Strictly Come Dancing contestant Graeme Hall fought back tears during Sunday's results show after viewers saved him from elimination. The Channel 5 personality and his professional partner Lauren Oakley finished bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday night but were rescued by the public vote.
Emotional reaction to public support
Speaking to presenters Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, Hall said: "Bottom of the leaderboard. I went out and danced the best I could, but, you know, the judges weren't so keen. So, thank you very much at home if you voted for us, you've saved my bacon and I can't thank you enough."
Hall then choked back tears as he added: "From the bottom of my heart." Oakley supported her partner as he became emotional on air.
Triple dance-off twist
This week's show introduced a new twist to the elimination process. For the first time in Strictly history, the Halloween results show featured a triple dance-off. The three couples with the lowest combined scores from the judges and public votes went head-to-head before the judges delivered their verdict. Rather than voting for who they wished to save, each judge revealed which couple they wanted to send home.
Hall and Oakley, along with Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, were at the bottom of the standings, each tallying 25 points. Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola finished at the top of the leaderboard with 36 points.
Personal story ahead
Hall and Oakley will perform their Couple's Choice next week, which will convey a deeply personal narrative. Oakley said: "I'm really excited about it, actually. We've seen a lot of different sides to Graeme so far. We've had fun Graeme and we've leaned into a lot of characters, but next week, we get the chance to see his softer, tender side."
Hall revealed: "Yeah, there's a side that I haven't really told people about. I had a stroke in 2019. I managed to recover fully, but my life changed completely. So, we'll be telling a little bit about that story next week."
Fans expressed their support as they watched Hall become visibly moved. "Aww. Glad Graeme has survived to dance his couple's choice," one person posted on X. Another commented: "Graeme getting emotional at going through [tearful emoji]." A third stated: "Aww bless him, got me teary as he spoke about his stroke."
Elsewhere during the results show, the professionals delivered a Halloween ensemble routine to Dracula by Tame Impala. The programme also showcased a musical performance by Becky Hill, joined by professional dancers Aleksandra Isaeva and Cristian Priori.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
