Strictly Come Dancing 2026 viewers were left divided tonight (Sunday, November 8) as Bethany Antonia became the latest celebrity to leave the competition following a dance-off against Cach Mercer.
The House of the Dragon star and dance partner Nancy Xu were sent packing after head judge Shirley Ballas was forced to make the final call, choosing to keep Love Island favourite Cach and professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby.
And the outcome proved particularly disappointing for Bethany, who had actually finished four points ahead of Cach on Saturday night’s leaderboard.
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu have been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing (Credit: BBC / Guy Levy)
Who left Strictly Come Dancing tonight?
It was the end of the road for Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu on Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after they faced Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby in the dreaded dance-off.
The actress and her professional partner had picked up an impressive 30 points for their foxtrot to Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love during Saturday’s show.
Cach and Maddie, meanwhile, had scored 26 points after performing their waltz to Mulaa Jones’ That Ain’t You.
But despite the difference in scores, neither couple had managed to secure enough support from the public to avoid the bottom two.
Both pairs therefore had another chance to impress the judges as they took to the ballroom floor to perform their dances once more.
Shirley Ballas makes final decision after Strictly judges split
There was no clear agreement among the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel when it came to deciding who should go home.
Craig Revel Horwood was first to make his choice, opting to keep Bethany and Nancy in the competition.
Anton Du Beke disagreed, instead throwing his support behind Cach and Maddie.
Motsi Mabuse then backed Bethany and Nancy, putting them ahead with two votes.
However, the decision was far from settled, with head judge Shirley Ballas still having the casting vote.
And Shirley ultimately chose to save Cach and Maddie, bringing Bethany and Nancy’s Strictly journey to an end.
Viewers were divided over Nancy and Bethany’s exit (Credit: BBC / Guy Levy)
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