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Strictly results: Judi Love is the fifth contestant to be eliminated

Judges made a unanimous decision to vote off the latest star

Annabel Nugent
Sunday 31 October 2021 20:03 GMT
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Judi Love and Graziano Di Prima dance to 'Physical' on Strictly Come Dancing

The latest celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing has been revealed.

Tonight’s results episode (31 October) saw Judi Love voted off the BBC One show, along with her professional partner Graziano Di Prima.

The Loose Women star and Di Prima competed in a dance-off against Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty and his partner Katya Jones.

Love had performed on yesterday’s Halloween special (30 October) after missing last week’s instalment because she had tested positive for Covid-19. This meant the pair only had two days of in-person training to prepare.

To compensate, they were allowed to perform the routine they had rehearsed for last week. The TV personality scored 25 points with a cha cha performed to Olivia Newton-John’s 1981 hit “Let’s Get Physical”.

Meanwhile, Peaty and Jones danced a Viennese waltz to “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven.

After both of the couples danced again, the judges agreed unanimously to save Peaty.

While Love is the fifth contestant to be sent home, she is the sixth to leave the series overall following Robert Webb’s withdrawal from the competition due to ill health.

Before her sick leave, Love had survived two consecutive dance-offs, successfully seeing off Katie McGlynn and Greg Wise.

Speaking about the decision to vote her off, Craig Revel Horwood said: “I think it’s a tough year for celebrities to sign up for Strictly, there is so much dance talent that you are competing with.

Graziano Di Prima and Judi Love on ‘Strictly Come Dancing' (BBC / Guy Levy)

“All that being said, I have a personal preference and that personal preference, on their dance tonight, is Adam and Katya.”

Anton Du Beke said that while he gave the two couples the same mark last night (30 October), he thought Peaty and Jones delivered the stronger routine when they performed for the second time.

Speaking about her elimination from the series, Love told co-host Tess Daly that Strictly had been a “life-changing experience”.

(PA)

“Can I just say I’m taking Graz home! I will keep dancing,” said the 41-year-old.

Yesterday night’s (30 October) Halloween special saw Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice score the first perfect 40 of the series.

The duo performed a tango to Ed Sheeran’s hit single “Shivers”.

Ayling-Ellis and Pernice are at the top of the leaderboard with AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington currently in second place.  Find the biggest talking points from last night’s episode here.

Due to BBC’s changing schedules, next Saturday’s episode (6 November) begins at 6.45pm and concludes at 8.10pm.

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