Strictly Come Dancing fans noticed one of the contestants was missing for the majority of Saturday's live show, sparking concern on social media.
The hit series returned to BBC One for a third week of performances, keen to avoid the fates of Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, who were the first pair to leave the series. Plenty of couples stole the show on Saturday night, including Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, who danced the first Argentine Tango of the season.
There were plenty of other standout performances and emotional moments, including Love Island star Cach Mercer's Couple's Choice, despite it receiving criticism from some of the judges. Singer Delta Goodrem also received plenty of praise for her energetic Salsa with her partner, Kai Widdrington.
Lacey Turner's Samba performance
Another star dancing a Latin number during the live show was EastEnders icon, Lacey Turner, who opened week three with her partner, Vito Coppola. However, following the opening number, viewers were left distracted by a notable absence.
After Lacey received an impressive score of 26, she was not seen standing upstairs with her fellow contestants, which is usually the case for the stars once they have finished their performances. Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their concern, with one saying: "Why are hardly any of the @bbcstrictly stars standing with their partners when JoJo is talking to couples?! Eg Vito standing by himself, where is Lacey?"
Another fan pointed out: "Where did Lacey go? She okay?" while a third added: "Where is Lacey Turner, she danced first but she's not upstairs with this group now. Where has she gone?" Lacey has not addressed her absence directly, but she did take to Instagram to share some highlights from the show following her performance.
Social media reaction and nerves
On her Instagram Story, she reposted a video from Tyler West, the host of Strictly: Lights Up, which showed her kicking her leg behind her as she posed in her Samba costume. She also reposted a video from the BBC showcasing her performance to Bamboleo.
Fans flocked to the comments to share their thoughts, with one saying: "This was fabulous, well done Lacey and Vito. Loved it." Another commented: "She is amazing, just needs to believe in herself more."
Lacey has openly admitted her nerves to get the better of her before her dances, and she spoke to host Johannes Radebe after her performance about her anxiety. As Lacey wiped her hand across her brow, Johannes asked: "Is that a sign of relief?" "Thank goodness, Jojo," Lacey replied. Johannes noted how judge Craig Revel Horwood had said Lacey should be proud of herself, she expressed her gratitude by saying: "That's really kind."
"At the beginning of the week, did you imagine yourself doing that choreography?" Johannes asked, with Lacey quick to respond: "Absolutely not, and I wasn't going to do it."
Johannes listed all of the complex choreography Vito had added into the routine, with Vito saying he was keen to push Lacey to her full potential as he was excited to see her achieve. He explained to Lacey: "I like to push a bit out from the limit. I said to you this week I can push more, I can challenge you. But I will always make sure you achieve the goal. I wish you could see yourself from the outside and see how amazing you are doing."
Strictly Come Dancing returns for the results show tonight on BBC One at 7.10pm.
