They’ve tackled it head on!
After being given a longer than usual round of applause, Claudia and Tess addressed their exit as they opened the show.
Claudia said: “We want to thank you for your beautiful mesasges, we’ve got another eight weeks on this incredible show and a Strictly champion to crown.”
“We cannot wait to spend the rest of the series with you, our incredible couples and these four,” Tess added, as she introduced the judges.
Rachel McGrath25 October 2025 18:29
Icons week has begun! After Chris’s elimination and Stefan’s unfortunate exit due to injury, we’re down to 11 couples. Tonight, they’ll be dancing in honour of their ‘icons’ and I cannot wait to see how the hair and wardrobe team have transformed the stars. But – it has to be said – this week feels a little less about the dancing, as everyone is still reeling from the news that Tess and Claudia are leaving the show after this series.
My phone has never gone off as much as it did in the wake of their announcement on Thursday, and it’s fair to say there’s been plenty of speculation about what could be happening behind the scenes, and when (and why) the decision was made. Will we get answers to those questions tonight? I highly doubt it. But it will be very interesting to see how the scandal-averse Strictly handles this one… let’s go!
Rachel McGrath25 October 2025 18:26
Tess and Claudia have given Strictly the latest shock exit for a troubled show – but it’s not the death knell
The beloved presenting duo are leaving the ‘Strictly’ ballroom when the current season ends. Katie Rosseinsky looks at what their departure means for a show that’s been beset by troubles in recent years.
Greg Evans25 October 2025 18:00
Meet Lewis Cope: Strictly’s last-minute contestant swapping the Dales for the dance floor
Actor Lewis Cope became the early hero of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing series when he was brought in to replace Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn, after he was forced to withdraw from the competition on medical grounds.
The 30-year-old Emmerdale star, who plays Nicky Milligan, said he was walking down Oxford Street on his way to meet a friend when he received the phone call saying he’d be part of the show.
Here’s everything you need to know about Cope:
Greg Evans25 October 2025 17:45
Strictly Come Dancing’s Ellie Goldstein is bringing the joy we all need right now
The model’s Couple’s Choice performance cemented her status as a total superstar who can bring a grin to even the sternest of faces, writes Rachel McGrath
Greg Evans25 October 2025 17:15
How Strictly’s Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman blazed a trail for women on TV
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly made history as primetime TV’s first female presenting duo when they paired up to co-host Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
Since then, they have guided the BBC show through 11 years of celebrity contestants, countless routines and controversies.
Greg Evans25 October 2025 16:45
Strictly 2025 leaderboard: Scores from week four
Here’s a reminder of how the contestants scored on last week’s episode, with actor Alex Kingston and Johaness Radebe topping the leaderboard with 36 points thanks to their impressive rumba to “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman.
Greg Evans25 October 2025 16:15
Fans decry Balvinder Sopal’s ‘ridiculous’ lack of support
Last week EastEnders actor Balvinder Sopal found herself in the bottom two for the second week in a row.
Judge Motsi Mabuse labelled Sopal “a powerhouse” following the performance, however the actor still landed in the bottom two for a second week in a row following a public vote.
Fans of the show shared their frustrations with the result on X/Twitter. “This is a joke… Bal was sensational tonight. how the fudge is she in the bottom two, again?!” one person questioned.
Another viewer added: “I can’t believe Balvinder was in the dance off again, why? I voted for her, but she clearly doesn’t have the public support, which is a great shame.”
Another person said it “frightens” them that Sopal was placed in the bottom two for two weeks running despite being at the top end of the Strictly leaderboard.
Greg Evans25 October 2025 15:45
Stefan Dennis ‘devastated’ after serious leg injury prevents him from flying home
Dennis, best known for playing Paul Robinson on Australian soap Neighbours, said his wife, actor Gail Easdale, had been left “pretty upset” by the doctor’s order for him not to board a plane until next month.
“I can’t fly for another two weeks because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which my wife is pretty upset about,” the soap star told the Mirror at this week’s Pride of Britain awards.
Lydia Spencer-Elliot reports:
Greg Evans25 October 2025 15:15
Chris Robshaw becomes third contestant to be eliminated
A reminder that last former England rugby player Chris Robshaw was the third contestant eliminated from this year’s show.
Summing up his time on Strictly, Robshaw told host Tess Daly that the show had given him a boost in confidence.
“For me, coming onto this journey, I had no confidence. To be told I had world-class qualities on the dancefloor today, even though we have to go home, that’s amazing to hear, so thank you very much. It’s given me such confidence,” he said.
Greg Evans25 October 2025 14:45