On Saturday night the remaining couples took to the Strictly dance-floor in the hope of impressing judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas as well as the voting public. This weekend, Ellie Taylor became the ninth contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing as the comedian faced singer Fleur East in the dreaded dance off ahead of the quarter final.
On Sunday night's results show the red light of doom landed on Ellie and Fleur. Both couples performed their routines again in a bid to impress the judges and remain in the competition.
Ellie and her dance partner Johannes Radebe performed their jive to Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. Then Fleur East and her dance partner Vito Coppola reprised their rumba to Too Lost in You by the Sugababes.
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All four judges opted to save Fleur and Vito. But fans reacted with shock at Hits Radio presenter Fleur being in the bottom two after bringing in the first perfect score of 40 last weekend for her show-stopping Destiny's Child Megamix performance.
Viewers pointed out that this was the third time former X Factor star Fleur had been in the dance-off and questioned 'why' and 'how' it had happened. @paul_y94 tweeted: "Fleur being in the dance off for the third time is disgraceful. The British Public really ignore talent don’t they?"
@HarleenQzel40 asked: "Are you kidding me?!!!"@TraineeOAP fumed: "@HamzaYassin3 & @Mellor76 through to next week! Fleur thrown under the bus again."
@malfoysfolklore vented: "LEAVE FLEUR AND VITO ALONE." @HumbleChef4 asked: "How the hell is Fleur in the dance off again????"@BoyCharioteer shouted: "#Strictly WHAT THE F***"
@topofthefield exclaimed: "Fleur being in the dance off is so unfair!" And @MickyBell said: "Fleur and Vito in the bottom two…get in the bin voting public."
Asked by host Tess if Strictly had been everything she expected it to be as she bowed out, Ellie said: “It has and it’s been. I’m going to be a cliché machine now, but it’s been everything and more.
"I never in a million years expected to be in for this long and to experience it so fully. Strictly is about dancing but it’s also about the people.
"And every part of this show from the top to bottom, from the execs to the make-up, to the hair to the costumes, to the sets to the band, to my fellow celebs and the dancers - even some of the judges have been alright! She added: "It’s been an absolute privilege to become part of the Strictly alumni and I’ve really really loved it.”
Praising her dance partner, Ellie and Johannes were in tears as she said: “We’ve had so much fun. And to borrow an Anton-ism, let me tell you about you Johannes Radebe. You are as wonderful as everyone said you would be, and I’ve said you’re like human sunshine and you really really are."
She added: "You see people and you saw me, at every point. I have been so worried and so out of my comfort zone and so self-conscious and so weird and you have said 'embrace your weird Ellie.'
"You’ve done it so full-heartedly and without judgement. It’s been an absolute privilege to dance with you JoJo. "I don’t know what runs through your body but it’s not blood, it’s rhythm and it’s music, and to watch you perform is incredible.”
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