Strictly's exit spoiler has been leaked once again online as photos emerged last night of the stars making their way to the famous Blackpool wrap party.
It comes after actress Sarah Hadland and Love Island star Tasha Ghouri jointly topped the leaderboard on Saturday night.
The BBC One show was broadcast from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, celebrating its 20th year by opening with the professional dancers dancing to the Pet Shop Boys performing a medley of their hits, including It’s A Sin, Suburbia and What Have I Done To Deserve This.
Who was sent home?
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones have been given the boot after Blackpool Week.
Wynne, 52, failed to impress the judges after redoing his Charleston routine in the dance-off during the result’s show episode on Sunday at Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The TV star and professional partner Katya found themselves in the bottom two opposite Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe following a public vote and the judges scores.
The decision to save Montell, who did a Salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston, was unanimous from the judges. Wynne, who performed to Carmen Suite No. 1: 5. Les Toreadors by Georges Bizet, said: “It’s been wonderful, I’ve got to say. I feel like it’s what Strictly is all about.
“If I can come and do Strictly and last until week nine, then anybody can get out there and dance and have a brilliant time. Strictly is such a brilliant family, such a precious family, that I want everybody here in this room and at home to look after it for the generations to come because it is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
Katya added: “To be honest with you, the smile hasn’t left my face since the first day of our training, since the day we got partnered up. You (Wynne) have made this experience so joyous and so full of laughter for me. I’m sure everybody was jealous because you’re the kind of guy that everybody wants in their life.
“You bring light, you bring laughter, you bring charisma, you fill up every room you walk into with those qualities.” Wynne continued: “To have been partnered with Katya has been amazing and coming every Saturday night to hang out with these guys (my other contestants), that’s been wonderful.
“But to spend every weekday dancing has been just fantastic. I’ve grown so much and I’m so thankful to have met this person (Katya).” During their time on the show, the pair apologised for a “joke” that saw Katya move Wynne's hand from her waist following heightened scrutiny of the long-running series.
Fans left fuming over 'horrific' decision
Every year, couples pull out all the stops for their Blackpool performance, and Saturday was no different, with Pete Wicks rocking the pink latex for his routine to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred.
However, some fans took to social media to complain about one element of the lavish show that fell flat, with one even dubbing the musical choices - and the live band - as “cr*p”. Writing on Facebook, one fumed: “The band tonight are not doing any of these dancers any favours!” as another agreed: “The band are good, it's the song choices that are cr*p.”
Fans say 'thank you' after naked skit
Strictly fans were left delighted when professional dancer Gorka Marquez ripped off his fitted shirt to reveal his washboard abs.
Gorka and contestant Pete Wicks acted out a skit which saw the dancer show off his ripped six pack and fans were not only glued to their screens, but also praised the move from Saturday's show. Taking to X, one fan wrote: "Thank you to whoever decided THIS was a good idea #scd #strictlycomedancing #strictly."
Another person penned: "Those trousers were practically pornographic." Meanwhile a third commented: "What a body Gorka has." A fourth added: "Sometimes the skits are so cringey…not this one - all the awards to whoever suggested this." Clearly a show-stopping moment another said it was the "Best moment of the night."
Fans left fuming over Shirley's 'ridiculous' scoring
Viewers took particular issue with Shirley's scores for EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. The 30-year-old entered the ballroom by descending from the ceiling on a huge ketchup bottle, before lunging into his Jive routine with his professional partner Michelle Tsiakkas.
The judges watched his dance to The Ketchup Song by Las Ketchup, with Motsi Mabuse bursting out laughing, telling him it was a "fantastic way" to end the show. Shirley said it was "absolute entertainment", but criticised it, claiming it was "over tried just a tad".
Despite her fairly high mark of an 8, which contributed to the couple's overall 33, fans weren't impressed that she scored Jamie and Michelle the same as Pete Wicks and and Jowita Przystał. Moments after the scoring, fans headed to social media to vent their frustrations with Shirley's "ridiculous" marking.
What time is Strictly's results show on tonight?
Strictly's results show will air at 7.20pm on BBC One.
The show is pre-recorded on the Saturday evening after the live show and will take place in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Former Strictly star Annabel Croft in heartbreaking interview
Former tennis pro Annabel Croft, who starred on the BBC show last year with Johannes Radebe, has opened up about her late husband's tragic death in a poignant inteview.
Annabel, 58, was left devastated after her husband Mel Coleman, 60, was diagnosed with cancer just eight weeks before he died. The dad-of-three, a yachtsman and successful investment banker, appeared to be in great health, so the news came as a huge shock to the family.
