Strictly Come Dancing

Bradley Walsh got tongues wagging when he rocked up at the Strictly Come Dancing studio after hosts, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkelman sensationally announced they’re quitting the show

Bradley Walsh has added fuel to rumours he’ll host Strictly after he was seen backstage with the show’s crew over the weekend. The presenter, 65, is odds-on favourite to replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly when they step down at the end of the current series.

Gladiators host, Bradley, is reportedly in final talks to host the primetime programme after dynamic duo, Tess and Claudia, sensationally announced they were quitting in October.

Bradley headed to the BBC studio during a break in filming ITV’s The Chase, where he posed for a selfie with the crew from the dance show. Both The Chase and Strictly are filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

READ MORE: New Strictly Come Dancing host ‘revealed’ as top presenter seen on setREAD MORE: Strictly spoiler leaves fans ‘absolutely devastated’ as they demand second opinion

Head dressmaker Theresa Hewlett shared a photograph with star on X, formerly Twitter, with a smile a mile wide, posing alongside her colleagues ahead of Saturday’s live show.

She captioned the post: “The Chase is filmed next door and he popped in to say hi. What a lovely man Bradley Walsh is!”

Meanwhile a source told The Sun: “Bradley’s appearance in the studio has certainly set tongues wagging. Bosses are keen for Bradley to take over. He is a real pro and has brilliant experience hosting live shows.

“Producers need a safe pair of hands to steady the ship amid so much damage. Of course, he’d have a female alongside him as part of a duo.

And that female, is reported to be The One Show’s Alex Jones, who took part in Strictly in 2011. A source told the publication: “Alex and Bradley are both the favourites to take over from Tess and Claudia… they have been in the BBC’s sights for some time.”

“Alex is a massive fan of Strictly, too, so this would be the dream gig for her.”

The insider clarified that “nothing is set in stone yet”, but said discussions involving the pair had been “moving in a really positive direction” so far.

Tess and Claudia stunned Strictly fans when they posted a joint video in October, announcing they were calling it quits.

Addressing viewers, they said: “We have loved working as a duo, and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time. We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and every single person who works on the show.

“They’re the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing,’ but we will continue to say it to each other – just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”

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Strictly Come Dancing 2025 is flying by, and another star will be shown leaving the BBC series on Sunday night, filmed on Saturday, but the leak has already revealed who left

Another star has left Strictly Come Dancing 2025, and the result has left fans “absolutely devastated”.

While the result has not been confirmed by the BBC and doesn’t air until Sunday night, as per usual a leak has given the game away. With the results show filmed on the Saturday night after the live show, each week the booted off celebrity gets revealed online hours before the BBC announce it.

This week is no different, and the Strictly mole has revealed all – with the result dividing fans. As usual, Mirror has chosen not to state the name given, but fans have reacted to the supposed result online.

Taking to social media fans confessed they were “absolutely devastated” and some didn’t see it coming. Others even went as far as to say they wanted a second opinion, while some were “not surprised”.

One fan said: “Holy – that I was NOT expecting. absolutely the correct decision though.” Another said: “I can’t believe it!!!!! I’m absolutely devastated.”

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A third fan said: “I am gutted with this elimination,” while one fan said: “Not the biggest surprise after this evening’s show, but overall they have been lovely to watch.” Another added: “Absolutely the right decision.”

One fan didn’t believe it to the point they wanted a “second opinion”. “I’m sorry, I want a second opinion here. I don’t believe for one minute they would save the person in question between those two,” they claimed.

It comes a week on from La Voix leaving the show due to an injury. Initially only missing out on one week, the drag artist sadly had to quit the show altogether meaning an elimination was cancelled.

After sustaining a food injury, La Voix and pro dance partner Aljaz had hoped she would recover and continue their Strictly journey, but sadly this was not to be. She broke down in tears as she spoke out about her sudden exit.

The star said: “This has been the most extraordinary experience of my entire life. What I loved most, don’t hate me, it’s not the dancing but it’s just being welcomed by everyone.

“I came into the show as a minority, as a redhead, and you’ve embraced me wonderfully. I cannot thank you enough, it’s been amazing.” La Voix added: “I’m just so lucky. What you see on that dancefloor is a fraction of the love and the passion this man has for dance.

“You have made me carry on when I’ve questioned myself, made me laugh on the toughest day and when I thought I couldn’t do something, you never gave up on me. Not once. I am leaving this show more confident, and that’s because of you.”

Meanwhile, fans were left fearing fellow celebrity contestant Alex Kingston would be next to withdraw, after an injury. After claims she had sustained a rib injury, Alex spoke out to assure fans she was going nowhere, and had no plans to quit the series.

Strictly Come Dancing continues next Saturday on BBC One. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

One celebrity will be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing this weekend

One Strictly Come Dancing star could end up missing out on the semi-final as they’re dealt a devastating blow.

This weekend, another celebrity will be booted from the competition, and it’s not looking promising for one celebrity couple.

Whilst Balvinder Sopal is the bookmakers’ favourite to depart the competition this weekend, it appears it’s also grim news for Alex Kingston and Amber Davies, as they could also miss out on claiming the Glitterball Trophy.

According to exclusive odds provided by Betway, Balvinder has odds of 250/1 of departing this weekend, whilst Alex Kingston has 33/1, and Amber has odds of 20/1 of leaving before the semi-final, which takes place in two weeks’ time.

Nevertheless, the top three frontrunners predicted to reach the final are George Clarke, Karen Carney and Lewis Cope, reports Wales Online.

Last weekend, presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly announced that no elimination would take place after La Voix was forced to withdraw from the competition.

