33
- Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell (7+8+9+9) = 33
- Wynne Evans and Katya Jones (7+8+8+9) = 32 - eliminated
- Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas (7+8+7+8) = 30
Strictly Come Dancing Results Show is on every Sunday on BBC One and is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
The next episode will take place on Saturday, November 23, 2024, when the remaining contestants will be narrowed down once again. The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 final will air on Saturday, December 14.
