Strictly Come Dancing viewers have reacted with anger after Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu were eliminated from the BBC dance competition, with many claiming the wrong couple was sent home.
The result came after a dance-off that saw Bethany and Nancy perform their foxtrot to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, while Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby danced their waltz to That Ain't You by Mulaa Joans. The judges were split, leaving head judge Shirley Ballas to cast the deciding vote.
Judges split over dance-off verdict
Anton Du Beke chose to save Cach and Maddie, while Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse both voted to save Bethany and Nancy. Head judge Shirley Ballas then used her casting vote to save Cach and Maddie, confirming Bethany and Nancy's departure.
Taking to social media, fans expressed their frustration at the outcome. @Henry92589880 on X questioned the elimination, noting that Bethany and Nancy had scored 30 to Cach and Maddie's 26 in the previous night's show. @chaesmarts vented, 'sorry how is this fair when Bethany had the better dance. Craig and motsi the only ones with sense', while @annoyingCD described Cach's routine as 'full of technical flaws'.
Fans accuse Shirley of favouritism
Some viewers accused Shirley of showing 'favouritism' towards Cach and Maddie, while others suggested the first dance-off could serve as a 'wake-up call'. @RyanSoapKing25 said their 'heart breaks' for Bethany and Nancy, and @Jamoffical_ declared they 'didn't have a bad dance'.
Bethany and Nancy had already survived two dance-offs before their third appearance. Ahead of the live show, Bethany told Metro that the pair were not paying attention to online speculation that they would be next to leave. 'We are hilariously offline. It's painful,' the actress laughed. 'But in a really nice way, because it makes the process feel so much more intimate.'
The 28-year-old added: 'When we finish, there'll be plenty of time to go back and read everything, but while we're in it, it's just about us in those 90 seconds of a routine, and it feels like something that needs to be cherished and kept close.'
Same-sex partnership praised
Nancy, 35, praised Bethany's 'strength' and 'growth' throughout the contest, in which they became Strictly's first same-sex partnership in three years. 'Just being here feels like we've already won,' Bethany told us. 'For me, this is the kind of representation that is so important and makes such a difference, and it's just being in the space.'
Elsewhere in the results show, the professionals performed a group routine choreographed by Lizzie Gough and set to the Peter Gabriel arrangement of Heroes, commemorating Remembrance Sunday. The number was inspired by The Monument to the Women of World War II and focused on the lives of women during the conflict. Viewers also saw a musical performance by Gregory Porter, accompanied by a routine from Alexis Warr and Aljaž Škorjanec.
Nine couples remain in the running for the Glitter Ball, including Jaime Winstone, who missed Saturday's show due to injury and is expected to return to the floor next weekend. Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, November 14, at 6.25pm.
