Dame Sarah Storey has become the third celebrity to be eliminated from this series of Strictly Come Dancing, leaving fans "gutted" by her exit from the BBC One competition.
The Manchester-born Paralympian, 48, and her partner Julian Caillon failed to impress the judges with their tango to That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain. They placed bottom of the leaderboard during Saturday's (October 17) Icons Week episode, scoring 21 for their routine.
Judges' Verdict on the Tango
Judge Craig Revel Horwood said they "dropped the ball a little bit" during the dance, while Shirley Ballas praised their "attitude, character and dramatics," which she called "a very good start."
House Of The Dragon actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu placed third from the bottom after scoring 27 for their cha cha to Respect by Aretha Franklin. They had to fight for their place in the contest after the public vote was added, with results revealed during Sunday's (October 18) show.
Dance-Off Decision
After both couples performed in the dance-off, the judges chose to send Dame Sarah – Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian with 30 medals, including 19 golds at eight games – home. Craig, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke opted to save Antonia, meaning head judge Shirley did not need to use her deciding vote.
Performances and Next Week
The results show also featured a performance from the professional dancers paying tribute to Madonna, reflecting the many different eras of her career. It included a routine dedicated to the late Dolly Parton, who died in August at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Country singer Belles, who recorded a duet with Parton earlier this year, sang Jolene while Amy Dowden and Kai Widdrington danced.
The remaining 12 couples will take to the dancefloor next week, with Australian singer Delta Goodrem set to return after receiving a bye this week due to an injury. Strictly Come Dancing returns at 6.30pm next Saturday on BBC One.
