Strictly Come Dancing has said goodbye to Bethany Antonia and professional partner Nancy Xu after a closely contested Week 7 dance-off. Their departure on Sunday 8 November came despite a comparatively strong score in Saturday’s show. Head judge Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote after the panel split over which couple should remain.
How Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu left Strictly
Bethany and Nancy faced former Love Island contestant Cach Mercer and his professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby in the results-show dance-off. Both couples were asked to perform their routines again before the four judges made their decisions. Bethany and Nancy repeated their foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love, while Cach and Maddie danced their waltz to That Ain’t You by Mulaa Joans.
The judges did not agree. Anton Du Beke chose to save Cach and Maddie, but Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse backed Bethany and Nancy. That left the deciding vote with head judge Shirley Ballas, who chose to save Cach and Maddie. Bethany and Nancy therefore became the sixth couple to leave the 2026 series.
The outcome was particularly striking when compared with the previous evening’s leaderboard. Bethany and Nancy had earned 30 points for their foxtrot, placing them joint fourth on judges’ scores. Cach and Maddie’s waltz had received 26 points, leaving them joint bottom. The Saturday marks, however, do not automatically determine the result once couples enter the dance-off: the judges assess the performances they see in that final contest.
Why the judges’ split matters
A two-two split makes the head judge’s role decisive. In this case, two judges preferred the couple who had scored higher on Saturday, while Anton and Shirley favoured the other pair in the dance-off itself. It was not a public vote to decide between the two at that stage; the judging panel was responsible for the final decision under the programme’s elimination format.
That distinction is important when reading reaction to the result. The leaderboard provides a useful snapshot of how the Saturday performances were marked, but the Sunday dance-off offers another opportunity to dance. The difference between 30 and 26 points helps explain why the outcome drew attention, without proving that the final decision breached the rules.
Bethany, an actor known for House of the Dragon, had reached this stage alongside Nancy after competing through seven weeks of the series. The pair were the only same-sex partnership in this year’s competition, according to coverage of the result. Their exit ends that partnership’s run on the dance floor, while Cach and Maddie continue into the next week.
What happened elsewhere in the results show?
The episode also included a Remembrance Sunday professional group performance, choreographed by Lizzie Gough and set to a Peter Gabriel arrangement of Heroes. Singer Gregory Porter appeared as the musical guest, accompanied by a dance from Alexis Warr and Aljaž Škorjanec. These performances were part of the scheduled Sunday programme rather than the competitive dance-off.
Saturday’s leaderboard had been led by Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who scored 36 points for their American smooth. Their position at the top underlined how close the competition is becoming as the remaining couples approach the next stage. Scores alone, as this elimination demonstrated, cannot guarantee safety once the public vote and dance-off are taken into account.
When is Strictly Come Dancing on next?
Strictly Come Dancing is scheduled to return to BBC One on Saturday 14 November at 6.25pm. The remaining couples will perform again as the contest moves towards its Blackpool special. Actress Jaime Winstone is expected to return after missing the latest live show through injury, although viewers should follow official programme updates for any changes to the line-up.
Bethany and Nancy are also due to discuss their exit on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday 9 November at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, according to the published television coverage. That appearance will offer viewers a chance to hear their reflections rather than rely on speculation about the judges’ motives.
For now, the confirmed result is straightforward: Bethany and Nancy are out, Cach and Maddie remain, and Shirley’s casting vote settled a divided panel. The next live programme will show how the surviving couples respond as the competition approaches Blackpool.
Sources and editorial note
Reporting is based on the published results and programme details from TV Zone UK and the Press Association report carried by The Independent. This article distinguishes confirmed scores and votes from audience interpretation.