Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach has suggested Strictly Come Dancing contestants "will be worried" after the show announced a major format change during Sunday night's results show (October 25).
The change will see three couples forced to take part in the dance-off next week, with one pair sent home directly by the judges rather than by the public vote.
How the new dance-off will work
The three couples with the lowest combined judges' scores and public votes will dance again, before the judges decide which pair to eliminate. The twist applies for one week only, coinciding with the show's Halloween special.
Speaking on Strictly - It Takes Two on Monday night (October 26), Leach, who won the Glitterball trophy in 2023 alongside professional partner Vito Coppola, said the contestants will be concerned about the shake-up.
Fans split over the twist
Leach told host Ellie Taylor: "I really do think that they will be worried. Obviously everyone wants to do well anyway especially with it being Halloween."
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from viewers, with one fan, @405NORRIS, writing on X: "this twist is ridiculous i really don't like it." Another, @EoghanO2607933, responded: "I think everybody is overacting about this twist. I think it would've been worse if it was a double elimination and someone withdraws we would have a 2 person final."
