Strictly Come Dancing fans were hardly thrilled on Sunday evening when ex-Morning Live host Sam Quek and her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin were eliminated from the BBC show.
The pair, having garnered 29 points for their elegant Foxtrot, took to the stage with a Taylor Swift-themed number in celebration of Icons Week.
Yet, their efforts didn’t quite captivate the panellists, as Sam found herself languishing towards the bottom of the scoreboard, narrowly outdoing Pete Wicks and Jowita Przysta.
On judgement day, Sam and Nikita faced off against Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe in the dance-off, with the latter having bagged an impressive 35-point total for their Whitney Houston-inspired display.
Ultimately, arbiters Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas unanimously voted to continue Montell’s journey, prompting Sam to the exit, reports the Express.
A differing view comes from past Strictly star Ola Jordan, who graced the dance floor from 2006 to 2015 and has partnered with Mecca Bingo to critique this latest departure.
In response to whether Sams time was up, Ola contested: “No, she didn’t deserve to go home. I think it was probably one of her best dances, but at the same time, I think people probably thought she was safe, and that’s why they didn’t vote.
“It was quite a nice week for her, her dance wasn’t offensive in any way, it was very pretty. It was very safe at the same time, it wasn’t like the best ballroom dance I’ve ever seen because she’s not a dancer and she’s quite stiff in her body and there needed to be a bit more movement like that, but I think she was good for her. ” Ola remarked, reflecting on the contestant’s performance.
Ola admitted her surprise at Sam landing in the bottom two, considering she felt it was her strongest dance in the contest thus far.
The ex-BBC celebrity expressed her shock at Montell being in the dance-off too, particularly as she was ranked fourth on the leaderboard.
She continued: “People probably thought she would be safe as well. It was a lovely clean routine, although there were a couple of hiccups with her footwork, I think.
“But overall, it was a lovely dance. It was just nice, very pretty from beginning to end. I think sometimes people just think they’re safe and they don’t vote, so I’m surprised about both of them being the bottom two.”
Sam has become the sixth contestant to exit the show, joining the ranks of those already departed, including Tom Dean, Toyah Willcox, Paul Merson, Nick Knowles and Dr Punam Krishan.
When Tess Daly, the BBC host, enquired about her experience, Sam was full of gratitude despite her disappointment at leaving.
She shared: “I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It’s just been an absolute joy.
“Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give.”
Nikita humbly expressed his admiration for his celebrity dance partner, saying, “Sometimes they say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but to me it’s about the company.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday on BBC One from 6:35pm.