Speaking to The Sunday Times 18 months on from his death, Annabel broke down in tears as she admitted that she may never feel ready to date anyone again.
"I’ve had people asking for dinner dates. I’m, like, ‘You have no idea!’ I’m not anywhere close to that. It gives me the heebies to think about it. It’s never say never, but I wouldn’t mind if it was never," she said.
Ant McPartlin's ex Lisa Armstrong spotted at wrap party
I'm A Celebrity star Ant's ex-wife Lisa Armstrong joined the rest of the Strictly cast at the Blackpool wrap party on Saturday evening.
The make-up artist, 48, was all smiles as she was pictured arriving to the hotel, rocking her new red hair as she wore a faux-fur camel coat paired with jeans and a black top.
Photos show Lisa happy as she heads for the party while holding a coffee cup. Lisa had been keeping a low profile in recent months following her split from her long-term partner James Green - but recently stunned It Takes Two viewers as she made a dazzling return to TV screens.
Strictly stars brave the Blackpool weather for a wild wrap party
Craig Revel Horwood, Tess Daly, Katya Jones and Claudia Winkleman were among stars who braved the Blackpool weather for a much-deserved wrap party.
After a long night at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, stars were pictured making their way back to the hotel.
Leaked exit spoiler
The name of Strictly's axed celebrity was leaked online overnight - and the reaction has been mixed.
Some were in tears, saying that it "left them in despair". Yet others were convinced it was the right result.
The results show airs on Sunday but is pre-recorded on the Saturday night after the live show, meaning that the name of the axed star is often leaked online. The Mirror knows the name of the celebrity, but won't be naming them.
New leaderboard
Actress Sarah Hadland and Love Island star Tasha Ghouri have jointly topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard in Blackpool.
The BBC One show was broadcast from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Saturday, celebrating its 20th year by opening with the professional dancers dancing to the Pet Shop Boys performing a medley of their hits, including It’s A Sin, Suburbia and What Have I Done To Deserve This.
The judges gave both Ghouri and Hadland a near-perfect score of 39 points.
Motsi Mabuse described Ghouri’s intense and dramatic paso doble routine to Nathan Lanier’s Torn, during which professional Aljaz Skorjanec flung her through his legs, as the “dance of the night”.
Hadland and her partner Vito Coppola’s couple’s choice routine to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue was described by judge Craig Revel Horwood as “a little too perfect”.
Horwood told them he knew “it sounds weird”, but felt that Hadland lacked emotion, which he felt “brought you out” of the performance at moments.
Saucy stuff from Jamie
EastEnders actor and Strictly contestant Jamie Borthwick arrived for his Blackpool dance by descending from the ceiling on top of a giant ketchup bottle prop, before performing a jive routine with partner Michelle Tsiakkas.
As the judges delivered their verdicts on his dance to The Ketchup Song by Las Ketchup, Motsi Mabuse burst out laughing, telling Borthwick that no-one wants to “dance so much as you”, calling it a “fantastic way” to end the show.
Shirley Ballas, the head judge, criticised the dance for being “overtried just a tad”, while praising the “absolute entertainment”.
Tsiakkas and Borthwick scored 33 points.
Queen Tasha sits on her throne
Tasha Ghouri sat on a throne before launching into an intense and dramatic paso doble routine to Nathan Lanier’s Torn, during which professional Aljaz Skorjanec flung her through his legs, on Strictly.
Judge Motsi Mabuse called it the “dance of the night”, and said she loved that the Love Island star kept it “fun with your movements” as well as “controlled”.
They received a near perfect score of 39 points.
JLS cameo
In a video, JB Gill’s JLS bandmates were seen offering him encouragement, before he danced at Blackpool, at a rehearsal session with his professional partner Lauren Oakley.
Gill’s mother, who had so far been unable to watch him dance in person because she was recovering from an operation, was at the Blackpool Tower on Saturday to watch his quickstep routine to Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.
Judge Anton Du Beke praised Gill for his “great control, lovely technique”, but criticised his head position.
Shirley Ballas told Gill there is “so much to like with you”, and the “sky’s the limit” if he managed to get his positioning correct.
Gill and Oakley received 35 points.
Too sexy for all the wrong reasons
Reality star Pete Wicks danced a cha cha to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred. He pretended to be a train inspector before tearing off his jacket to reveal a pink shirt and trousers.
At one point he lay on top of the other dancers and later danced with his back to the audience. He finished the routine wearing a pink fluffy jacket.
Judge Shirley Ballas called the performance, with professional Jowita Przystal, “very entertaining, I don’t think I’ll forget this evening for as long as I live”, and praised the “good isolation, clean neckline”.
