Strictly Come Dancing fans were left in shock over the weekend after Lewis Cope and Katya Jones were eliminated from the competition on Sunday night after a dance off with Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin
Strictly Come Dancing fans were left in disbelief on Sunday night as Tess Daly read out the final verdict, sending Lewis Cope and Katya Jones packing.
For weeks, the professional dancer and her celebrity partner Lewis had been front runners for the Glitterball trophy. But after a dance off which has divided fans, Emmerdale star Lewis Cope has become the ninth star to the leave the show.
Social media immediately reacted with outrage, with allegations of a potential ‘fix’ flying after fans struggled to understand the elimination. Even the judges were emotional with Shirley Ballas wiping away tears as she was forced to send home the pair.
Katya and Lewis were in the bottom two alongside Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin during Sunday night’s Musicals Week results show. On Saturday, while the studio audience gave them a standing ovation, the judges’ scores left them languishing mid-table, dangerously exposed to the dance-off. Amber and Nikita scored a perfect 40, yet were still in the dance-off and were saved by the judges.
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So what went wrong? Lewis and Amber both have a dancing background. Lewis starred in Billy Elliot as a young boy while Amber is a West End star. And one theory is that fans prefer to see a celebrity go on a ‘journey’, as has been the case for underdog, EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopel, who is through to the semis. But it an odd twist of fate, it was Amber’s greater depth of experience that ultimately won her the judges’ vote.
PR expert Mayah Riaz tells the Mirror: “I completely understand why viewers are frustrated, it genuinely felt like one of those shock exits that doesn’t sit right. When a couple has momentum, chemistry and clear ability, audiences get emotionally invested and they feel robbed when that journey is cut short.
“However, there has definitely been a growing fatigue around contestants with prior dance training. Viewers tune into Strictly for the transformation story. They want to watch a non dancer grow, wobble, improve and surprise themselves. When someone has previous experience, fair or unfair, they are held to a much harsher standard from week one. That can quietly work against them in the public vote.”
Another school of thought is that pro dancer Katya might actually be the cursed one, having suffered through a string of awkward pairings including disgraced Wynne Evans, following her 2018 smooch with Strictly partner Seann Walsh. Both were in relationships at the time. Each year fans claim that Katya has been ‘stitched up’, and PR expert Mayah Riaz agrees.
She continued: “On Katya, I do think she’s had a rough run in recent years. She is one of the strongest and most creative pros on that floor, but she has absolutely been handed some tough partners. It has started to feel like she goes in every season already on the back foot.
“I would not call it a fix, but I would say it feels like she rarely gets a level playing field. And ironically, the one time she gets a genuinely strong partner again, he is labelled ‘too experienced’ and punished for it. The optics are not great. It looks like she can’t win either way. Too weak a partner, she’s dismissed. A strong partner, she’s penalised.”
Fans also argued that Lewis and Katya were handed the dreaded “death slot” – performing first, a position historically proven to result in lower scoring as judges keep their powder dry for later acts. Some believe the slot is deliberately unfavourable, making the contestant more likely to be eliminated.
When the couple landed in the dance-off, the atmosphere shifted. The “Judges’ Save” was introduced to keep the best dancers in the competition, but critics argue it has become a tool to override the public vote. “At the moment, it feels less about dancing and more about narrative control, and audiences are starting to clock it,” Mayah says.
“There is also a bigger issue here around consistency. If previous dance experience is such a problem, then it should be applied across the board. You cannot ignore theatre and musical training for one contestant and weaponise it against another. Viewers see that and they do not like it.
“With Lewis, I think he became a victim of perception rather than performance. He was not voted out because he was the weakest. He was voted out because the story around him shifted. And once that happens, it is incredibly hard to fight back. Strictly is still beloved, but moments like this chip away at trust. And once viewers feel that the journey is being manipulated, the magic starts to fade.”
Today, Katya broke her silence online after leaving the show and admitted her heart was broken.
“I must say congratulations to all semi finalists, and to @nikita__kuzmin and @amb_d – who fully deserved their place in the semi final. There was absolutely no doubt about it. Keep going guys!” she wrote.
“My heart is broken and it will take some time to heal. So before I write a big profound post- I will take a minute to digest and breathe.”
Indeed, the soap star’s departure has left some fans raging. El on X said: “Lewis and Katya, you take the spot of the most robbed couple in the history of this show.” Kellie also wrote: “The thought of losing Lewis and Katya before seeing their Argentine tango, American smooth and show dance is making me nauseous and ill.”
Chloe added: “When all is said and done I will sleep peacefully tonight knowing that at least Lewis and Katya gave us the best dance Strictly has ever seen.”.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
