Chris Appleton has been told he will be missed by his Strictly Come Dancing co-stars after he and dance partner Amy Dowden were forced to leave the competition following the first elimination of the 2026 series.
Katya Jones is among those to have sent a message to the celebrity hairstylist as he and pro Amy lost out to actress Jaime Winstone and pro Carlos Gu in the dance-off during Sunday's (October 4) results show.
Movie Week arrives early
It came after Movie Week arrived earlier than ever in the BBC One dance show's famous ballroom in week two on Saturday night (October 3), with the 15 couples returning to the dancefloor for the second live show of the season to perform routines inspired by a range of classic films, award-winning blockbusters, musicals and cartoons.
The latest judges' scores were added to those from last week's first live show, when there was no public vote, and were then combined with the results of Saturday night's public vote to decide the two lowest-scoring couples who would face the dance-off.
Despite a plea from fans to keep them in the competition following the professional dancer's early exit last year, it was not to be for Chris and Amy as they became the first couple to leave the competition, after the judges unanimously voted to save Jaime and Carlos, who will perform again this Saturday (October 10).
Heartbreak and support
Speaking to host Emma Willis immediately after the judges' decision, Amy said she was "heartbroken" to no longer be dancing with Chris, and referenced her "luck" after also leaving the competition first last year.
But she and Chris have been flooded with support. Katya, who is partnered with social media star John Nellis, took to Instagram with a string of pictures from the Movie Week edition of the show and said: "We are going to miss you so much @chrisappleton1."
Responding to the post, Chris commented: "Babe, you're such a sweetheart saying this thank you so much! Love watching you shine every week! You're an amazing dancer and person and I will miss you very much."
Also showing their love and support was Jowita Przystal. The dancer, who is paired with Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb for the series, wrote on her Instagram Story: "@chrisappleton1 you are an absolute superstar! I hope [the] whole world will have a chance to see how amazing and beautiful inside and out you are! We will truly miss you and @amy_dowden on that dance floor. Until the next one."
