Strictly Come Dancing Sparks Outrage as Hasselbaink Eliminated After Controversial Dance-Off Decision

October 26, 2025
Strictly Come Dancing Sparks Outrage as Hasselbaink Eliminated After Controversial Dance-Off Decision
  • Bookies' favorite George Clarke was bottom-ranked but was not in the bottom two, which included Amber and Jimmy, fueling controversy over the results.

  • Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley were eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing after a dance-off with Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, despite their efforts and high scores.

  • Amber Davies, a consistent high scorer, was saved after a unanimous judges' decision, with all judges voting to keep her in the competition.

  • In the dance-off, Hasselbaink performed the American Smooth to Prince's 'Purple Rain,' while Davies performed a Cha Cha to Ariana Grande's 'Break Free'; the judges voted to save Davies and Kuzmin, with Anton Du Beke casting the deciding vote.

  • Controversy surrounded Amber's participation due to her last-minute addition and her West End experience, which some contestants felt gave her an unfair advantage.

  • Social media users expressed frustration over the selection of the bottom two and questioned the fairness of the elimination.

  • The upcoming episodes will feature a Halloween special on November 1st, with the results show scheduled for November 2, and will include performances and the departure of long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.

  • Despite their elimination, Hasselbaink and Oakley are scheduled to appear on 'Strictly: It Takes Two,' and the remaining contestants will continue competing in Halloween Week.

  • Jimmy Hasselbaink expressed his enjoyment of performing and his desire to improve, highlighting his highest score of the competition achieved the night before.

  • Lewis Cope topped the leaderboard with 34 points during Icons Week, while George Clarke and others scored lower, with some contestants at the bottom of the leaderboard.

  • Fans reacted with outrage, believing the voting was unfair, with many arguing that Hasselbaink deserved to stay due to his progress and popularity, criticizing the decision as a 'joke' and 'the wrong bottom two'.

  • Hasselbaink praised his dance partner Lauren Oakley for his progress and their fun partnership, while Oakley called him an amazing student and a diamond.

Summary based on 15 sources


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