Alex Scott and her professional partner Neil Jones are the latest couple to leave Strictly Come Dancing.
This weekend’s musicals-themed live show saw the five remaining couples dance to a series of tracks from popular shows but Alex and Neil’s samba to Joyful Joyful from Sister Act ended up landing them in the bottom two.
They faced Chris Ramsay and Karen Hauer - who had performed a foxtrot to Consider Yourself from Oliver! - in the dance off.
Once both couples had performed again, the judges had to decide who to save and Craig Revel Horwood kicked things off by opting for Alex and Neil.
He told them: “I really loved the refreshing fusion of this particular dance and the fact that the dance was performed very, very well.
Motsi Mabuse echoed his comments.
“I have to be honest, I have to say this is one of the most difficult things I have had to do for a long time,” she said. “You were both great, I enjoyed it, I’m going to save Alex and Neil.”
Making his decision, Bruno Tonioli said: “Well it’s very hard and at this stage it’s going to get even harder but purely based on what I saw tonight I firmly believe that the stronger overall more convincing powerful entertaining couple is Chris and Karen.
This left Head Judge Shirley Ballas with the deciding vote.
“Well again this is a very, very difficult decision,” she said. “Both couples danced extremely well and for me it’s going to go personal taste, and I’m going to go with the couples that I felt had the most content and more powerfully entertaining and therefore I am saving Chris and Karen.”
When asked by Tess about her time on the show, Alex said: “I’ve been a fan of Strictly forever so to even be here and dance here every week.
“I’ve loved every moment and I have to thank everyone, and everyone behind the scenes to make this show work.
“I’ve literally lived out another dream I had football and then this chapter. I have to thank my dancer partner, he’s incredible. Thank you to everyone.”
“I’m proud of the whole process, I’m proud of the struggle and I’m proud that people got to see me. Thank you for having me.”
Prior to Saturday’s show, Alex had insisted she wasn’t worried about dancing the “cursed” samba after the same dance sent Saffron Barker and AJ Pritchard packing last weekend.
She said: “I’m just like: ‘Do you know what? We’re in the quarter final!’.
“I could absorb everyone’s fear about the dance and come in dreading it every day – or be like, ‘do you know what? We’re in the quarter final and we’re having such a good time’.
The remaining four couples will return for the Strictly semi-final next Saturday.
