Strictly Come Dancing fans have been left up in arms after the results of the public vote for Musicals Week emerged online hours before Sunday’s results show.
As is usual for the BBC dance competition’s format, the results show is filmed after the live programme on Saturday evening, but it isn’t broadcast until the following day.
As such, Strictly has been vulnerable to leaks over the years, and this weekend’s musicals extravaganza was no different.
Five couples battled it out for a spot in next week’s semi-finals on Saturday evening, with the leaderboard closer than ever.
BBC Strictly: The five remaining couples in Musicals Week
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BBC
Former Lioness Karen Carney and her pro partner Carlos Gu ended up at the foot of the leaderboard following the feedback from the judges.
They scored 34 points for their Samba. Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse awarded them scores of eight, while Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke opted for nines.
At the other end of the leaderboard were Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, who racked up a perfect score of 40.
The former Love Island star and her dance partner pulled off a show-stopping Charleston, with all of the judges running out of superlatives to dish out.
BBC Strictly: Amber Davies topped the leaderboard
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BBC
Meanwhile, nothing could separate the three remaining couples. Lewis Cope and Katya Jones, Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon, and George Clarke and Alexis Warr all scored 35 each.
Mr Revel Horwood had awarded the three middling pairs eight apiece, while his fellow judges felt more generous as they lifted their nine paddles.
Mr Cope had taken on a West Side Story-inspired Salsa, Mr Clarke performed an Argentine Tango donning a Phantom of the Opera ensemble, while Ms Sopal’s Greatest Showman-esque Viennese Waltz left barely a dry eye in the studio.
With it being incredibly tight to call, the result of Musicals Week was always bound to cause a stir. Nevertheless, fans have been dumbfounded by the supposed results that leaked online prior to Sunday’s show.
BBC Strictly: Karen Carney ended at the bottom of the table
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BBC
BBC Strictly: Balvinder Sopal
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BBC
GB News isn’t going to reveal the identity of the alleged eliminated contestant. Fans will have to tune into Sunday’s results show to find out who’s sent home.
However, reacting to the supposed spoiler on X, one furious fan typed: “This is a joke. #Strictly used to be a dancing competition, but the best dancer hasn’t won since Jay McGuiness in 2015 & this is the biggest robbery in Strictly history for me. I’ve watched every ep of every series of this show but I’m done for this series. Devastated honestly.” (sic)
A second was similarly dismayed as they wrote: “Well the British public have really shown their terrible voting skills this weekend.
“First Aitch goes out of I’m a Celeb and then… they go and vote [NAME REMOVED] and [NAME REMOVED] into the bottom 2 of Strictly… and [NAME REMOVED] leaves. Fuming is an understatement.”
BBC Strictly: Lewis Cope
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BBC
“Well, I’ve just seen the Strictly spoiler, so my day is ruined. An injustice has occurred,” a third complained, while a fourth echoed: “Now that is the most shocking Strictly elimination EVER to happen. #strictlyspoiler.”
A fifth also typed: “For the first time as a super fan, after the Strictly Spoiler, I can honestly say, I have no further interest in this series #strictlyspoiler #Strictly.”
“It is impossible to believe that [NAME REMOVED] and [NAME REMOVED] are eliminated,” a sixth weighed in.
And another couldn’t hold back: “This is what has been sent home because of horrific voting patterns. [NAME REMOVED] and [NAME REMOVED], you take the spot of the most robbed couple in the history of this show. #Strictly.”
BBC Strictly: George Clarke
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BBC
The four remaining couples will return next weekend for the penultimate instalment of the series in this year’s semi-finals.
Due to injuries, only three couples will make it to the grand finale the following week in what will also be Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s farewell to the show.