It was a shocking moment for the remaining celebrities, but it meant none of them were at risk of being axed from the show.

La Voix and her dance partner, Aljaz Skorjanec, appeared on Saturday’s show to discuss their decision to withdraw.

La Voix broke down as she said, “I came into the show as a minority, as a redhead, and you’ve all embraced me wonderfully.

“I cannot thank you enough… this is not how I wanted my journey to end,’ before joking: “At least it gives someone else in this competition a chance to win.”

Aljaz added, “I’ve been lucky this year. I’ve made two friends for life. On Saturdays/ Sundays, we all laugh with La Voix, and from Monday to Friday, I had the best time with Chris.

“I haven’t done a single crunch in the past six months, but I’ve got my six pack back, it’s amazing.

“Like Motsi said, ‘We all need it. The world needs more of you. Strictly needed it, you made my life a joy.. You are so beautiful in what you do.”

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday on BBC One.

La Voix has had a ‘sad day’ coming to terms with the fact that she will not be competing in tonight’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing but has been cheered up by a bouquet of flowers

La Voix has had a ‘sad day’ coming to terms with the fact that she will not be competing in tonight’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing. The Drag Race star, 45, has had to pull out of the much-anticipated Blackpool heat of the BBC Saturday night favourite after sustaining a foot injury.

The star, whose real name is Christopher Dennis, took to social media on Saturday in the countdown for the live show to take place, to reveal that she had been presented with a bouquet of flowers that had cheered her up amid the tough time.

Alongside a picture of the gift, the TV star wrote on Instagram: “Thank you so much Darlings @blossom_and_ivy. This really is a gorgeous surprise on an otherwise sad day of not dancing in Blackpool.”

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star calls for two judges to be axed in major shake-upREAD MORE: Strictly star exposes huge clue La Voix would be forced to miss Blackpool Week

While La Voix was set to perform in Strictly’s highly anticipated Blackpool special, Strictly announced earlier this week that she was unable to compete after injuring herself. A show spokesperson said in a statement: “Due to injury, La Voix has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance in this weekend’s Blackpool specials.

During an appearance on It Takes Two on Wednesday evening, Christopher opened up about the issue that has been troubling her since earlier in the competition. “This has been ongoing since the foxtrot. I felt a little niggle in my foot hence comments about me being flat-footed. I was thinking this will be fine, but it got gradually worse…” the star told viewers.

La Voix added: “Until on Saturday we had to change shoes, I couldn’t wear heels. I had to wear those awful flat shoes.” Attempts to rehearse on Monday proved the injury was too severe to push through.”

She continued: “We tried on Monday, and it was really clear I was struggling in pain, so we decided to be professional and call this, hoping with some rest I can be back.”

Under strictly rules, the pair will automatically advance to next week’s round, buying La Voix time to recover. When asked whether she expected to return after the Blackpool special, she replied: “I hope so. Some people have said online that it’s just because I wanted to get out of doing the samba. I was desperate to get to Blackpool and do the samba. The production that was planned is going to be incredible.”

Despite the setback, the performer emphasised her love for the show, describing Strictly as a “happy place” and adding: “I am really hoping it continues.”

In a BBC statement released earlier this week, La Voix said: “My heart truly breaks knowing I won’t be dancing in such an iconic venue. I am devastated not to be joining the rest of the cast on that famous dancefloor, but my focus now is on recovery. I’ll be cheering on all the amazing couples this weekend.”

She also addressed her followers directly on Instagram, writing: “As many of you know, I injured my foot last week. With the help of an incredible team — and a whole lot of sparkles and determination — I was able to keep going and perform.”

However, she acknowledged that she now has no choice but to prioritise healing, saying she needed to “listen to her body” after “it became clear that the injury wasn’t improving”.

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Angela Rippon, a veteran broadcaster with nearly 60 years of experience, was described as the “dream signing” when she agreed to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2023

Angela Rippon — Strictly Come Dancing’s oldest ever contestant — is interested in presenting the BBC flagship show, reports claim.

The veteran broadcaster dazzled viewers with her jaw-dropping high kick when she was a competitor in 2023. She was the eighth celebrity to be eliminated, getting the boot in Blackpool after she and pro partner Kai Widdrington performed American Smooth to Tea For Two by Ella Fitzgerald.

But the former newsreader, who presented the original Come Dancing series between 1988 and 1991, has thrown her hat into the ring to host the much-loved revamp. Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are both leaving after the current season, which will reach its finale next month.

When asked about stepping into either of their shoes, Angela, who is 81, said: “If they asked me, of course. It’s a very popular programme. Claudia and Tess have done a fabulous job, but no job is for life.”

READ MORE: Strictly’s George Clarke reveals backstage ‘pressure’ after tense momentREAD MORE: Claudia Winkleman’s favourite chunky rings she wore on The Traitors have 30% off

The shock move would come more than three decades after the BBC’s then-director-general, Lord (John) Birt, told Angela she’d “had her day” when she was a spring chicken aged 50. The Daily Mail says, though, the journalist — who has more than 60 years of experience in broadcasting — would excite fans of the flagship programme.

Speaking this week at the Starry Night Gala supporting the charity Action for Children at The Peninsula London, Angela said the next host must be “someone that will bring the glamour, and just what everyone loves about Strictly”. Indeed, she competed in it — becoming the oldest contestant ever to do so — at the age of 79 in 2023.

Angela, the daughter of a Royal Marine, has had a long and varied career in the media, including her post as Top Gear presenter in the 1970s and, more recently, as host of Holiday Hit Squad with Helen Skelton and Joe Crowley.

