And the First Star to Exit the Dance Floor: Strictly Come Dancing 2023 Recap

First Elimination on Strictly Come Dancing 2023

The first elimination on Strictly Come Dancing 2023 took place following the opening two weekends of live shows. The judges’ marks from the past two weekends of dances were combined with the viewer vote to determine the bottom two couples. These couples then danced again in a dance-off, before the judges decided who to save.

Les Dennis and Nancy Xu voted off

In the first results show, actor and presenter Les Dennis and his professional partner Nancy Xu were voted off. They faced off against Nikita Kanda and her dance partner Gorka Márquez in the dance-off. Both couples performed their routines again in an attempt to impress the judges and remain in the competition.

Nikita and Gorka performed their Charleston to “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé, while Les and Nancy performed their Samba to “Rock The Boat” by Hues Corporation.

The judges’ verdicts

After both couples had danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts. Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Nikita and Gorka, stating that they danced the best on the night and showed the most improvement. Motsi Mabuse also chose to save Nikita and Gorka, noting that both couples danced better in the dance-off, but one couple stood out as being extremely better. Anton Du Beke agreed, saying that it was a competition between two couples on performance alone, and that Nikita and Gorka did the best job.

With three votes in favor of Nikita and Gorka, they won the majority vote and secured their place in the competition. Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed with the decision.

Les Dennis’s reaction

After being voted off, Les Dennis expressed gratitude for his experience on Strictly Come Dancing. He praised Nancy Xu as a great teacher who had pushed him to his limits. He thanked the judges for their feedback, especially Shirley Ballas for giving him a 10 for entertainment. Les emphasized that his goal on the show was to entertain, and he hoped he had achieved that.

Next Weekend: Movie Themed Special

Strictly Come Dancing will return next weekend with its traditional Movie themed special. Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the remaining 14 couples will perform routines inspired by some of the greatest films of all time, aiming to impress the judges.

The next episode of Strictly Come Dancing will air on Saturday, 7 October at 6:20PM, with the results show following on Sunday, 8 October at 7:15PM on BBC One.