What did you miss?
Toyah Willcox has officially hung up her sequins, as she and dance partner Neil Jones become the second couple to be sent home from Strictly Come Dancing.
As part of the series’ iconic movie week, the pair performed the Samba to The Little Mermaid’s Poor Unfortunate Souls.
But events unfolded in, well, an unfortunate way. In addition to being the lowest-scored by the judges, Willcox and Jones also failed to capture the hearts of the public, leaving them in a dance-off with Paul Merson and Karen Hauer.
When they repeated their routine in the dance-off, the judges remained unconvinced: they were unanimous in their decision that Willcox and Jones be sent home, saving Merson and Hauer in the process.
What, how, and why?
After their elimination, the pair were interviewed by presenter Tess Daly. When asked if she enjoyed her time on Strictly, Willcox said: “It’s been the best two months of my life, it has been fantastic. I have enjoyed every second.”
She then went on to praise Jones, calling him a “great teacher” and “great friend”. Meanwhile, Jones himself said of Willcox: “She has made me laugh so much, I have never seen someone work so hard – I’m the one asking for breaks every now and then! She just kept going, she wanted to learn so much.”
It comes after Willcox and Jones had a rocky week two, with the couple having to compete in a dance-off against Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova. In a decision that seemed to amass a lot of controversy, it was Willcox and Jones who ended up being saved by the majority of the judges, so they arrived in Week 3 having a lot of prove.
“I really, really wanted to get this right,” Willcox said in a VT ahead of her performance.
Following the dance, Willcox and Jones got a mixed reception from the judges. While Shirley Valentine said it was “powerful and in control,” she noted that the pair started on the wrong foot. Similarly, Anton Du Beke praised the “wonderful storytelling” but highlighted a “couple of mistakes.”
Craig Revel Horwood was less charitable, saying it was “all a bit stuck in the mud, ploddy and floppy.” This aroused boos from the crowd led by none other by Robert Fripp — Willcox’s husband. In total, the pair received fifteen points, putting them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
What else happened during the Strictly results show?
During the results show, we were treated to a rom-com-themed routine by the professional dancers. The routine, which featured Jones front and centre, was choreographed by Mandy Moore. Alexis Ffrench also stopped by to perform The Heart Asks Pleasure First.
But the most memorable moment of the show happened during a chat with Nikita Kuzmin and Ellie Simmonds.
Presenter Claudia Winkleman asked Kuzmin to give the audience a taster of what song they were going to dance to next week. Kuzmin then proceeded to sing Shakira’s Whenever, implying that this is what they’d be dancing to next week — only for Winkleman to deliver a devastating blow. “Nikita, I love you so much,” she said. “It was the other Shakira song.”
Read More: Strictly Come Dancing