Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas used her casting vote on Sunday to save Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, eliminating House of the Dragon actor Bethany Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu from the competition.
The decision, which aired during the results show on Sunday, left the judging panel visibly divided. Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse had both voted to keep Bethany and Nancy in, while Anton Du Beke backed Cach and Maddie, handing the final call to Ballas. According to the Express, body language expert Judi James read the judges' reactions as a display of what she called active dissent.
How the dance-off unfolded
Bethany and Nancy opened Saturday's show week with a Foxtrot to Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love, earning 30 points out of 40 and finishing fourth on the leaderboard. Cach and Maddie landed joint bottom with John Nellis and Katya Jones after their Waltz to That Ain't You by Mulaa Joans drew only 26 points.
When both couples reprised their routines in the dance-off, the panel split. Horwood and Mabuse voted to save Bethany and Nancy, with Mabuse calling their performance one of the best dances of the night, number one in her book. Du Beke chose Cach and Maddie. Ballas, reading from notes she had prepared, saved Cach and Maddie and sent Bethany and Nancy home, as the Manchester Evening News reported.
Judi James: a moment of visible frustration
James, speaking to the Daily Express on behalf of Paddy Power News, argued the judges' reactions told a story of their own.
The judges' scores are getting increasingly diverse and erratic this year though and the vote that saw Bethany leave last night threw up a visual display of what might be growing frustration in their ranks.
She noted that Motsi looked away from Shirley, glancing sideways, while Craig lost his usual upright posture and slumped back in his seat, pursing his lips in a gesture of disapproval and letting out what appeared to be a resigned sigh. James also suggested Ballas herself was uncomfortable, reading her comments from a prepared list to de-personalise the verdict rather than addressing the dancers directly.
Craig said he was fuming
Fans picked up on the tension when Horwood spoke to Tyler West and Abi Clarke on the spin-off show Strictly: Lights Up, as Brit Brief reported.
One viewer wrote that even though Craig masked his reaction as a joke, they felt he was genuinely annoyed that Bethany was voted off. Another agreed, saying he said it in a joking manner but fully meant it and truly wanted Bethany to stay. A third pointed to his own words: Craig said he was fuming, and in that dance-off Bethany was the stronger dancer by far.
It is worth asking who gets saved and who gets sent home when panels split like this. Bethany Antonia, a young Black woman, was widely seen as one of the season's strongest performers, and her departure on a casting vote that overrode two colleagues will strike many viewers as a pattern worth questioning rather than a one-off.
What happens next
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby advance to week eight. Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu shared a final dance together before leaving the ballroom, as the Daily Star noted. The judges' growing score divergence, flagged by James, suggests the panel may face more deadlock nights before the final.
FAQ
Who left Strictly Come Dancing this week?
Bethany Antonia and professional partner Nancy Xu were eliminated after Shirley Ballas used her casting vote to save Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby.
How did the judges vote in the dance-off?
Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Bethany and Nancy. Anton Du Beke voted to save Cach and Maddie, leaving head judge Shirley Ballas with the deciding vote.
What did Craig Revel Horwood say about the result?
On Strictly: Lights Up, Horwood said he was fuming about the outcome, though he framed the comment partly as a joke.