Strictly Come Dancing 2016: Tameka Empson leaves ballroom amid outrage over 'racist' voters

The EastEnders actress followed Melvin Odoom out of the ballroom

Tameka Empson dances to 'The Heat is On' with professional dance partner Gorka Marquez (BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing voters have been accused of racism after Tameka Empson became the second consecutive black celebrity to leave the BBC dancing competition.

The EastEnders actress performed in a shock dance-off with TV presenter Laura Whitmore after their scores from the judges were combined with the results of the viewer vote.

Empson, who earned a respectable 28 points from the panel for her tango to “The Heat is On” from Beverly Hills Cop with Gorka Marquez, repeated her effort for Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli but all bar Bussell chose to send her home. She followed Melvin Odoom out of the Strictly ballroom, with the Kiss DJ being the first to get the boot last weekend.

“Strictly viewers showing their racist side. First two weeks seem to be targeting the black participants,” wrote one angry viewer on Twitter, while others branded voters “just plain racist”.

Odoom’s departure had also proved controversial after the dance-off was scrapped for the first time in the show’s history due to fellow contestant Anastacia injuring herself. Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman explained that in place of the dance-off, the celebrity with the fewest number of public votes would be leaving, causing Odoom to lose his place automatically.

Both Odoom and his professional dance partner Janette Manrara dismissed the resulting controversy, telling It Takes Two host Zoe Ball that the unusual circumstances were “no one’s fault”.

During her final goodbye dance, Empson made a point of flashing a knee brace she had been hiding under her dress to show that she had been performing while injured but it remains unknown whether this was a “dig” at the show’s rules as some viewers claimed.

“I did have injuries but I didn’t really want to focus on that,” she said. “It was always going to be tough in the whole competition but I’m really gutted that I’m leaving.”

Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac is the bookies’ overwhelming favourite to win Strictly, followed by Louise Redknapp, Claudia Fragapane, Greg Rutherford and Ore Oduba.

The BBC is not commenting on accusations that Strictly voters are racist. Empson was deemed able to dance in the dance-off, as was Whitmore who reportedly sustained a number of bruises and knocks in training.

Strictly Come Dancing returns at 6.30pm on BBC1 on Saturday