Lawrence Robb exits Strictly after Halloween’s controversial three-couple dance-off
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal were eliminated in a one-off three-couple dance-off, as viewers questioned a twist that sent an extra pair into danger.
The biggest change to Strictly’s Halloween results show shaped its outcome: a one-off three-couple dance-off put Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal in danger, and the judges unanimously sent them home. The Emmerdale actor and his partner became the fifth couple to leave the 2026 series, prompting viewers to question whether the format had swept an extra pair into the firing line.
Robb and Przystal faced Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu, alongside Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. Each pair performed their Saturday routine again: Bethany and Nancy’s Jive to Fifth Harmony’s “I’m In Love With a Monster,” Jaime and Carlos’s Salsa to Scissor Sisters’ “Filthy/Gorgeous,” and Lawrence and Jowita’s Tango to Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters.”
A different kind of dance-off
The change reached beyond the number of couples involved. Instead of naming the pair they wanted to save, the judges were asked to identify the couple they wanted to eliminate. Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke all chose Lawrence and Jowita. Motsi Mabuse, whose vote would have decided the result if needed, said she would have made the same choice.
That unanimous verdict settled the elimination, but it didn’t settle the argument about how Lawrence and Jowita got there. They had scored 26 out of 40 on Saturday, leaving them second from bottom. Only Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, and Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, were below them on the leaderboard. Jaime and Carlos scored 27; Bethany and Nancy scored 30.
Those marks help explain the judges’ decision once all three couples were in front of them. The larger question is whether the new route into the dance-off changed who had to defend their place. The episode’s twist brought an additional couple into the repeat performances, even though the result still removed only one pair. That mismatch was central to the complaints from viewers who called the format cruel or unfair.
Viewers challenge the twist
Some viewers focused on Lawrence’s first appearance in a dance-off. One commenter said they hadn’t expected him to leave so soon, while another argued that it was unfair to eliminate him on his first time in that position. The same viewer said he had been improving each week and contrasted that progress with Jaime, who had faced several dance-offs and, in their view, had plateaued.
Other reactions took aim at the format itself. One fan called the triple dance-off “stupid,” and another argued the twist had put the soap actor in danger when he otherwise might not have been there. A further viewer described the result as a “pointless charade,” asking why an extra couple had to perform again if only one pair would be eliminated.
Craig had been the twist’s most openly enthusiastic supporter. When the format change was revealed the previous week, he joked, “My time has finally arrived!” The rest of the audience reaction in the results show was markedly less warm, with comments ranging from disappointment at Lawrence’s exit to criticism of the extra pressure placed on the three couples.
One-off change, regular format ahead
For the remaining couples, the immediate consequence is clear: the three-way dance-off was a one-time Halloween feature, and the usual process returns next weekend. Lawrence and Jowita’s exit leaves the competition without a pair that viewers had seen improving, according to some of those reacting online. Whether that assessment would have changed the result under the regular format can’t be known from this show; the judges’ decision came after all three couples danced again.
The results episode also leaned into its seasonal theme beyond the elimination. The professional dancers performed to Tame Impala’s “Dracula,” with Alexis Warr and Nikita Kuzmin leading the routine. Sir Ian McKellen recorded an extract from Bram Stoker’s Dracula for its climax. Becky Hill also appeared, accompanied by new Strictly professionals Aleksandra Isaeva and Cristian Priori.
With the unusual format now over, the next results show returns attention to the regular competition. This Halloween, the scores pointed to a tight margin near the bottom, while the judges’ unanimous choice produced a clear exit. The debate over the twist is likely to linger longer than the dance-off itself.
