Dame Sarah Storey became the third celebrity eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night (October 18), after she and professional partner Julian Caillon lost the dance-off to Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu.
The Paralympian, 48, scored just 21 points for her tango to Shania Twain's That Don't Impress Me Much, leaving the pair at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Judges' Verdict on the Dance-Off
Craig Revel Horwood said the couple had "dropped the ball a little bit", while head judge Shirley Ballas praised their "attitude, character and dramatics", describing it as "a very good start". However, the pair were unable to secure enough support to avoid the bottom two and were forced to perform again in the dance-off.
They faced House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu, who had scored 27 points for their cha cha to Aretha Franklin's Respect. Despite placing third from the bottom on the leaderboard, Bethany and Nancy were also left fighting for their place after the public vote was added to the judges' scores.
Both couples returned to the dancefloor to perform their routines a second time before the judges delivered their verdict. Craig, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Bethany and Nancy, sending Sarah and Julian home. Shirley did not need to use her deciding vote.
Sarah Storey's Strictly Journey Ends
Sarah's exit marks the end of her journey on the dancefloor, following an extraordinary sporting career that has made her Great Britain's most successful Paralympian. The 48-year-old has won 30 medals, including 19 golds, across eight Paralympic Games.
Sunday's results show also featured several musical tributes as the competition celebrated some of the biggest names in music. The professional dancers took to the floor for a performance honouring Madonna, reflecting the different eras of the pop star's career.
The results programme also paid tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, who died in August aged 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Country singer Belles, who recorded a duet with Dolly earlier this year, performed the star's hit song Jolene as professional dancers Amy Dowden and Kai Widdrington took to the stage.
What's Next for the Competition
The remaining 12 couples will return to the dancefloor next week as the competition continues, with Australian singer Delta Goodrem also set to make her comeback after receiving a bye this week as she nursed her injured ribs. Strictly Come Dancing returns next Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One.
