Strictly 2026: Who topped the leaderboard in the second live show?

The race for the Glitterball Trophy intensified on Saturday night as Strictly Come Dancing returned for its second live show and the first public vote of the series. asserted

The 15 celebrity contestants took to the ballroom for Movie Week, performing routines inspired by some of cinema's biggest hits before finding out where they stood on the leaderboard ahead of Sunday's results show. Topping the leaderboard was dog trainer Graeme Hall and professional partner Lauren Oakley, who scored 31 points for their Waltz. asserted

Judges awarded the couple 8, 8, 8 and 7, giving them the highest score of the night. asserted

Close behind were Australian singer Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington, whose American Smooth earned 30 points. asserted

First live show leaderboard in full * Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – 31 * Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – 30 * Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – 29 * Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – 28 * Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – 28 * Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – 27 * Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – 25 * Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon – 24 * John Nellis and Katya Jones – 23 * Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin - 23 * Jamie Winstone and Carlos Gu - 21 * Will Best and Doane Buswell – 19 * Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal – 19 * Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden – 17 * Melanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec – 15 Elsewhere, social media star John Nellis, who topped the leaderboard in week one, slipped down the rankings after scoring 23 points for his Couple's Choice routine with Katya Jones. asserted

Despite the lower score, the pair remain among the frontrunners on the combined leaderboard after two weeks of competition. asserted

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola continued their strong start to the series, receiving 28 points for their Quickstep, while actress Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu's Paso Doble scored 27. asserted

At the other end of the table, actress Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec found themselves bottom of the leaderboard after scoring 15 points for their Waltz. TV presenter Will Best and Dianne Buswell scored 19 for their Foxtrot, while actor Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden received 17 for their Cha Cha Cha. With the judges' scores now combined with the public vote, one couple will become the first to leave the competition during Sunday's results show. asserted