Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has said she is “gutted” after her and Chris Appleton were the first to be eliminated from the series.
Dowden, 36, and her celebrity hair stylist partner became the first couple to be sent home from the BBC dance competition after the first public vote landed them in the bottom two following Movie Week.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of It Takes Two with host Ellie Taylor, the pair became emotional speaking about their early exit.
“From the first day to dancing on Saturday night, [Chris] grew and grew and grew [in confidence] and I’m just gutted that we didn’t get the chance to continue,” she said. “I honestly think there was so much more to come.”
Appleton, meanwhile, teared up when discussing his brief time on the show. “I'd literally go out there shaking and there's times I didn't know if I could do it but I did it and I would just look at Amy and see her smiling and knew she was with me,” said the hair stylist, who has worked with Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, and more.
On Sunday (4 October), after receiving the fewest votes, Appleton and Dowden faced off against Kidulthood actor Jaime Winstone and her partner Carlos Gu in the dreaded dance-off, where they once again performed their Cha Cha to “I’ll Be Ready” from Baywatch.
Led by Craig Revel Horwood, who had the deciding casting vote this time around, the judges voted unanimously to save Winstone, which meant Appleton and Dowden were sent packing.
The outcome came as a surprise to many given that it is Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec who were at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Plenty of fans were left upset over Dowden’s exit. The elimination marks the second year that professional Amy Dowden has been in the first couple to leave the dance competition, after her divisive celebrity partner Thomas Skinner was voted off the show in 2025.
Dowden rejoined the Strictly line-up in 2024, after stepping away from the show in 2022 following a breast cancer diagnosis. She was forced to withdraw, however, due to a stress fracture in her foot, with many fans still waiting to see her go far in the competition since her return.
Next week, the remaining fourteen couples will take to the dance floor to fight to keep their place in the competition.
Strictly returns at 6.15pm on Saturday, 10 October on BBC One.
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