And when she was snapped up to take part in Strictly two years ago, one source said: “She is the dream signing. The audience at home will love her, and many of them will remember her from her days hosting the show in its previous incarnation.”

The broadcaster, originally from Plymouth, Devon, has remained close to her Strictly partner, Kai, 30, and the two recently teamed up to launch “Let’s Dance!”, a project designed to inspire people of all ages to experience the joy of dancing.

But, even despite her interest and experience, Angela faces huge competition for either of the Strictly vacancies. Former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby has been linked with the gig, as has Alan Carr, following his The Celebrity Traitors triumph.

Vicky Pattison is bouncing back after being booted off the BBC dance show, with the star already lining up a new on-screen project that will take her in a very different direction

Vicky Pattison is reportedly preparing for a brand-new TV role after her shock exit from Strictly Come Dancing. The former Geordie Shore favourite, who recently turned 38, was dropped from the BBC competition over the weekend despite impressing viewers with her routines alongside professional partner Kai Widdrington, 30.

The pair were sent home after the judges chose to save Balvinder Sopal, 49, and her partner Julian Caillon, 30. Now, Vicky is said to be heading straight back onto screens – this time alongside her husband Ercan Ramadan, whom she married in 2024 – in a new E4 series.

A TV insider told The Sun: “Vicky is already hugely popular with E4 audiences, thanks to her documentary about her dad’s alcoholism, her wedding specials and her show The Honesty Box, and this is the perfect post Strictly vehicle for her.”

According to the report, the show will explore a range of fertility topics, including IVF, egg freezing and the emotional realities behind the process. Vicky will also share her own journey while speaking to experts and women who have undergone similar experiences.

The star has been open about taking control of her fertility, choosing to freeze her eggs before tying the knot with Ercan last summer. She has frequently discussed the subject on social media and previously fronted the BBC documentary Egg Freezing And Me, which examined the rising demand for fertility treatments in the UK.

Growing up in Newcastle, Vicky felt the pressure many young women face surrounding marriage and motherhood. The 38-year-old has said that in her hometown, “it was ‘expected that you’d get married and have kids by 30, and if you didn’t you’d have failed.”

But despite once believing she had missed the mark, Vicky says her thirties turned out to be the most fulfilling years of her life so far. She told the Daily Mail: “I’d just come out of a relationship. I’d been conditioned to think everything was going to go downhill – looks, fertility, career. But my 30s have actually been the best years of my life. I met my husband, I bought a house, I adopted my dog, I found a career I’m proud of. I was a girl until I was 30 – now I’m a woman, and I like her. Society scares women into thinking life ends at 30. It’s rubbish.”

Vicky has also spoken openly about her diagnosis of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), after doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as nothing more than Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Reflecting on her fertility treatment, she has been honest about the emotional and physical toll, saying: “It’s emotionally difficult, and you’re all over the shop, but I found it to be quite uncomfortable and painful as well. And I don’t think enough people talk about that… we’re not allowed to whinge about it and say it was a bit hard, and it was a bit uncomfortable.”

She added an important reminder that women can feel both grateful and overwhelmed at the same time: “But actually, you can be grateful, and you can be really excited for the end product, but you can also struggle to get there, and I found it painful.”

The Mirror has reached out to Vicky Pattison’s representatives for comment.

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Alan Carr is back with a new series of Changing Ends – however, he may be following in the footsteps of his Celebrity Traitors co-star Claudia Winkleman as Strictly’s new host

The job offers haven’t stopped rolling in for Alan Carr since his momentous Celebrity Traitors win, with the comedian even tipped to take over hosting duties on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. While he’s back with a new series of his hit comedy Changing Ends, the 49-year-old admits he’s unsure whether he could handle the challenge of stepping into Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s sparkly shoes.

“My name is in the hat,” he says. “What an honour. It’s a bit like when my name got bandied about for Britain’s Got Talent and The Great British Bake Off – I’m always on the periphery.

“I don’t know how serious it is. No one has approached me. People are so passionate about it and you saw me sweating in the castle when I was a Traitor, imagine me doing live telly with how many million people watching!”

READ MORE: BBC Celebrity Traitors star admits ‘one thing dawned on me early on’READ MORE: Celebrity Traitors finalist says ‘this is what Claudia Winkleman was really like’

Although, after a star turn on The Celebrity Traitors, he knows how to convincingly lie – and that could come in handy on Strictly. “If someone’s cha-cha-cha is a bit s**t, I’ve got the poker face!” he jokes.

“So many things have come from The Celebrity Traitors – so many job offers coming in – I’d be flattered but I don’t know if I could do it [Strictly] justice. I just don’t want to ruin it for people.”

Alan is back on more familiar ground with Changing Ends – the semi-autobiographical sitcom about his childhood in 1980s Northampton. Series three follows teenage Alan (played by Bafta nominee Oliver Savell) as he navigates obstacles such as stressful swimming lessons, and, more importantly, his first big crush – young Alan is smitten with Jake, the Saturday boy at the charity shop.

“I really got into charity shopping,” Alan smiles. “I used to go in there every Saturday and flick through the posters to catch his eye. I must have stunk like an old woman because I would get flares, I wore my dad’s sheepskin and we didn’t have dry cleaning like we do these days.

“I just wanted to be in love really. It still hasn’t happened!” With Alan now single after divorcing ex-husband Paul Drayton back in 2022, is he hoping his teenage crush will reach the real-life inspiration behind Jake?

“The boy knew then because I was just as unsubtle as I am now,” he laughs. “When I went back to Northampton, I saw him queuing up at a cash point. My knees went to jelly and I thought, ‘Oh my God, there he is.’ But I didn’t want to say hi.

