Shaun Wright-Phillips Exits Strictly as Halloween Brings a Triple Dance-Off

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr’s Strictly run is over after a close dance-off, and next week’s Halloween results will bring a new test for the remaining couples: three pairs will face the judges instead of two. The format change is a one-week special, but it puts extra weight on a night when the panel will decide which couple goes home.

The elimination followed a weekend of sharp contrasts on the leaderboard. Delta Goodrem became the first star this series to earn a 10, while Tabby Stoecker came close to a perfect total with 37 from the panel. Shaun, by contrast, finished at the bottom and had to dance again alongside Alexis.

Their opponents were Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. Both pairs had already experienced the pressure of the bottom two: Jaime was there in the first week of eliminations, while Shaun had previously survived against Melanie Walters. Jaime and Carlos have now made it through two dance-offs, a run that gives their survival added significance as the field narrows.

The couples repeated their routines for the judges. Jaime and Carlos returned with their Foxtrot to Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need”, scoring 25. Shaun and Alexis followed with a Jive to “Faith” by Stevie Wonder featuring Ariana Grande, which earned 17. That gap gave Jaime and Carlos a clear edge on the night, though the final decision still rested with the panel.

Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse chose to keep Jaime and Carlos in the competition. Head judge Shirley Ballas backed Shaun and Alexis, leaving Anton Du Beke with the deciding choice. He sided with Jaime and Carlos, ending Shaun’s series as the fourth couple to leave.

Shaun grew tearful as he reflected on his time in the competition. “I don’t think I can put into words how my time has been,” he said, thanking the professionals, judges and crew for helping him. He described the experience as “the most amazing journey I’ve had” and was grateful for the chance to learn to dance on the Strictly floor.

Alexis praised his resilience and said that working with him had made the series a joy. She was proud of how he handled the dance-off and called herself honoured to have been his partner. Shaun returned the warmth, saying he couldn’t have asked for a better partner and crediting Alexis with helping him through difficult moments. He joked that she had learned to handle his mood swings, then said he wished he could have taken her further.

Next Saturday’s Halloween special will change the usual results format. For the first time in the programme’s history, the three couples with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public support will return to perform. The judges will then choose which pair to eliminate, rather than selecting which couple to save.

That reversal matters. In a standard dance-off, the panel chooses between two couples; a three-pair contest adds another performance to the decision and changes the question the judges answer. It also means a couple that might ordinarily have avoided the final face-off could be drawn into it. The outcome will depend on how the panel weighs the repeat dances, with one more pair exposed to that judgment.

The announcement prompted strong reactions from viewers on X. Some called the change “pure evil” for the spooky special, while others compared it to a twist from The X Factor. Several questioned why the format was being altered partway through the series. One viewer said the change gave the judges more influence; others called the three-couple dance-off confusing or cruel. A few were more enthusiastic, with one suggesting the show could go further and send two couples home.

The change is limited to Halloween night. The show will return to its regular two-couple dance-off the following week, according to the programme. Craig welcomed the prospect with a joke: “My time has finally arrived!” That enthusiasm captures the unusual setup: the panel gets a broader choice, but the special format lasts only for one results show.

The series has already brought changes, including three new presenters and five new professional dancers. The Halloween twist adds another short-term adjustment, though the usual format resumes immediately afterward. For the remaining couples, the practical challenge is clear: they’ll need to protect their combined standing across the live performances and be ready to repeat a routine if they land among the three lowest pairs.

The results show also featured Jamie Miller’s UK television debut, performing his viral song “Babydoll” with Antonio Cipriano after the single reached number one. Melanie C joined the Strictly professionals for a fitness-based group dance.

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For Shaun and Alexis, the dance-off brought an emotional end; for Jaime and Carlos, surviving it twice keeps their run alive as the competition enters its Halloween week.