Dame Sarah Storey has become the third celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026, after the Paralympic champion and her professional partner Julian Caillon lost Sunday night's dance-off to Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu.
Storey, 48, had finished bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday with 21 points for her tango to Shania Twain's That Don't Impress Me Much, danced for Icons Week. When the public vote placed her in the bottom two alongside Antonia, the House of the Dragon actress who had scored 27 for her cha-cha to Aretha Franklin's Respect, both couples performed their routines again for the judges.
A unanimous verdict
The decision, when it came, was decisive. Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse all voted to save Antonia and Xu, making it a clean sweep and sparing head judge Shirley Ballas the need to cast a deciding vote. Ballas confirmed she would have made the same choice.
There was relief elsewhere for Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who survived despite scoring 25 for their rumba and finishing second from bottom on the night. The viewer vote carried them clear of the dance-off entirely.
Strictly Week Four: The Key Moments
- Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon are the third couple eliminated from Strictly 2026.
- Storey scored 21 for her Shania Twain tango, the lowest mark of Saturday night.
- The judges unanimously saved Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu after the dance-off.
- Cach Mercer and Jaime Winstone shared the top of the leaderboard.
- Delta Goodrem had a bye through the week after a rib injury and hopes to return for week five.
Tributes at the top of the bill
The results show itself was a lavish affair. The professional dancers delivered a tribute to Madonna, recreating the fashions of her most famous videos, before the singer Belles performed Jolene in memory of Dolly Parton, who died in August, accompanied by a routine from Amy Dowden and Kai Widdrington.
Saturday's leaderboard had been topped by two couples. Cach Mercer showed his smooth side with a foxtrot to Frank Sinatra, while Jaime Winstone won plaudits for a dramatic paso doble themed on David Bowie.
Twelve become eleven on the floor
Antonia, speaking on Instagram after her reprieve, admitted the cha-cha had not been her dance but said the dance-off had only hardened her resolve to stay in the competition. She and Xu now progress to week five alongside the rest of the surviving field.
The coming Saturday should also see the return of Delta Goodrem, who sat out Icons Week on medical advice after suffering a rib injury and was given a bye. The Australian singer told followers she was gutted to miss a week but hoped to be back on the dancefloor very soon, leaving twelve couples to fight it out as the competition moves towards Halloween.