Strictly Come Dancing fans have clashed over the first dance-off of the 2026 series, with many questioning the judges' scoring and the survival of football pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The BBC favourite returned with Movie Week as contestants faced the prospect of being the first to leave. Sunday's results show saw four couples face an excruciating wait to see who would be saying goodbye after just two weeks.
The last four couples to know their fate were Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, and Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał. Lawrence and Will were saved after the public votes were combined with the judges' scores, meaning Chris and Jaime faced the dance-off, with Chris ultimately being sent home.
Fans surprised by Shaun's survival
Shaun Wright-Phillips, one of the lowest-scoring stars, was the first contestant announced as making it through to next week, taking viewers by surprise. Many had expected him to be in the dance-off.
They took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts. One said: "Sorry but who the hell voted for Shaun Wright-Phillips #strictly." Another added: "As always this is so unfair. Shaun was the worst dancer but here we are. #Strictly"
Another surprised viewer shared: "Whoa. Did not see Shaun - not - being in the dance off! #Strictly," while another agreed: "Announcing Shaun and Alexis as the first couple through to next week has completely thrown me off???? That’s a surprise one so I thought they would leave it until the end, now I'm NERVOUS #strictly."
Scoring scepticism and fan support
Others were very sceptical over the scoring. One viewer added: "#strictly some ropey scoring going on tonight with the judges esp Shaun!" Another commented: "The scores for Shaun and Alexis tonight was utterly ridiculous, a 7 really what were they smoking." [Sic]
On the flip side, many fans jumped to Shaun's defence, commenting on his vast improvement in his second week and wishing him well. One added: "I want Shaun to do well. I hope he stays and get consistently better and better.. #Strictly." Another wrote: "Shaun was much better this week. I liked his and Alexis dance #Strictly"
Shaun, who is very active on social media with his professional partner, Alexis, has captured the hearts of many viewers. One shared: "Feeling extremely maternal over Shaun right now please guys I can’t stand to see him leave first." Another added: "Shaun I love him, he must stay."
Shaun's response
Following his performance, Shaun took to Instagram to tell fans he was ready to dive into the next dance, sharing: "The nerves were VERY real last night but honestly...I had the absolute best time! I hope @alexis_warr and I made you proud! The love has been incredible and I appreciate every single bit of it.
"Time to recharge the batteries today and eat a few well earned doughnuts!"
Shaun and Alexis had performed a Salsa to You Should Be Dancing from Saturday Night Fever for their Movie Week routine. Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.