“There’s still something there, but I don’t want a Surprise Surprise moment. He had his chance and he missed it! He could be dating a national treasure now.”

Fans will already know that Alan’s father Graham was famous himself – having been a professional footballer in the 1960s who went on to manage Northampton Town among other clubs. However, the new series also sees Alan’s mother Christine embracing life as a local WAG.

“We would drop my brother [Gary] off at Beavers and me and mum would sit in the Tesco café for an hour with a cup of tea and a Chelsea bun,” he says. “I remember this woman coming over in the canteen to ask for an autograph – I mean, it was funny.

“It sounds weird but in Northampton, my dad was famous – people would stop him. My mum didn’t get the same standard as my dad, but it was funny. She was stopped a few times and people whispered, ‘That’s Graham Carr’s wife.’ Now she gets, ‘That’s Alan Carr’s mum – that’s the Traitor’s mum!’”

Christine isn’t always pleased with how Alan portrays his childhood, with Nancy Sullivan and Shaun Dooley playing his long-suffering parents. “My mum goes, ‘Oh Alan, it wasn’t that obvious you were gay when you were a child.’ My mum, bless her – she’s still that she-wolf who goes up the school. ‘Don’t you pick on my Alan, he does fancy girls!’ I don’t think she realises how camp I am, she just loves me.”

Both his parents visited the show’s “surreal” set in Enfield, north London, which completely recreates his childhood home. “My poor dad walked up the stairs and nearly fell to his death because he thought the bedroom was upstairs,” he says. “How weird is that? It’s identical to the house. To have it decompartmentalised in a warehouse is so strange.”

As for whether we can expect more episodes of Changing Ends in the future, Alan says that it’s up to the fans. “I like the stage it’s at – that weird puberty stage,” he says. “If people are watching and they want it to come back, I’ll think about writing some more.

“But when it gets to the call centre years at 18 and when I started packing shampoo and dog food, I think I’m going to run out of stories because that was a really bleak time. It could be like The Office and be called The Warehouse!”

Although, after managing to make it all the way to the very end of The Celebrity Traitors without being found out as a Traitor, Alan is concerned that viewers won’t trust him any more. “I want it to be really authentic, but I worry now after doing The Celebrity Traitors people aren’t going to believe a word of Changing Ends!” he laughs.

Changing Ends airs Sunday at 10:05pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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Strictly Come Dancing fans were left confused after Vicky Pattison failed to appear on It Takes Two on Monday without any real explanation following her elimination from the show

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left confused after Vicky Pattison failed to appear on It Takes Two on Monday. The Geordie Shore star was eliminated from the dancing competition over the weekend and it’s tradition for the axed contestant to have their first interview on the show’s spin-off at the beginning of the following week.

Host Fleur East confirmed to viewers that Vicky and Kai would appear later in the week, but gave no explanation. But the Mirror can now reveal why Vicky was absent.

A source close to Vicky told us: “Vicky had it pre-agreed that she was going to celebrate her birthday with some friends and family. She has hardly seen them the last few months cos of training so it was a wonderful celebration but nothing too crazy.

“The BBC gave her permission to have the time around her birthday off and so she will be appearing on It Takes Two on Wednesday, it was all pre-agreed.”

READ MORE: Strictly’s Balvinder admits ‘struggle’ in face of ongoing dance off hellREAD MORE: Vicky Pattison breaks silence after Strictly exit branded ‘worst result ever’

The Mirror has contacted representatives for comment.

Vicky had faced Balvinder Sopal in the dance off, and the EastEnders actress appeared in her place, where she explained how ‘horrible’ it had been to compete against her friend for a place in next week’s Blackpool heat. She said: “I knew we were gonna be in the dance off, and when I saw who was lined up, I was like ‘This is awful.’

“And then they announced Vicky, and I was like ‘I just can’t…’ We became quite close, and our journey together has been really solid. I thought ‘I don’t wanna be the one…’ It was horrible, it’s horrible with anybody, but someone you’ve got close to, it’s not the way you want it to play out.”

Over the weekend, the former Loose Women star shared a video clip from her birthday party – which she hosted just as her sad scenes went to air. The post includes a message from a friend that reads ‘You are so special, never change. Love you.”

An emotional Vicky could be seen blowing out her birthday candles in front of a room her pals. The reality star, who has told how she has a constant battle with anxiety, said: “I know I let my nerves get in the way – and I will proper beat myself up over that. But I’ve never danced before sober and here I am, sober as a judge.”

Vicky, who was visited by her husband Ercan and their dogs during training this week, looked gutted to be sent home, but told presenter Tess Daly: “It was so lovely while it lasted, and I’ve had the nicest time. I knew this week was a difficult one for me, and I tried my hardest, as I have every week.”

She said that getting as far as week eight had far surpassed her own expectations. “Listen, I didn’t think I’d get past week one,” she insisted. “And I’m really honoured to have shared this experience with so many amazing people. Mostly with this fella right here.”

She told Kai: “You’ve been the best partner a girl can ask for. I’m so sorry I didn’t get you to Blackpool but I feel like I’ve won just by having you as my partner and I’m so grateful.”

Kai said she’d been a joy to teach, telling her: “You are everything that this series is about. Strong, confident, independent – and all that I can say is, I have loved every single second. I’m going to be gutted not coming to Blackpool with you on Monday. But I just want you to know that I feel like I have also won getting you as my partner.”

Fans previously said it was an especially brutal departure for Vicky because of Blackpool, her tango triumph last week, and also because Sunday was her 38th birthday.

One fan said: “Pretty shocking result, had Vicky down as a nailed on finalist and 50:50 winner along with Lewis (Cope).”

