Who left Strictly 2024? Sixth celebrity to be voted out revealed
Icons Week might have been a glitterbomb of joy last night but the Strictly journey had to come to an end for one couple.
The first ever Strictly Come Dancing Icons Week saw high scores, big lifts, phenomenal costumes and, yes, a fair few mistakes from Pete Wicks during the Week 7 show last night (Saturday 2nd November).
The Strictly 2024 line-up is being whittled down week after week as we move into the business end of the competition and sights are set on the Glitterball trophy.
It was JB Gill and Tasha Ghouri who really impressed on Saturday night, both performing stunning Couple's Choice routines which earned them a near-perfect score of 39 points each, leaving them joint top of the Strictly leaderboard.
At the other end of the spectrum, Pete found himself languishing on just 22 points after delighting the judges with his performance and embodiment of Freddie Mercury but stumbling over a number of the moves in his Salsa to Another One Bites the Dust.
Going into tonight's results show, it wasn't looking promising for Pete – who even joked himself on Saturday night that the title of his song this week might prove somewhat ironic – but he wasn't the only one who looked in danger of the dance off.
Sam Quek and Chris McCausland found themselves joint second-bottom of the leaderboard on 29 points apiece, leaving them to rely on fans to pick up the phone and vote to save them.
But there was a bit of a surprise in store when it came to the results.
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Gladiator Montell Douglas and her professional partner Johannes Radebe, who earned a very respectable 35 points for their Icons Week Waltz to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, landed in the dance off against Sam and her partner Nikita Kuzmin, proving just how popular Pete must be with fans!
Sam and Nikita performed their American Smooth a second time and Montell and Johannes took to the dance floor again to do their Waltz once more.
When it came time for the judges to vote to save one couple, all three of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton du Beke opted for Montell and Johannes, meaning Sam and Nikita were eliminated.
Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed and said she would have decided to vote the same way as her fellow judges.
When asked by Tess Daly about her time on the show, Sam said: "I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It’s just been an absolute joy.
"Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give," she added.
Pro dancer Nikita gushed: "I’m just in awe of this girl. Sometimes they say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but to me it’s about the company. Sam you are the most wonderful company I could have had."
Sam continued: "I’m guilty of watching the competition and thinking, 'How do they have that relationship as a celebrity and a dancer?'
"All I can say is, the time you spend with each other and what you bring out in each other. It really is – and it sounds dead cheesy – magical."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One at 6:35pm on Saturday 9th November 2024. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Minnie Wright is the News Editor of Radio Times, covering TV, Film and Entertainment from the latest dramas and thrillers to sci-fi, fantasy and reality TV – from BBC to Netflix. She has a background in TV, Film, Showbiz and Music at a major national publication and a degree in Popular Music Journalism.
