Strictly Come Dancing: Bethany Antonia Eliminated in Split Judges’ Vote — Why Fans Are Furious
It was the result nobody in the ballroom saw coming. Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu had danced their way to joint fourth on the leaderboard on Saturday night, their foxtrot earning a handsome 30 points. Twenty-four hours later, they were out. The Game of Thrones actress and her professional partner became the sixth couple eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 on Sunday night, sent home after a split judges’ vote that left viewers stunned — and, judging by the reaction online, furious.
BLUF: Bethany Antonia and professional partner Nancy Xu were eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 in Sunday night’s results show on 8 November, becoming the sixth couple to leave the competition. They lost a dance-off against Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby after the judges split two-two, with head judge Shirley Ballas casting the deciding vote to save Cach and Maddie. Bethany and Nancy had scored 30 for their foxtrot on Saturday — joint fourth on the leaderboard — while Cach and Maddie had scored 26, joint bottom. Nine couples remain in the competition.
At a Glance
- Who left: Bethany Antonia and professional partner Nancy Xu, eliminated in the sixth results show of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 on Sunday, 8 November.
- The dance-off: Bethany and Nancy reprised their foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love”; Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby performed their waltz to “That Ain’t You” by Mulaa Joans.
- The scores: Bethany and Nancy scored 30 on Saturday’s live show, placing them joint fourth. Cach and Maddie scored 26, joint bottom with John and Katya.
- How the judges voted: Anton Du Beke voted to save Cach and Maddie; Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Bethany and Nancy. Head judge Shirley Ballas, who held the deciding vote this week, saved Cach and Maddie.
- Fan reaction: Viewers described themselves as “disappointed” by the exit, with some saying they were saying “bye bye” to the 2026 series.
- What happens next: Bethany and Nancy join Ellie Taylor on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The remaining couples return on Saturday, 14 November at 6.25pm on BBC One.
The dance-off that defied the leaderboard
Strictly’s dance-off is supposed to be a second chance. On paper, Bethany and Nancy looked safe. Their foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love” had earned 30 points on Saturday’s live show, putting them joint fourth on the leaderboard before the public vote — comfortably ahead of the couples at the bottom. Cach Mercer, the former Love Island contestant, and his partner Maddie Ingoldsby had scored just 26 for their waltz to “That Ain’t You” by Mulaa Joans, leaving them joint bottom alongside John and Katya.
But the leaderboard is only half the story on Strictly. The public vote decides which two couples land in the dance-off, and on Sunday night it was Bethany and Nancy who found themselves in danger alongside Cach and Maddie. Both couples danced again — Bethany and Nancy reprising their foxtrot, Cach and Maddie their waltz — and the judges were asked to choose.
The panel split down the middle. Anton Du Beke chose to save Cach and Maddie. Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse both voted to save Bethany and Nancy. That left the decision with head judge Shirley Ballas, who this week held the deciding vote. She chose to save Cach and Maddie — and just like that, Bethany and Nancy’s Strictly journey was over.
Why the result has divided fans
The shock is not that a popular couple left — Strictly has a long history of surprise eliminations — but the gap between the judges’ scores and the outcome. A couple who sat joint fourth on Saturday, four points clear of their dance-off rivals, going home while the joint-bottom couple survives is exactly the kind of result that makes viewers question whether the public vote and the judges’ marks are pulling in different directions.
Fan reaction was swift and unhappy. Viewers described themselves as “disappointed” by Bethany’s exit, with some declaring they were saying “bye bye” to the 2026 series altogether. It is a familiar Strictly pattern: the elimination that feels wrong in the moment becomes the talking point of the week, and the show’s producers know it. The result will be chewed over on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday, when Bethany and Nancy join Ellie Taylor at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer to discuss their journey, and in Strictly: Lights Up, hosted by Abi Clarke and Tyler West, available on BBC iPlayer as soon as the results show ends.
Who is left — and what comes next
Nine couples remain in the competition after the sixth elimination. The eliminations so far began in week two, when Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden were the first couple to leave, and Bethany and Nancy are the latest to follow them out of the ballroom.
The remaining celebrities and their professional partners return to the dancefloor on Saturday, 14 November at 6.25pm on BBC One, with the results show airing on Sunday, 15 November at 7.15pm. With the competition now past its halfway point, the field is thinning — and after Sunday night, nobody in it can feel safe, whatever the leaderboard says.
People Also Ask
Who left Strictly Come Dancing on 8 November 2026?
Bethany Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu left Strictly Come Dancing 2026 in the results show on Sunday, 8 November. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated from the series, losing a dance-off against Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby.
Why was Bethany Antonia eliminated from Strictly?
Bethany and Nancy landed in the dance-off after receiving the fewest public votes, despite scoring 30 for their foxtrot on Saturday — joint fourth on the leaderboard. The judges split two-two on who to save, and head judge Shirley Ballas, who held the deciding vote, chose to save Cach and Maddie, sending Bethany and Nancy home.
How did the Strictly judges vote in the dance-off?
Anton Du Beke voted to save Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, while Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu. Head judge Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote and saved Cach and Maddie, meaning Bethany and Nancy were eliminated.
When is Strictly Come Dancing back on TV?
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, 14 November at 6.25pm on BBC One, with the results show on Sunday, 15 November at 7.15pm. Bethany and Nancy will appear on Strictly: It Takes Two with Ellie Taylor on Monday at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.