Another agreed: “Slightly distraught with the result because you were a definite potential winner and a firm favourite of mine, but I hope you’re extremely proud of yourself.VickyPattison, because you’ve done so amazing!!! We’re all proud of you lass!!”

But others felt Vicky had been let down on the night, claiming: “I did think the song didn’t go with the dance, the outfit didn’t go with the staging and the graffitied stairwell is almost designed to turn off the average Strictly viewer.”

One viewer added: “The dress was giving more Charleston vibes and the set was giving just ugly vibes.”

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Balvinder is a lifelong fan of Strictly who has wanted to take part for 20 years – let’s help her to enjoy Blackpool this weekend

Spare a thought for Balvinder Sopal. When she said last night that she just didn’t want to do the Strictly dance off, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel sorry for her, after she failed to get enough votes for the FOURTH time.

She’s now equalled 2015 contestant Jamelia for the all-time record she never wanted to hold – of having to fight for survival more than anyone else in the show’s history. One more, and she will take the title.

But surely, in Blackpool, the voting public needs to give the EastEnders star the support she deserves and let her just sail through to the following week without needing to perform twice? After all, in the jungle Ant and Dec have brought in new rules to stop the same people doing the Bushtucker Trials over and over again, so it seems only fair that Bal is also given a break.

READ MORE: Two Strictly 2025 stars plot new TV show together after forging close bond

The first time she was in the dance-off, against Ross King in week two, you could see it had massively knocked her confidence the following week. Since then she has also competed, and won, against rugby player Chris Robshaw, model Ellie Goldstein and now reality star Vicky Pattison.

The poor woman must be wondering how on earth she is still in the competition and also why it keeps on happening. But one thing is sure. Even though the situation is inevitably making her feel a bit unloved, it’s also making her fight. And boy, is she proving good at that.

Balvinder should also take heart over how judges have picked her to stay time and time again, showing that when she’s on the ropes, she can find something a little bit extra to impress them all. Craig said on Sunday that he’d noticed a “massive improvement” after her second go at the American Smooth – and so did the audience.

Of course today there are lots of people moaning that Vicky Pattison should have stayed in the competition – but the simple truth is that she and Kai were out of synch at times and it was all a bit messy while Balvinder and Julian went up a notch. They absolutely deserved to stay.

One fan lamenting Vicky’s demise moaned: “It’s crazy Balvinder got through – four times in the dance off, what does that tell you?” Well, what it tells me is that she’s got some resilience to come back each time and see off her opponents. Both women had the same score on Saturday, with 27 points apiece, but Bal did far better in the dance off. In the end, the decision was simple.

Balvinder is the perfect Strictly contestant – she’s not a trained dancer but she’s giving it her all and showing real signs of improvement each week. So let’s give her the treat she deserves for Blackpool – as a huge fan of the show for many years she’s bound to be hugely excited to make it to the iconic Tower Ballroom.

The Walford veteran many get to dance the Argentine tango that she’s long been dreaming to do this week – here’s hoping – but whatever she does, if it goes well, let’s stick some votes on her.

I’m backing an idea I saw being suggested by a fan who sensed she was “absolutely crushed” at the weekend. They said that if a few George Clarke fans threw Bal a side vote, she could have a week away from the dreaded red zone. “George would still avoid the dance off due to the apparent huge size of his fanbase and Bal could get a much needed break,” they said. Sounds like a plan to me.

So come on all you EastEnders fans. Suki needs you!

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Anya Garnis, who shares two young children with her husband Sunna Van Kampen, recently tried to rent a property in Devon, but she was rejected from doing so because of a Home Office blunder

Former Strictly star Anya Garnis fears she may be left homeless after a Home Office blunder rejected her right to live in Britain.

The Russian-born Latin dancer started dancing at the age of 10 and began competing professionally with her dance partner, Strictly’s Pasha Kovalev, in 1998. The pair moved to the US in 2001 to start her professional dancing career.

They reached the final of the US Open Ballroom Championship on a number of occasions and have also appeared in US series So You Think You Can Dance. Anya, who is a US citizen, has performed at the Emmys and the Oscars and even headlined the Broadway show Burn The Floor.

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The 43-year-old, who shares two young children with her husband Sunna Van Kampen, recently tried to rent a property in Totnes, Devon, but she was rejected from doing so because of a Home Office blunder.

Baffled by the situation Anya investigated and discovered the Home Office’s landlord checking system suggested she did not have permission to live in the country, despite being here since 2013.

The Home Office said her application for leave to remain may have been lost – rendering her ‘illegal’. Speaking to the MailOnline she said: “I was absolutely shocked and devastated. We have to leave the place we’re living now in a couple of weeks, but have been told we can’t rent or buy anywhere else.

“In effect, this will leave us homeless in Britain. If we leave the country, my visa application will be dismissed entirely, but we may have no choice.”

Anya came to the UK on a temporary UK visa in 2013 to work for Strictly. She married Mr Van Kampen in 2017 and they later had two children, now aged three and one.

Since 2013 Anya has lived in the UK on rolling temporary visas without any major issues until she applied to renew her permission last September.

After applying she heard nothing for months so chased her application up on the Home Office website which suggested her application was being processed. When she tried to call, they told her they couldn’t discuss individual cases on the phone.

Home Office guidelines state that applicants have automatic leave to remain while their applications are being processed, so she thought nothing of it. After applying again she was shocked to still be turned down by the LCS.

She said: “I can’t buy or rent a property, but I also can’t leave the country while I’m waiting for a decision. I know highly skilled Americans who have been forced to give up on a life in Britain and move back home because of this catch.”

