Emma Willis was forced to apologise to viewers during the October 24 episode of Strictly Come Dancing after an error affected the week's scores. The correction was issued before the end of the show.
During the episode, the remaining contestants performed in hopes of securing a spot in Halloween week. Among them was EastEnders star Lacey Turner, who danced a Tango with professional partner Vito Coppola. Lacey has been tipped as one of the favourites to win the Glitter Ball Trophy this year, but her performance received a mixed reception from the judges.
Score Error Corrected On Air
As the judges gave their scores, an error was made. Lacey and Vito were handed two 7s, a 6, and an 8, totalling 28. However, the on-screen graphics incorrectly showed the 6 from Shirley Ballas as a 7, making the total appear as 29.
Emma Willis later addressed the mistake, saying: "Before we go to the leaderboard, we need to apologise because there was a mistake with Lacey and Vito. Shirley scored a 6 but the graphic said 7, so we can confirm Shirley did in fact score a 6 so the correct total score is 28."
Leaderboard Unchanged
The error did not alter the standings significantly, as even with the extra point, Lacey would still have been in fifth place. Tabby and Mark topped the leaderboard with 37 after receiving two 10s, while Delta and Kai also earned a 10, placing them second.
Fan Reaction
Viewers at home were unhappy with the scores for Lacey's dance, with some believing she deserved higher marks. One person posted on social media: "Sorry but the marking is all over the place tonight 8 for Will and 9s for Graeme, Lacey Turner undermarked and its far, FAR too soon to be dishing out 10s like this."
Another noted: "Shirley giving Lacey a 6 and a 7 showing on screen. They must have thought she was talking nonsense." A third added: "Criminal that Shirley scored a 6 for Lacey Even the graphics tried to overrule it." Others sympathised with the BBC soap star, with one saying: "Just kick Lacey Turner in the teeth like that." One person commented: "Lacey deserved higher mark than that, they were way too harsh on her compared to some others."
Fans can catch up with Strictly Come Dancing on BBC iPlayer.
