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Strictly Come Dancing’s Alex Kingston was the eighth celebrity to be voted off the competition on Sunday, after making numerous mistakes during her performance.
The actress, 62, and her professional partner Johannes Radebe went head-to-head with EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal and Julian Callion, who survived the dance-off for the fifth time
The week’s scoring was made up of last week’s Blackpool Special votes, the judges scores plus the extra points from Saturday’s brand new challenge ‘Instant Dance’.
Anton decided to save Alex and Johnnes, however Craig, Motsi and Shirley all agreed to save Balvinder and Julian, and therefore securing Balvinder’s place in the quarter final.
After the results, Alex told presenter Tess Daly just how much she’s loved the show and journey, she said: ‘I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would last this long.
‘It’s been just the most incredible journey for me. I feel quite proud of myself because I’ve loved the process, I mean 100%, you can tell by my smile.
‘Everyone always says that their dance partner is a friend for life, but JoJo really will be.’
Johannes agreed to the lifelong friendship that he now has with Alex, telling Tess: ‘I’ve never grinned as much as I have in the last few weeks.
‘Thank you Alex for being a trooper, I will hold on to the memories.
‘As far as the dancing goes, I think we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve.
‘These memories are just the beginning for us, we can say that we are very much a Strictly family.’
The results show also featured a Rumba to Wicked Game by Grace Carter, choreographed by Oti Mabuse and Marius Lepure.
Myles Smith also gave an incredible performance of Stay, accompanied by professional dancers Kai Widdrington and Karen Hauer.
Next week will see the remaining five couples dance their way through Musicals Week for the quarter final on Saturday at 7.45pm.
The shock factor of the results show was heavily reduced for some fans as the results were leaked after the live recording took place on Saturday.
Despite Alex’s previously outstanding performances, she took the slip-up on the chin and blamed it on ‘fatigue’, after scoring just 23 points out of 40, landing at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Judge Motsi Mabuse said: ‘One mistake I can forgive, two mistakes I will look the other way, three mistakes? I am not mother Christmas!’
Later speaking to host Claudia Winkleman, an emotional Alex said: ‘It’s never really discussed when you’re at the sharp end, how our bodies are suffering and my 62-year-old self is saying, what are you saying, but my spirit and soul is saying [puts finger in her ears] la la la, I don’t want to know, I want to keep dancing’.
Taking to X fans said: ‘Gutted for Alex. Just got really staggered and a bit all over the place. But she showed such humility during the judges’ comments’: ‘I’m gutted for Alex’: ‘Poor girl so many mistakes at least she kept going’: ‘I want to give Alex a hug’.
Later viewers at home appeared to spot Alex painfully limping and were left worried she would be forced to withdraw from the competition.
‘Why is Alex limping? If she’s hurt herself surely it’s not a good idea to continue dancing?’: ‘Sorry it’s clear as day something is wrong with Alex. she’s literally limping just walking? someone get the girl a medic?! feel like even if she does make it through, this might be the end of the road’.
‘I really hope Alex is alright. She seems to be limping quite badly’: ‘Poor Alex looked like she was limping after choosing her outfit! Hope she’s ok’: ‘Poor Alex is limping’: ‘Was Alex limping then?’.
Following Alex’s performance influencer George Clarke took to the floor for a quickstep alongside pro partner Alexis Warr, after receiving his first ever 10 last week.
