Strictly Come Dancing fans are urging the BBC to finally scrap the 'charade' of the Sunday night results show after Gavin and Stacey favourite Melanie Walters became the second celebrity to be eliminated from the hit dance series on Sunday night.
Melanie and her pro partner, Aljaz Skorjanec, fell into the bottom two on tonight's results show and were forced to dance off against ex Premier League footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and his pro partner Alexis Warr. But after having been in the dance-off two weeks running, the judges chose to send Melanie and Aljaz home, becoming only the second couple to leave the 2026 series after Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden last weekend.
Fans hit out at pre-recorded show
However, much of the criticism of tonight's episode came not from the elimination itself but from the fakery of the results show itself.
Every Sunday, the results show is broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday night, but is actually pre-recorded on the Saturday. Show bosses even go as far as making all the celebrities, judges and pro dancers change their outfits so as to make the results show look like it's been held on a different night, when actually, it was all recorded on Saturday and then held over. Then, the result inevitably leaks online, meaning superfans already know who's going to be eliminated before the results are shown on TV.
@carolynbe said: "Takes about 8 minutes to watch Sunday's results show. All the repetitiveness and pretending is so silly. Do. It. On. Saturday."
@animej2026axe replied: "Even getting them all to change outfits for the illusion like we don't all know already. Putting all on Saturday means less chance of The Spoilers too"
@mikejohnson2174 said: "FFS! What on earth is that Johannes 'Doing & Saying' when the judges walk in for their nonsense chat on the results show..!! This show has completely lost all it's quality, standards & is fast losing it's respect from viewers of 20 years."
@glasgowmeg said: "Why are the bbc still pretending about the results show being on a sunday night? #strictly"
@michellesdowden added: "how are people only just finding out that the results show is pre recorded?? where have you all been #strictly"
@manda1L said: "Why are they still trying to flog this results show as being filmed today, we all know its filmed after the live show Saturday night? #strictly"
@elainePar01 said: " STILL pretending, after all these years, that the results show wasn't recorded last night." #strictlycomedancing
Dance-off verdict and scores
On Saturday night's episode, Walters and Skorjanec had performed a Charleston to Ooh Ahh… Just A Little Bit by Gina G received a score of 17 from the judges.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood said he "didn't love" their dance while Motsi Mabuse encouraged her to "keep going". After finishing in the bottom two in the first two weeks of the competition, the judges sent the pair home.
On Sunday night's results episode, they were sent into the dance-off against former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and his partner Alexis Warr, who had received a score of 15 for their quickstep to I'm A Believer by The Monkees.
After both couples performed their routines again, the judges delivered their verdicts on who they wanted to save. While Mabuse wanted to save Walters, fellow judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Revel Horwood all chose to save Wright-Phillips and Warr.
Sunday night performances and what's next
The eliminated couple will appear on It Takes Two on Monday. Sunday night's episode also saw Ballas and Du Beke take to the floor as part of a special group performance, with two teams of professional dancers going head-to-head for glory in a ballroom vs Latin showdown. There was also a performance from musician Jalen Ngonda of his song Burning Temptation, accompanied by professional dancers Neil Jones and Lethabo Monametsi.
Walters is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC comedy, which she appeared in from its launch in 2007 and then reprised her role for the 2024 Christmas special. Her television work also includes roles in Coronation Street, Beyond Paradise, Being Human, Hollyoaks, Biff And Chip, and Doc Martin, while her film credits include Submarine, Resistance, High Tide and Save The Cinema. On stage, she has appeared in productions such as The Importance Of Being Earnest, Blood Brothers, Twelfth Night, Educating Rita and What's New Pussycat?.
During the first week of the contest, the Welsh actress received a score of 15 for her cha cha cha, also being given the same score the following week while performing a waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound of Music during Movie Week. The remaining 13 couples will take to the dancefloor next week for Icons Week. Strictly Come Dancing will return at 6.15pm Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
