Vicky Pattison, the newly-eliminated contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has described a format change introduced this series as 'vicious'. The change relates to the dance-off, which now sees the first group of safe couples announced on the Sunday results show, leaving the 'final four' in suspense until the second announcement. Previously, couples were split into two groups, each containing a dance-off pair.
Speaking on her Get a Grip podcast, Pattison and fellow contestant Angela Scanlon expressed mixed feelings about the new system. Pattison said she had voiced her concerns to the Strictly team, noting that they are 'really behind it as a format' and that it 'isn't going anywhere'. Scanlon explained that the change evens the playing field for those in the dance-off, as previously the first couple revealed had more time to prepare.
Pattison and her professional partner Kai Widdrington faced the dance-off for the first time on Sunday after their jive left them joint bottom of the leaderboard. The judges unanimously saved Balvinder Sopal, ending Pattison's Strictly journey just before the Blackpool show. Pattison admitted she found the experience 'terrifying' and 'awful', but praised the camaraderie among the celebrities.
After her elimination, Pattison said: 'It was so lovely while it lasted and I've had the nicest time. I knew this week was a difficult one for me and I tried my hardest, as I have every week. Listen, I didn't think I'd get past week one. And I'm really honoured to have shared this experience with so many amazing people.'
