As the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final dances are revealed, a fan account has compiled a list of the dance styles the four semi-finalists have managed to evade… and it makes for very interesting reading.
This weekend, George Clarke, Balvinder Sopal, Amber Davies and Karen Carney will each perform two dances in the show’s semi-final (December 13). However, with the introduction of the Couple’s Choice, some of the more traditional Latin and ballroom dances have fallen by the wayside.
As a result, there are a number of dances this year’s four semi-finalists won’t get a chance to perform. And the dances that have been left out are very telling, viewers reckon…
Strictly fans fuming over missing dances
As pointed out on the All Things Strictly X account, Balvinder and Julian Caillon, who are perhaps the most controversial semi-finalists of the show, won’t get the chance to perform the Cha Cha Cha or Tango. Of course, her Paso and her Argentine Tango were praised, so these could’ve been show-stopping dances for Bal.
Last-minute contestant Amber and her partner Nikita Kuzmin have managed to avoid the Rumba – arguably the hardest dance of the lot – and the Foxtrot.
Karen and Carlos Gu have avoided two ballroom numbers – the Foxtrot and the Viennese Waltz. A lucky escape for her, Strictly fans have claimed, after complaints about her ballroom frame.
Meanwhile, George and partner Alexis Warr will evade the Foxtrot and the Waltz. They’re two ballroom dances that the self-confessed ballroom boy will miss out on.
With the semi final dances released.
These are the dances they didn’t do on the show:
Balvinder
Cha Cha Cha
TangoAmber
Foxtrot
RumbaKaren
Foxtrot
Viennese WaltzGeorge
Foxtrot
Waltz— All Things Strictly (@StrictlySparks) December 9, 2025
‘Couple’s Choice should not be taking priority’
“There should be no reason that someone gets to the final without doing the Latin and Ballroom dances; that is the whole point of the programme,” one X user wrote. “Other dance styles and Couples’ Choice should not be taking priority.”
“Of course they all get to avoid Ballroom/Latin and not speciality,” a second agreed. “Why do they even get to miss dances anyway? They didn’t use to. It feels silly and prone to manipulation.”
A third remarked: “That’s why the show is losing its way. It’s more like a gymnastics competition rather than a dancing one.”
Users were especially irked by Karen and Carlos’ missed dances. A third argued that Karen has been “clearly protected” from doing the ballroom dances. A fourth concurred: “Karen avoiding any dances where she would have to be elegant. She always gets dances that favours her aggressive style.”
While a fifth simply asked: “Where is the balance?”
Strictly pro blasts judges
Last weekend’s exit was perhaps the most controversial of the series so far. After finding themselves in the dance-off against Amber and Nikita, Lewis Cope and Katya Jones were booted out. The decision caused furore across the fanbase — and among them was former Strictly pro Brendan Cole.
Speaking on behalf of Sky Vegas, Brendan told us: “The producers need to decide whether they want the judges to be actual judges or entertainers dropping one-liners and marking on prettiness.
“In my opinion, as it stands, they’re not doing the job they’re hired for as judges, and the result is that the last two weeks of Strictly have been ruined,” he remarked.
Read More: Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman predict tears as they open up about upcoming exit: ‘It’s going to be a bit of a shock’
Strictly continues on Saturday (December 13) at 6.35pm on BBC One.
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