Motsi Mabuse told Wicks she “loved it for all the wrong reasons”, and “wished the dancing had supported it”.
The couple received 27 points.
Katya swept off her feet
Opera singer Wynne Evans finished his Charleston routine by swinging his Strictly partner Katya Jones by her feet.
Anton Du Beke praised Evans’ dance to Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No 1: 5. Les Toreadors for his enthusiasm and commitment, but told him he looked “exhausted towards the end of the dance”.
Fellow judge Shirley Ballas called it a “Katya special”, citing the lifts and other moves and added that it was “highly entertaining”.
They received 31 points from the judges.
Is being too perfect a crime?
Actress Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola’s couple’s choice routine to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue was described by judge Craig Revel Horwood as “a little too perfect”.
Horwood told them he knew “it sounds weird”, but felt that Hadland lacked emotion, which he felt “brought you out” of the performance at moments.
Judge Motsi Mabuse said it was not a comment she had heard before, and that the couple had “smashed Blackpool”.
The judges gave them a near-perfect score of 39 points.
The biggest showgirl...
Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas was praised for her energetic salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, in which she was lifted up by additional dancers and spun around.
Judge Motsi Mabuse called Douglas “the biggest showgirl” and said her performance with professional Johannes Radebe was “fantastic”.
Craig Revel Horwood described her torso as “disengaged” and said a turn with Radebe at one point looked “ugly”.
The judges gave them 35 points.
Chris opens the show
Comedian Chris McCausland delivered a classical American smooth routine as Strictly Come Dancing returned to Blackpool.
With Dianne Buswell he danced to Canadian-born singer Paul Anka’s Jump, and afterwards punched the air and bounced excitedly after they became the 100th Strictly couple to perform in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Head judge Shirley Ballas told black tie-wearing McCausland he had the “best feet I’ve seen in a long time”, and “didn’t miss a beat”.
“If anyone can beat that tonight, I’d be amazed,” Anton Du Beke said.
Buswell and McCausland earned 37 points from the judges, as the stand-up comedian’s mother, father and sister watched him in the audience.
Pet Shop Boys send fans wild
The Pet Shop Boys went down a treat with fans of the show but some couldn't help but notice how it was a little sad now same-sex couples graced the dancefloor as the iconic duo performed.
"still refusing to have any sort of same gender pairing when it’s literally a tribute to the pet shop boys? bbc when i catch you #strictly #strictlycomedancing," one penned, as another wrote on Twitter (X): "'You know what this Pet Shop Boys medley needs? Exclusively heterosexual dance pairings!' - the #Strictly choreographers.
And we're off...
Blackpool week has begun with an incredible group dance to the Pet Shop Boys classic It's A Sin.
But rather than the house band providing the music for the track, the Strictly dancefloor has the band themselves performing as The Pet Shop Boys return to Chris' hometown of Blackpool.
Sarah Hadland's Blackpool trauma
Sarah Hadland was "traumatised" after a being dragged under a donkey "like something in a horror film".
The Strictly Come Dancing star will be back in Blackpool this weekend, but she doesn't have the fondest memories of the seaside town from her own childhood.
She said: "My mum took me to Blackpool when I was a little. We got there and we did the rollercoaster... when our photograph came through everyone had their arms in the air but I'm nowhere to be seen.
"I'm in the brace position, probably screaming, brace, brace. After that, my mum took us to go on a little donkey ride on the beach. I got on a donkey but it got spooked. I swung under the donkey and was dragged with my face in the sand.
"This donkey was called something like Brenda. It's like something in a horror film. After that, I think I was a bit traumatised and just came home." Despite her terrifying day out, the 53-year-old actress is "so excited" to be performing on the Blackpool Tower Ballroom's iconic sprung dance floor.
Strictly's Shirley Ballas breaks silence on controversial voting decision
Shirley Ballas has vehemently denied voting strategically on Strictly Come Dancing to send Shayne Ward packing after a tense dance off. The 64 year old dance maestro, who has been the head judge on the BBC's popular dance competition since 2017, faced a wave of criticism from fans last weekend.
Viewers were left shocked when she used her power as head judge to send 40 year old singer Shayne and his dance partner Nancy Xu, 33, home after they danced against Opera singer Wynne Evans, 52, and his dance partner Katya Jones, 35. Fans were outraged by the decision - which was made after the panel of judges split their votes between the two couples, but Shirley's choice as head judge tipped the scales in Wynne and Katya's favour.
The decision was particularly hard for fans as it deprived Shayne and Nancy of the opportunity to dance at Blackpool Tower Ballroom this weekend for the annual Blackpool special episode of Strictly. However, Shirley has now insisted that her decision wasn't influenced by any external factors or bias. She maintained that she relied on her expertise and concluded that the X Factor star was the weaker performer on the night. Read what Shirley has to say here.
