Strictly Come Dancing has been rocked by another shock exit – and former pro Brendan Cole reckons the fallout could have a serious impact on the show’s final.
Lewis Cope’s departure at the weekend, after a tense dance-off against Amber Davies, has already sent fans into meltdown. It leaves Amber, Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke and Karen Carney battling it out in next week’s semi-final.
But according to Brendan, the result almost doesn’t matter anymore. He’s suggested viewers will have “lost interest” by the time the glitterball is handed out, claiming this year’s twists and turns have pushed loyal fans to the brink.
And if you’ve spent any time scrolling through the Strictly hashtag on Twitter, you might worry he has a point. The comments are fiery, the debates are endless… and the mood is definitely shifting.
Strictly pro hits out over Lewis Cope’s exit ahead of series final
Speaking on behalf of Sky Vegas, Brendan shared who he sees as the frontrunners for the semi-final. However, it appears he’s less than impressed about Lewis’ exit.
“The reality is Balvinder is going to struggle next week,” he said.
“She must now learn two dances, and so far with the exception of two weeks, she’s struggled to learn one dance and deliver it well. She’s a very good actress and she always plays the part beautifully, but the technique lets her down. In the Viennese Waltz she barely closed her feet, and that’s a fundamental, yet somehow nines were scored.
“Sadly, with her ability she doesn’t quite belong in a semi-final and probably hasn’t from the start. She’s been in the bottom two almost every week because her dancing puts her there. I feel for her, but she’s not in the same league as two of the other three remaining couples.”
‘Now that he’s gone, I’m not sure it matters’
He went on: “Amber will be there in the final because no one can beat her in a dance-off. Balvinder realistically doesn’t belong in the semi-final, so it’s between George and Karen.
“Karen is far better. If you’re looking at potential winners, it’s Karen at this point. George has the popularity because he’s a YouTuber, and the way voting works now will suit him. On pure ability he doesn’t deserve to win, but on a popularity contest he could because of his following.
“Karen is the only one left with the dance ability and the audience potential to win. Amber is the best by far, but she clearly doesn’t have the public vote – and that’s what you need to win.”
Brendan then dealt the show a final blow.
“I did think a couple of weeks ago that Karen could win, especially with Lewis still there. It would have made it an interesting competition. Now that he’s gone, I’m not sure it matters because I think people will lose interest.
“Strictly might lose a big chunk of its audience over the next couple of weeks now that he’s gone.”
Viewers agree
Taking to social media, viewers agreed with Brendan.
One said: “I hope so. I’ve lost interest in the show. It’s farcical that the best dancer is thrown under the bus.”
Another agreed and suggested they wouldn’t even be watching the final!
A second added: “Sums up Strictly. Time the program is pulled. Last series for me. It’s becoming a joke.”
A third commented: “I am a Strictly die-hard fan, but that’s the last show I will watch this series.”
Another penned: “Amber has no chance of winning the final of #StrictlyComeDancing because the public are not enamoured toward her. The winner will be either George or Karen; I have supported Karen all along so she is my winner.”
Someone else wanted Lewis in the final too: “Still fuming. Lewis & Katya were robbed. And we were robbed of what would have been an epic showdance in the final.”
“No point watching #StrictlyComeDancing for remainder of the series as the final took place last night,” a fellow X user agreed.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing semi-final contestants issued warning over Balvinder Sopal in latest odds
The Strictly Come Dancing semi-final is on Saturday (December 13) at 6.35pm on BBC One
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