Jaime Winstone fought back tears as she discussed the stress of surviving the first dance-off of this year's Strictly Come Dancing. The actress, 41, found herself in the bottom two on Movie Night following the public vote, but the judges unanimously voted to save her and her professional partner Carlos Gu.
Speaking to host Ellie Taylor on It Takes Two, Jaime was visibly emotional as she reflected on the experience. She revealed the emotional toll of narrowly avoiding elimination, while celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton was sent home alongside Amy Dowden.
Emotional revelations on It Takes Two
Jaime said: "It has been really emotional, there were certain things that Chris said yesterday – you really do go back to that child in school going ‘I don’t fit in’ – when actually some of the greatest things about you are what make you stand out. Yeah, a lot of insecurities happened yesterday. But you know, it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up again."
Carlos, who was caught in his first dance-off in three years, said the situation had left him heartbroken, but his feelings were more for his partner than himself. He called the decision "unfair", which left Jaime welling up as she clutched his hand. He praised how much she had grown as a dancer in a short space of time.
Dance-off performances and reactions
In the dance-off, Chris and Amy performed their Cha Cha to I'll Be Ready from Baywatch, while Jaime and Carlos performed their Cha Cha to Oh, Pretty Woman from Pretty Woman. Carlos also shared his heartache on Instagram on Monday over Amy's early exit for the second year running. He said: "My heart is broken!!! To my sister from another mother @amy_dowden, to @chrisappleston1, I wish people could [have] had more chance to see what a beautiful human you are!"
Ratings and response
Sunday night's first results show of 2026 drew in 4.5 million viewers, compared to 6.2 million last year, according to ratings data shared by Digital i. This came after reports that the first live show of the series peaked at 5 million viewers, down by more than a million year on year. A Strictly spokesperson said: "Strictly was the most watched programme of the night, with a peak of five million viewers. As ever, overnight ratings do not give the full picture of all those who watch in an on-demand world."
