Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu Turn Strictly Dance-Off Pressure Into a Point of Pride
After two dance-offs, Antonia and Xu are protecting their focus, celebrating their partnership and finding meaning in every performance.
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu have found a way to keep two Strictly Come Dancing dance-offs from defining their season: they’re choosing to stay inside the performance. That focus has helped them return to the floor with perspective, even as repeated trips into danger have made every routine carry extra weight.
The pair opened the series strongly, then faced Dame Sarah Storey in the dance-off during Icons Week. Xu later described that experience as a “wake-up alarm.” Their next scare came during Halloween Week, when a disputed twist sent three couples into a fight to stay in the competition. This weekend, Antonia and Xu responded with a romantic foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love,” earning 30 points.
That score marked a fresh performance after the pair had previously finished low on the leaderboard. But their approach to the pressure has not been to track outside predictions or dwell on where they might stand. Antonia told Metro that she and Xu are “hilariously offline,” a choice she said makes their experience feel more intimate. Speculation elsewhere, including betting odds, has little place in the bubble they’re trying to protect.
Keeping the focus on the dance
Antonia said the Halloween triple dance-off did not overwhelm them. They had enjoyed their routine and felt so absorbed in it that being asked to perform again brought a simple response: “OK!” The ability to return to a dance they loved gave the moment a different shape. Instead of treating the repeat as a fresh ordeal, they could concentrate on doing it once more.
For Antonia, that concentration is part of what makes the experience worth protecting. She said there will be time after the series to read what people have written, but for now the focus is on the 90 seconds they spend performing. She wants to “cherish” that time and keep it close, rather than allow outside reaction to crowd it out.
Xu sees the same choice as a way to manage a demanding competition. The physical challenge is already substantial, she said, so they can decide where to direct their attention. After a dance-off, they could fixate on the negative response or hold on to “something beautiful.” Their answer, at least for now, is to value the performance and their shared work.
The foxtrot also brought the pair back to ballroom hold after a difficult run of results. A score of 30 gives them a clear marker for the weekend, but the bigger test is whether they can carry that composure into the next performance. In a format where one low finish can quickly turn into a dance-off, their ability to reset together may matter as much as any single score.
A partnership that reaches beyond the scores
Antonia has described dancing with Xu as meaningful in its own right. The pair form a same-sex partnership, following earlier Strictly duos including John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, and Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin. Antonia said simply being part of the series already felt like a win, and described that visibility as important.
She came out as gay in 2024. Antonia has said that seeing Strictly’s first same-sex pairing, Nicola Adams and Katya Jones, in 2020 helped open conversations with her own family. In this series, she has valued the chance to show different kinds of relationships between two women on the dance floor, week after week. She said she is proud of the stories they have been able to tell.
That sense of purpose has been visible beyond the routines, too. Antonia wore a “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt to express solidarity with trans people, particularly trans women. The phrase was removed from the BBC broadcast. The broadcaster said it was following its standard practice of reducing overt branding and slogans on entertainment shows. Viewers rallied around Antonia after the edit, while she made clear that the chance to dance with another woman mattered deeply to her.
For Antonia, Xu has made that opportunity a personal education as well as a performance partnership. She recalled moments when Xu suggested a move she found intimidating. Antonia’s instinct was to reject it if she could not do it perfectly. Xu encouraged her to try anyway: a move might look rough at first, but practice could make it work. Antonia said watching that lesson unfold has changed her, and is something she expects to treasure.
Xu, who joined Strictly in 2019, has previously partnered Rhys Stephenson, Will Mellor and Shayne Ward, reaching the semi-final but not the final. This season, she has watched Antonia grow through the pressure. Xu praised her partner’s strength and said it is rare to see someone learn so much about themselves while a series is still underway.
That growth is now part of the pair’s response to the dance-offs. Their results will continue to shape the competition, but Antonia and Xu have found something steadier to build on: trust, a willingness to attempt difficult steps and the choice to keep their attention on each other and the dance. Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
