Nancy Xu has asked Strictly Come Dancing fans to 'believe her' as she spoke out on her exit from the competition alongside Bethany Antonia. The pair were eliminated from the BBC One dance contest after losing a dance-off for the third time on Sunday, November 8.
Dance-off defeat
Bethany, known for her role in House Of The Dragon, and her professional partner Nancy performed the foxtrot to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis on Saturday, November 7. The routine earned a score of 30 out of 40 from the judges, placing them joint fourth on the leaderboard.
They faced former Love Island contestant Cach Mercer and his partner Maddie Ingoldsby in the dance-off. Cach and Maddie had scored 26 for their waltz to That Ain't You by Mulaa Joans, putting them joint bottom on judges' scores.
Judges split
Anton Du Beke chose to save Cach and Maddie, praising their dance-off performance, while Craig Revel Horwood voted to keep Bethany and Nancy. Motsi Mabuse also backed the actress, leaving the final decision to head judge Shirley Ballas, who used her casting vote to save Cach and Maddie.
On Monday, November 9, Bethany and Nancy appeared on It Takes Two to discuss their exit. After watching their best bits, Bethany became emotional, saying she was crying "happy tears" and that she would miss "the whole thing, everyone's joy and getting to learn a new skill with my new found bestie (Nancy), just the whole thing."
Emotional message
Nancy later shared an emotional message on social media about her time with Bethany. She wrote: "Where do I even begin. This year has challenged me, surprised me, and given me something I never knew I needed." She described the partnership as a "beautiful same-sex partnership" and said the journey "pushed me beyond what I knew, challenged everything I thought I was capable of, and reminded me just how powerful and limitless dance can truly be."
Addressing Bethany, she said: "Please believe me when I say this: we are walking away with our chin high. Because what we've achieved together is so much bigger than any result. And I will always be the NO'1 to cheering for you." Nancy also thanked her "Strictly family" for believing in "that little girl from China who once dreamed of dancing on a stage like this."
She concluded: "Although our time in this competition has come to an end, I wouldn't change a single step of our journey. Because some dances are remembered for how they end. But the most special ones are remembered for how they made us feel. And this one. I will carry in my heart forever."