Pete Wicks reveals strain of doing Strictly
Pete Wicks has opened up about his connection with his Strictly Come Dancing partner, Jowita Pryzstal, as they gear up to dazzle judges and viewers at Blackpool Tower's Ballroom tonight.
Amid persistent rumours hinting at a potential romantic development between the duo, 36 year old Pete, who rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and is now dating Love Island's Maura Higgins, has spoken out about the impact of these speculations on both him and Jowita, aged 30.
In an emotional revelation earlier this week, he expressed his desire to "give back" to Jowita for all her support. "It's a moment I really want to share with Jowita because she's done so much for me, and it means so much for her too," Pete confessed.
He further elaborated on their upcoming performance at the iconic venue to The Blackpool Gazette, saying: "I love that I have the opportunity to give that back and we have the chance to dance there together after everything we've been through." Read more here.
What time is Strictly on tonight?
We don't have long to go as Strictly will be kicking off at 6.45pm tonight on BBC One.
The remaining celebrities have headed up north this weekend to perform at the famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Chris McCausland's heartbreaking three words over his blindness
Last year dad of one Chris McCausland starred in a Channel 4 travel show The Wonders of the World I Can't See. He visited famous tourist attractions accompanied by other comics including Harry Hill and Tom Allen. His dislike of travel became very apparent, largely due to the fact he can’t enjoy any of the monuments or scenery.
"What's the point going all that way to stand in front of the thing that everyone is looking at, but that I can't see?" he said of the experience. There was one Wonder that really brought his situation home though - Niagara Falls. In an interview with inews, he admitted that not being able to see it made him feel the "saddest". "With that one, I was the saddest, I think, because I wasn’t able to see it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m much more accepting of who I am these days - I’ve stopped having tantrums every time I spill drinks or bang my head on the door frame," he said.
Chris repeats the same heartbreaking three words "what’s the point" when it comes to the possibility of having "10 per cent" of his vision restored. However if it could be cured, he’d definitely go for that. "A miracle to cure my blindness completely? Yeah, I'd consider that," he revealed.
Katya and Wynne ignore backlash ahead of tonight
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones showed off their playful side as they posted a cheeky video of themselves.
Posting a clip from rehearsals ahead of this evening, Katya was overheard asking Wynne what he was riding as she zoomed in on him standing with a seaside toy, which was an illuminated seahorse. He told her mid laughter: "Well it was meant to be a horse but turns out it's a unicorn" Katya then said: "Be grateful you got that on budget."
He captioned the brief clip: "Cost me 7 quid on the promenade that."
What is the most successful Blackpool dance?
According to the stats, the quickstep has been the most successful Strictly dance during Blackpool Week - racking up an impressive 22 10s during the show's 20-year history.
The American Smooth comes in at second with 15 10s and then the Charleston with 13 10s.
Only five couples have scored a perfect 40 at Blackpool - Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse, Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani, Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev and Jason Donovan and Kristina Rhianoff.
Tired stars arrive for last minute Blackpool rehearsals
The clock is ticking and the celebrities are doing what they can to squeeze in as much time as they can for rehearsals.
At the crack of dawn, Strictly's celebs and pros were spotted tiredly making their way to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom after leaving their hotel.
Wynne dealt huge blow hours before show
It's not long til showtime at Blackpool... and unfortunately for Wynne, things aren't looking good for his chances at getting through to next week.
Following last weekend's dance-off - the result of which caused an uproar among some fans - Wynne is favourite to leave the competition this weekend.
In an interview, former Strictly pro Ola Jordan predicted: "I think Wynne and Montell will be in the bottom two this weekend, or Wynne and possibly Jamie.
"I don’t think Pete Wicks will be in the bottom two yet, but he’s got a tricky dance so he might not do that well. I’m still thinking he’s going to get votes though so for me, Wynne and Montell or Wynne and Jamie will be in the bottom two this weekend."
Strictly Blackpool songs and dances
Blackpool's calling! Here are all of tonight's songs and dances for the celebs and pros:
- Montell and Johannes Salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston
- Sarah and Vito Couple’s Choice to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue
- Tasha and Aljaz Paso Doble to Torn by Nathan Lanier
- Chris and Dianne American Smooth to Jump by Paul Anka
- Jamie and Michelle Jive to The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) by Las Ketchup
- JB and Lauren Quickstep to Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
- Pete and Jowita Cha Cha to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
- Wynne and Katya Charleston to Carmen Suite No.1: 5.Les toréadors by Georges Bizet