‘Biggest shock of the series’: Strictly viewers ‘so sad’ as identity of eliminated contestant leaks online

The Independent will not be revealing eliminated contestant in this article

Strictly Come Dancing viewers are expressing shock after a results leak spoiled who left the competition this week.

Saturday night’s Blackpool extravaganza, in which the dance competition returned to the Tower Ballroom for the first time since 2019, included flashy group numbers, extra dancers and the first 40 of the series.

Fleur East topped the leaderboard after finally convincing Craig Revel Horwood to give out a 10, with Ellie Taylor at the bottom and three couples tied in the middle with 35 points each. You can find the full Blackpool leaderboard here.

For a number of years, the Strictly results show has been pre-recorded after the live main episode on a Saturday, with the identity of the eliminated celebrity kept under wraps until the episode is broadcast on Sunday.

However, the results are occasionally leaked online by audience members at the recording, as they were this week. The Independent will not be revealing the eliminated contestant here.

The latest departure has outraged fans, however, having either sought out the spoiler or accidentally stumbling upon it online.

One fan wrote that they were “so sad” about the result, while another said they were “livid”.

“Is the spoiler a joke? It has to be a joke right, it MUST be,” one commenter questioned.

Another called it “the biggest shock of the series so far”, while one viewer commented: “Oh no!!! They didn’t deserve to leave yet.”

The pro dancers performing at the Tower Ballroom (BBC/Guy Levy)

“Gutted with the #StrictlySpoiler this week! My two faves in the dance off, when both of them deserve to be in the final,” another commenter wrote.

During the show, East began her perfectly marked routine with an emotional tribute to her late father, who she said she was appearing on the show to make proud.

Elsewhere in the episode, fans complained about the inclusion of additional dancers to help fill the huge stage of the Tower Ballroom, saying that they distracted from the contestants and “ruined” the routines.

Strictly Come Dancing continues Sunday 20 November at 7.20pm on BBC One.