Strictly Come Dancing viewers were left in disbelief after seeing Lewis Cope and Katya Jones eliminated and fans believe they’ve worked out the reason for it
Fans of Strictly Come Dancing were left stunned after a favourite contestant was surprisingly eliminated from the BBC programme.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones were voted off on Sunday, December 7 following their West Side Story salsa, which failed to win over both the judging panel and the viewing public in what many are calling one of the competition’s most shocking departures.
Whilst numerous fans expressed disbelief, others suggested the signs had been apparent for some time, with audiences gravitating away from the polished and technically proficient performers.
Lewis previously starred in the dance musical Billy Elliott as a youngster – towards celebrities whose personal narratives resonated more strongly, or what television producers call a compelling “journey”.
One viewer commented: “Some of us want to see people on a ‘journey’ still. To see people improve each week. To find their confidence. To see people out of their comfort zone. I think thats what Karen, George and Balvinder represent. I for one am enjoying their journeys.”
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Another supporter concurred: “It shows thats not always the best dancers that prove popular, those with ‘more experience’ are not always followed. I didn’t know Bal, George or even Kaz before this series but they take my votes every week. Are they the best dancers, no, but they are warm, humble and a joy.”
A third observer highlighted that the decisive votes come from the audience, emphasising that Strictly fundamentally operates as a popularity competition alongside its dancing credentials. They questioned: “Is everybody forgetting its the public vote that puts people in the bottom two?
“There’s always an element of a popularity contest in Strictly. I didn’t vote for either Lewis or Amber. A 40 isn’t a guarantee of getting through’” reports the Mirror.
Amber Davies achieved a flawless 40 points but still faced elimination danger following Saturday’s programme, narrowly surviving thanks to the judges’ decision.
The Emmerdale actor has consistently maintained that his dancing background hasn’t given him an advantage. He portrayed Billy Elliott’s mate Michael in the acclaimed musical about a lad who secretly learns ballet.
Lewis was also a member of dance group Ruff Diamond, who came second on Sky’s dance competition Got to Dance, presented by Ashley Banjo, back in 2013.
Addressing the ‘professional’ accusations, he explained to OK: “It’s strange to hear that I’m some kind of ‘professional dancer’. It’s been so long since I danced, and I never trained professionally. I did Billy Elliot The Musical when I was 11, but I wasn’t good enough to play Billy Elliot, so I played Michael and just did some tap dance.
“After that, I joined a hip-hop dance crew where I did hip-hop with a group of six lads back in Hartlepool, we did amateur competitions. Then I went on to train to be an actor and I’ve only ever acted since.”
He described suggestions that he was a professional as an “insult” to the dedication and lengthy careers of the programme’s professional dancers, explaining: “This is the first time I’ve been inside a dance studio for 12 years. And now I’m working with people who are actually pro dancers like Katya, it feels like a bit of an insult to those guys. They’ve dedicated their lives to this and they’re incredible.”
Throughout much of the series, Lewis and Katya had caught the attention of Strictly’s judging panel. During Halloween Week, they secured top position on the leaderboard after achieving the series’ inaugural Perfect 40 score.
Ultimately, though, it was the viewing public who determined which couples would continue their journey and which would depart.
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