The Home Office said it would not comment on an individual case.

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Alan Carr has shared a huge update on replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as the presenter of Strictly Come Dancing following his victory on Celebrity Traitors

The job offers haven’t stopped rolling in for Alan Carr since his momentous Celebrity Traitors win, with the comedian even tipped to take over hosting duties on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.

While he’s back with a new series of his hit comedy Changing Ends, the 49-year-old admits he’s unsure whether he could handle the challenge of stepping into Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s sparkly shoes.

“My name is in the hat,” he says. “What an honour. It’s a bit like when my name got bandied about for Britain’s Got Talent and The Great British Bake Off – I’m always on the periphery.

“I don’t know how serious it is. No one has approached me. People are so passionate about it and you saw me sweating in the castle when I was a Traitor, imagine me doing live telly with how many million people watching!”

Although after a star turn on The Celebrity Traitors, he knows how to convincingly lie – and that could come in handy on Strictly. If someone’s cha-cha-cha is a bit s**t, I’ve got the poker face!” he jokes.

“So many things have come from The Celebrity Traitors – so many job offers coming in – I’d be flattered, but I don’t know if I could do it [Strictly] justice. I just don’t want to ruin it for people.”

Alan is back on more familiar ground with Changing Ends – the semi-autobiographical sitcom about his childhood in 1980s Northampton.

Series three follows teenage Alan (played by Bafta nominee Oliver Savell) as he navigates obstacles such as stressful swimming lessons, and, more importantly, his first big crush – young Alan is smitten with Jake, the Saturday boy at the charity shop.

“I really got into charity shopping,” Alan smiles. “I used to go in there every Saturday and flick through the posters to catch his eye. I must have stunk like an old woman because I would get flares, I wore my dad’s sheepskin and we didn’t have dry cleaning like we do these days.

“I just wanted to be in love really. It still hasn’t happened!” With Alan now single after divorcing ex-husband Paul Drayton back in 2022, is he hoping his teenage crush will reach the real-life inspiration behind Jake?

“The boy knew then because I was just as unsubtle as I am now,” he laughs. “When I went back to Northampton, I saw him queuing up at a cash point. My knees went to jelly and I thought, ‘Oh my God, there he is.’ But I didn’t want to say hi.

“There’s still something there, but I don’t want a Surprise Surprise moment. He had his chance and he missed it! He could be dating a national treasure now.”

Fans will already know that Alan’s father Graham was famous himself – having been a professional footballer in the 1960s who went on to manage Northampton Town among other clubs. However, the new series also sees Alan’s mother Christine embracing life as a local WAG.

“We would drop my brother [Gary] off at Beavers and me and mum would sit in the Tesco café for an hour with a cup of tea and a Chelsea bun,” he says. “I remember this woman coming over in the canteen to ask for an autograph – I mean, it was funny.

“It sounds weird, but in Northampton, my dad was famous – people would stop him. My mum didn’t get the same standard as my dad, but it was funny. She was stopped a few times and people whispered, ‘That’s Graham Carr’s wife.’ Now she gets, ‘That’s Alan Carr’s mum – that’s the Traitor’s mum!’”

Christine isn’t always pleased with how Alan portrays his childhood, with Nancy Sullivan and Shaun Dooley playing his long-suffering parents.

“My mum goes, ‘Oh Alan, it wasn’t that obvious you were gay when you were a child.’ My mum, bless her – she’s still that she-wolf who goes up the school. ‘Don’t you pick on my Alan, he does fancy girls!’ I don’t think she realises how camp I am, she just loves me.”

Both his parents visited the show’s “surreal” set in Enfield, north London, which completely recreates his childhood home. “My poor dad walked up the stairs and nearly fell to his death because he thought the bedroom was upstairs,” he says. “How weird is that? It’s identical to the house. To have it decompartmentalised in a warehouse is so strange.”

As for whether we can expect more episodes of Changing Ends in the future, Alan says that it’s up to the fans.

“I like the stage it’s at – that weird puberty stage,” he says. “If people are watching and they want it to come back, I’ll think about writing some more.

“But when it gets to the call centre years at 18 and when I started packing shampoo and dog food, I think I’m going to run out of stories because that was a really bleak time. It could be like The Office and be called The Warehouse!”

Although, after managing to make it all the way to the very end of The Celebrity Traitors without being found out as a Traitor, Alan is concerned that viewers won’t trust him any more.

“I want it to be really authentic, but I worry now after doing The Celebrity Traitors people aren’t going to believe a word of Changing Ends!” he laughs.

Changing Ends, Sunday 23 November, 10.05pm, ITV1 and ITVX

Mystery swirls around the Strictly results show as the couple eliminated is leaked during the show’s taping, despite audience members handing in their phones

Questions are being raised about how spoilers are leaked about the Strictly Results show, as the couple eliminated was revealed while the results show was still being filmed.

Every Saturday, the Strictly main show airs live, but the Sunday results shows are filmed immediately after the live show is screened with the same audience sitting in for both. As such, the audience are aware of who has gone home almost a full day before the wider public are.

To prevent the result leaking, audience members are not allowed to have their mobile phones in the studio and those that bring phones with them are required to hand them over to security.

They can collect them from when they leave. However, the celebrities, their family and friends, pro dancers and production crew are all allowed to keep their mobile phones.

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Despite the tight control on communication from the audience to the outside world, spoilers for the results show have continued to leak as it is filmed, making some wonder how this is possible.

Spoilers have long been an issue on the show, but this is the first year where they have leaked as filming is still underway. A source told the Sun that spoilers “plague” the show.

