Anton Du Beke has spoken out about last week’s shock Strictly Come Dancing exit which saw Lewis Cope leave the show.
On Saturday (December 6), fan favourite Lewis Cope and pro partner Kayta Jones danced the Salsa to Dance at the Gym from West Side Story.
The pair ended up with a score of 35, putting them in a three-way tie for second place with George Clarke, Balvinder Sopal and their partners.
Meanwhile, Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin topped the leaderboard with 40, and Karen Carney and Carlos Gu occupied last place with a score of 34. In a bizarre turn of events, Lewis was in the dance-off against Amber on Sunday (December 7). The judges voted unanimously to save the latter.
Consequently, Lewis’ time on the show came to an end — but as viewers fume over the situation, it looks like Anton is having some regrets…
Strictly judge Anton Du Beke admits he ‘messed up’
Anton is currently touring with his show, Christmas With Anton Du Beke and Friends. During a show at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, Anton is said to have swallowed his pride and spoke candidly about the weekend’s events.
“We messed it up on Saturday night, though, didn’t we?” he said to the audience. “We really did, it was a tough dance-off, but you can’t moan if you don’t vote.”
It’s worth noting that the outcome isn’t affected by votes alone. Strictly’s scoring system works by combining the judges’ scores with audience votes. Those who get the highest combined score are at the top of the leaderboard, while the bottom two are at risk of being eliminated.
The bottom two are then pitted against each other in a dance-off in front of the judges. The judges then determine which contestant to save based on that performance. So, while viewers’ votes play a big part in Strictly’s outcome, the final decision is ultimately down to the judges.
Huge backlash against the judges
The judges have faced intense backlash from former show pros this week after the decision to tie three couples on the Strictly leaderboard.
James Jordan launched into a foul-mouthed rant at the judges. He declared that he “knew something bad was going to happen”.
Ian Waite alleged the three-way tie “very cloak and dagger“. Vincent Simone, meanwhile, explained why Lewis was voted off, declaring: “What he brought to the show was unbelievable.”
We can’t wait for this week’s drama!
Watch Strictly Come Dancing Saturday (December 13) at 6.35pm on BBC One.
Read More: Anton Du Beke confirmed in line-up for The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas Special 2025
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