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Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden were voted out of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after receiving fewer points than Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in a judges' decision following a public vote and dance-off on Sunday. The judges, including Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas, chose to save Winstone and Gu based on their performance improvements from the previous night's show. This marks the first elimination of the series, leaving 14 celebrity contestants remaining for next week’s competition.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
TV personality Chris Appleton and professional dancer Amy Dowden were eliminated from the 2026 season of Strictly Come Dancing after facing off against actress Jaime Winstone and partner Carlos Gu in a dance-off on Sunday, November 5th. The decision was made based on combined scores from judges and public votes over the first two weeks, with Appleton and Dowden scoring 17 points compared to Winstone and Gu's 21 points during Movie Week. Despite both couples performing again in the dance-off, judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke chose to save Winstone and Gu, citing their routines as having more refinement and power. Appleton expressed gratitude for the experience, noting it pushed him out of his comfort zone despite initially excelling in hair styling.
Written for “Strictly Dance Off Elimination” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
TV personality Chris Appleton and professional partner Amy Dowden have become the first couple to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
asserted
Appleton → become → Dancing
The pair were voted out of the competition after landing in Sunday's dance-off against actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu.
asserted
pair → vote → Winstone
Appleton and Dowden had found themselves in danger after receiving one of the lowest combined totals from the judges and public vote following Saturday night's Movie Week special.
asserted
themselves → find → special
The couple scored 17 points for their Cha Cha Cha during the second live show, while Winstone and Gu received 21 points for their routine.
asserted
Winstone → score → routine
After both couples performed again in the dance-off, judges were asked to decide which pair they wanted to save and send through to next week's show.
asserted
they → perform → show
Judges Motsi Mabuse kickstarted the countdown as she chose to save Jaime and Carlos, and she was backed up by Shirley Ballas who said: “Both couples did up their game from Saturday evening which was fantastic.
asserted
which → kickstarte → evening
“No mistakes made, timing was great.
asserted
timing → make → ?
I just feel one couple had the edge with a little bit more power, more refinement, so I will be saving Jaime and Carlos.”
asserted
I → feel → Jaime
After Jaime and Carlos received two saving votes, it all came down to Anton Du Beke who was the third judge to cast his vote.
asserted
who → receive → vote
He said: “The couple I felt that danced the strongest and danced with the most assurance and with the greatest performance is Jaime and Carlos.”
asserted
that → say → performance
With those words, the panel chose to keep Winstone and Gu in the competition, meaning Appleton and Dowden became the first contestants to be eliminated from this year's series.
asserted
Appleton → choose → series
The result came after a weekend that saw dog trainer Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley top the judges' leaderboard with 31 points, followed by Australian singer Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington on 30.
asserted
Hall → come → 30
Movie Week also saw a noticeable change to the show's presenting line-up after comedian Josh Widdicombe faced criticism from some viewers following his debut the previous week.
asserted
Widdicombe → see → debut
Read More
Rather than appearing alongside Emma Willis on the ballroom floor throughout the programme, Widdicombe spent much of Saturday's show in the Clauditorium-style balcony area, while Willis fronted the action downstairs.
asserted
Willis → read → action
Viewers reacted positively to the switch on social media, with many praising Willis's performance and suggesting the revised hosting arrangement worked more smoothly than the previous week.
asserted
arrangement → react → week
With the first elimination now complete, the remaining 14 celebrity contestants will return to the dancefloor next weekend as the race for the Glitterball Trophy continues.
asserted
race → remain → Trophy
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