What a drama! For the first time in all the series, we had a real tight dance – and also the first time head judge Shirley Ballas was called upon to cast her deciding vote, with the other judges split 2-1 on who to send home. After the crowd turned the table again by saving the bottom pair from our outing in Blackpool, it was Ellie Taylor and Kim Marsh, Tyler West and Molly Rainford who were forced to repeat their combinations (who both scored 35 on Saturday night) – and it was the DJ who was told to go west.
The decision could reignite the debate about the undemocratic nature of the format. Yes, Rainford is a talented performer, but she’s clearly not connecting with the voters: this is her third time at the dance. How long can the judges save her? We’re also left with a skewed gender balance in the cast – out of seven contestants, Hamza Yasin and Will Mellor are the only two left.
The judges disagree – and Ballas decides
We’re used to constant infighting among the judges this year, but when it comes to the eliminations, they’ve always found a consensus. Well, until now. After a contested dance in which both West and Rainford put in strong performances, Craig Revel Horwood admitted he was “really struggling for the first time this season”, praising West for his incredible hips and Rainford for her precision. In the end, he bet on Rainford.
Motsi Mabuse felt that both were stronger in the dance, but based on technique and performance, she also chose to save Rainford. However, Anton Du Beke broke ranks. Commenting on the strength of talent at this stage, he stated that neither pair deserved to be here when they “could have easily made it to the finals”, but thought West was more dynamic so voted to save him.
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