Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left cringing during Saturday night's live broadcast when host Tess Daly experienced an awkward on-air blunder that sparked immediate reaction on social media.
The Moment It All Went Wrong
The incident occurred during week nine of the BBC's flagship dance competition, broadcast live from the prestigious Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. Daly was speaking to former finalists Ashley Roberts of the Pussycat Dolls and Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac, both seated in the audience and scheduled to perform in Sunday's results show.
In what appeared to be a routine segment, Daly told the pair: "We can't wait to see you perform later on. Thank you so much for coming. Up next..." before falling silent for several seconds. The slip-up was significant because while Strictly fans know the Sunday results show is pre-recorded immediately after Saturday's live broadcast, the hosts typically maintain the pretence that it's filmed the following day.
Viewers React to the Awkward Pause
The lengthy pause that followed Daly's comment suggested possible teleprompter problems, with the presenter eventually recovering to continue: "We've had 10s from Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke for the last two weeks, but can they convince Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas?"
Social media immediately lit up with comments from observant viewers. "Did Tess's batteries run out or something?" one person questioned, while another joked: "First human buffering I have ever seen."
A third viewer pinpointed the exact significance of the moment, writing: "You can pinpoint the exact moment Tess realises she's messed up by officially revealing the Sunday show isn't live." Another commenter added: "Did Tess just fully glitch?"
Blackpool Special Delivers Drama On and Off the Dancefloor
The awkward moment came during an action-packed Blackpool special that saw only six couples competing after Ru Paul's Drag Race UK star La Voix was forced to withdraw entirely from the competition due to injury.
The episode featured standout performances including Lewis Cope and his professional partner achieving a perfect score of 40 for their Charleston to "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" by Arctic Monkeys. Many fans believed Karen Carney also deserved full marks for her Paso Doble with Carlos Gu, though the pair received a total score of 38.
The show faced additional controversy this week with reports that a star linked to the programme had been arrested on suspicion of rape. A man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken into custody over an alleged incident said to have occurred after a BBC event in 2024. The alleged victim was not a contestant or professional dancer according to reports.
A BBC spokesperson stated: "It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing police investigation."
Due to La Voix's exit from the competition, there will be no dance-off during Sunday's results show on 23 November, with all remaining couples progressing to the next round automatically.