“Spoilers have plagued Strictly for years with fans struggling to avoid finding out who leaves before the Sunday results show airs. Now, results are ending up online while the cameras are still rolling.”

There are multiple ways that spoilers from the show are leaked, but those dropping during the show’s filming appear to be leaked to a TikTok user called Shirleigh Humphreys.

Shirleigh, who goes by Shirleighshirlz, consistently streams her live reaction to finding out who has been eliminated around 10:30pm on a Saturday, a time when filming sometimes has not wrapped on Strictly Come Dancing.

In one video, she revealed that she gets her information during the show’s filming: “I have my own moles and this particular mole was fantastic for giving us live coverage of the Strictly Results while it was taping.”

Last week, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey found himself in the dance off with La Voix, and the judges ultimately decided to save the Drag Race star, sending Harry home.

With Vicky and the bottom of the dance-off, there is some fear that the Geordie Shore star will be heading home. This week is an important one for celebs to make it through, as next week, they head to Blackpool for the one of the series’ biggest shows.

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Vicky Pattison has admitted she spent last weekend ‘bursting into tears’ after competing in the latest round of the BBC show after she topped the leaderboard

Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison has admitted she spent last weekend ‘bursting into tears’ after competing in the latest round of the BBC show. The Geordie Shore legend , 37, had been awarded a near-perfect score of 39 following her Tango to Taylor Swift hit The Fate Of Ophelia, and found herself at the top of the leaderboard.

The former Loose Women star, who won I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in the years following her rise to fame, made an appearance alongside professional partner Kai Widdrington on Friday’s edition of Strictly spin-off It Takes Two, where she explained to host Fleur East just how much the successful result had meant to her.

She said: “On social media, someone said ‘I fear Vicky Pattison might chuck herself off that balcony if she ever gets a 40!’ and I fear they are right. For someone like me who had never danced before and was so scared at the start of the process, even now who still has wobbles, that’s a moment I never thought would be mine. I’m still feeling very overwhelmed and I spent Sunday just bursting into tears.”

As a congratulatory gift, Vicky was then presented with a framed picture of the leaderboard and a cushion with judge Anton DuBeke holding up his 10 paddle up on it. Vicky joked: “I am going straight home to bed with this!” Meanwhile, Vicky is hopeful that she and her co-stars will remain friends in the longterm and is confident that it will happen because she is still friends with her fellow showbiz stars from other reality shows.

She said: “For me, all the celebs are absolutely gorgeous. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be doing Strictly this year because everyone is so lovely. When we lost Dani Dyer originally, it was so devastating and heart-breaking. But then we got the gorgeous Amber, and we’ve got by Bal, La Voix, Caz Carney. I just feel so lucky and I hope we’re gonna be friends forever.

“That sounds a bit soppy, but maybe I am a bit soppy! I’m still friends with Ferne [McCann] and I was in the jungle 10 years ago with her. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’re gonna be friends forever!”

Following the performance, Craig Revel Horwood was full of praise, describing the performance as “perfect”, while Anton admitted he was “a bit stunned” because it was “that good”.

He enthused: “I thought it was absolutely marvellous. I loved it. Your line is the best line I’ve ever seen. It was immaculate.” Meanwhile, Motsi Mabuse and head judge Shirley Ballas declared it their “dance of the night”, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Motsi gushed: “Last week I said you were a contender for the final, and this dance just proved what I meant. You confirmed my intuition. Without a doubt, you are on fire. Whatever is giving you that fire – keep it up. This was for me, till now, the dance of the night.”

After the show, Vicky took to Instagram to share her disbelief, posting a snapshot of the leaderboard with the caption: “This can not be real”. Saturday’s episode marked the halfway point of the series, with nine couples taking to the dance floor.

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Strictly Come Dancing will see another celebrity and their professional partner leave the competition this weekend

Strictly Come Dancing will witness another departure this weekend – and the prospects aren’t promising for one pairing.

Last weekend, Balvinder Sopal and her dance partner Julian Caillon managed to avoid finding themselves in the bottom two despite being the bookmakers’ top picks to depart the show.

Nevertheless, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and La Voix found themselves in the bottom two and were forced to perform once more in an attempt to remain in the contest.

Unfortunately, it signalled the end for the Gladiator star, as all the judges chose to rescue La Voix.

Yet this week, Balvinder and Julian’s journey could be over, according to exclusive odds from Betway, reports Wales Online.

The duo has been handed odds of 150/1 of departing on Sunday.

La Voix, who received salvation last weekend, is also in danger of exiting, with odds of 100/1.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, George Clarke remains the favourite to claim victory in the competition, with odds of 10/11.

Emmerdale star Lewis Cope sits in second position with odds of 11/4, whilst Vicky Pattison occupies third spot with odds of 6/1.

Whoever ultimately departs this week will also forfeit the chance to perform at the iconic Blackpool Tower during Strictly’s Blackpool Week.

Following their bottom two placement, Balvinder and Julian featured on It Takes Two, where they discussed landing in the dance off once again.

Balvinder told It Takes Two host Fleur East, “The rumba, it was the hardest thing to learn. Literally, on Tuesday, I’d thrown the towel in and went, ‘I can’t do it,’ I sat in a corner and cried.

“Jules was standing there and went, ‘When you’re ready, bro… we’ve got to get this done’.”

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One.

Vicky Pattison has confessed hilariously in her podcast with Angela Scanlon that there’s one element of their relationship that husband Ercan Ramadan finds a total turn off…

Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison has admitted there’s one part of her that husband Ercan Ramadan finds a major turn-off: her nostril hair. Speaking on an episode of Get a Grip, her podcast with former Strictly star Angela Scanlon, Vicky, 37, said, “Do you know what really p**ses off Erc? My nostril hair.”

