Strictly Come Dancing fans have been left confused over Vito Coppola and Sarah Hadland’s score this week.
The duo returned to the dance floor on Saturday night (October 19) for their latest routine. The fifth week of the BBC One dance competition kicked off on Saturday night (October 19), with the remaining 12 couples aiming to dazzle the judges and evade the upcoming dreaded dance-off, hoping to secure their place in next weekend’s Halloween special.
JLS’s JB Gill and Amy Dowden initiated the most recent live show, marking their first time in the opening slot, and were awarded 30 points for their jive to Outkast’s Hey Ya! Meanwhile, comedian Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell’s waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers earned them 35 points, their highest score to date.
In other news, Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishan and Strictly professional Gorka Marquez may be in hot water after receiving a mere 21 points for their emotional Viennese waltz to She’s Always A Woman To Me by American singer Billy Joel. However, topping the leaderboard were EastEnders’ Jamie Borthwick and Olympian Montell Douglas, both scoring 39 points, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Yet, Vito and Sarah found themselves once again grappling with the judges’ critique, as they donned matching vibrant pink and yellow outfits for their Samba to Do It Do It Again by Rafaella Carra. Motsi Mabuse described Sarah as a “force” while head judge Shirley Ballas praised her as “an absolute charm to watch.”
Despite the praise, some viewers believe Sarah and her dancing partner Vito were not given their due, even with an impressive score of 32 out of 40.
Fans have taken to social media to voice their support for Sarah. One fan posted: “Feel like she’s undermarked atm this was honestly amazing so much energy so much content.”
Another shared similar sentiments, saying: “BEST DANCE OF THE BLOODY NIGHT IN MY OPINION. BUT WHY IS SHE GETTING UNDERMARKED THO.”
A third person wrote: “U N D E R M A R K E D. The choreography was some of the toughest to master of the night and they nailed it. The theming was so joyous and how can we not love their partnership. Get all of my votes.”
A fourth social media user also expressed disappointment, tweeting: “@vitocoppola @hadderstime you were amazing! ! Very under marked! ! every week you dance amazingly and then get scored incorrectly! ! This week was unbelievable you should be very proud of yourself I couldn’t believe the scoring! ! Shocking! ! The judges always have favorites every year! ! “.
Finally, someone else remarked on the consistency of judgments, saying: “If two certain contestants had done this dance, they wouldn’t have been criticized so much and would have gotten a 9. They’re always harsher on her. But anyway, for me she was one of the best of the night along with Chris and Montell.”
Meanwhile, Vito’s choreography left others in awe. One viewer expressed: “Another year of Vito making me question the laws of physics #strictly.”
In response, another exclaimed: “NO CAUSE HOW.” Adding to the conversation, @rp_tripathi stated: “Vito defies gravity every time! Amazing! #Strictly.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One