Despite saying Ercan, 32, was “a hairy man” with “strong Cypriot roots,” Vicky said he was adamant that she took action from the moment they began dating more than six years ago. “He’s really anal about hair – when we first got started going out he was like, ‘I need to do your nostril hair,’ and I was like, ‘No, because they’re fair babe, so just leave it.’”

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Undeterred, Vicky revealed that Ercan took an electric trimmer to her nose, saying he “got up there with his weed-whacker thing” to remove the offending hairs. However, his solution failed to solve the problem. “Now they have grown back thicker and more determined,” she confessed.

Vicky, who’s dancing with pro Kai Widdrington on the hit BBC series, also told of her joy at coming top of the Leaderboard for the first time last weekend. She and Kai bagged the highest score with 39 points for their Tango to Taylor Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia, overtaking Amber Davies’ and Nikita Kuzmin’s Samba. “It just felt like it all came together,” Vicky told Angela, 41. “Even if that is the first and only time I get to be top of the Leaderboard I’m just so happy I got to do it once.”

She added, “It’s such a nice feeling – and it’s one I never thought I’d experience. I was in absolute shock, and I still am. I am dead proud of myself. I’m dead happy, I’m a bit emotional about it all, because I didn’t expect it.”

But Vicky also used this week’s podcast to again deny persistent rumours that she has slapped Ercan with a so-called ‘sex ban’ at home. “I’m not doing a sex ban,” she insisted, “but after doing the Samba all day, I’ve not got energy for the mattress mambo at home. I’m absolutely done in.”

Although the outspoken former Geordie Shore star loved being top of the Strictly pile last weekend, she still finds the elimination process nerve-shredding. “I have been unlucky enough to be in that final four and honestly it’s just the most awful feeling,” she said. “I know at some point I’ll have to be in the dance off, and it’ll be terrifying. It will just be awful.

“As we all know, I don’t deal with nerves very well or pressure, so I’m not looking forward to it. The relief when the light goes off you, and you’re squeezing hands – it’s very intense.”

She also told how she and Kai, 30, have been speaking about their plan to stay in touch after the show – although Vicky warned him, “Don’t think I’m going to be ringing you for a dance. When I’m f***ing done, I’m done. Everything’s going in the bin.”

But when their number is finally up, she’s looking forward to putting her feet up for a well-earned rest. “It’s obviously the most incredible experience ever, but it’s exhausting,” she told Angela. “I’m looking forward to having a nice Christmas.”

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George Clarke has admitted that his upcoming routine on Strictly Come Dancing means ‘so much more’ than just the routine because it will be dedicated to his family

George Clarke has admitted that his upcoming routine on Strictly Come Dancing means “so much more” than just the routine. The YouTube star, 25, is gearing up to perform a Rumba on Saturday’s edition of the BBC competition alongside professional partner Alexis Warr.

They will perform to Lily Allen’s cover of Keane classic Somewhere Only We Know, which his sister performed at his grandfather’s funeral, but as George appeared on Wednesday’s edition of the spin-off series It Takes Two, he emotionally explained that he has been struggling to ‘not put pressure’ on himself because he knows how much it will all mean to his family.

He said: “It definitely will be. Especially considering the past few weeks have been much much more ‘ok I can do the steps but can I perform?’ I feel like the steps are very important but the performance is everything to me because it’s a song that means a lot to me and my family. And yeah it is hard this week to not put the pressure on myself because it is a dance that I want to get right even more so.”

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But, It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara instantly stepped in to comfort George, and she reminded him: “You have got to let that go so you can enjoy it because it is about enjoyment. Like we was this past week!”

Just days ago, George admitted: “So my sister sang the song Somewhere Only We Know at my grandad’s funeral and it’s a song that means a lot to my whole family.

“My mum has had a lot of trouble in the last 10 years so I thought it’d be nice to use this platform to devote something to her and the rest of the family. Hopefully they’ll be less on the edge of their seat wondering if it’s going to go wrong.”

George has consistently been at the higher end of the leader board throughout his time in the competition so far, but admitted ahead of his next challenge that it can all feel ‘really strange’ to him because performing isn’t something he’s necessarily used to.

He said: “It’s really strange, the whole sort of performing side of it because that’s not something I do.”

Celebrity and PR expert Kayley Cornelius has speculated that George’s social media savviness is giving him is giving him an advantage in the competition. “As we see most years with Strictly stars, the type of content he’s now pushing out, he’s featuring Alexis in a lot of his videos, so he’s really trying to captivate the fans that may not have been familiar with him before,” she said on behalf of Online Slots provider Spin Genie.

He’s posting a lot more consistently and this new type of content seems to really be working with him, it seems to be pushing him on the algorithm more than usual. Strictly’s really bringing a whole new audience for him in that sense.”

She added that George’s large following – over 2.4m followers on TikTok – is also helping the BBC. “To be honest, I think George is doing Strictly more of a favour than Strictly is doing George,” she said.

“He’s bringing in a lot more of the viewers this year. I think there’ll be a conscious effort from the Strictly social team to make sure that he is featured more in the content going forward. They’ll know that a lot of George’s audience lands online. He has a large following, a really engaging, impressionable audience as well.”

She added: “George has had such an advantage point going into the competition. This year, the voting system has changed where they’ve moved votes online – that’s his bread and butter.

“He’s worked really hard, he’s performing well, and he’s just an all-round lovely person. So I think a combination of all three of those things will take him right to the finish line. And you know, with the betting markets at the minute, it is just looking like his competition to win now.”

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