According to Hello, Professional dancer Amy Dowden and celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton have become the first contestants to leave BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing 2026. According to the Mirror and Female First, the pair were eliminated during Sunday’s Movie Week results show on October 4, 2026, after facing actress Jaime Winstone and her partner Carlos Gu in the dance-off.
Movie Week Dance-Off and Unanimous Decision
According to Mirror, Appleton and Dowden performed their Baywatch-themed Cha Cha to “I’m Always Here” (or “I’ll Be Ready”), which earned them a combined score of 17 points from the judges across the first two weeks. However, the routine failed to secure the backing of the judging panel against Winstone and Gu’s Pretty Woman routine. Judges Motsi Mabuse, Head Judge Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Anton Du Beke voted unanimously to save Winstone, sending Appleton and Dowden home.
Reflecting on her consecutive early exit—having also been eliminated first in the 2025 series alongside Thomas Skinner—Dowden told the audience she was “heartbroken” and that heartbreak had followed her for the past few years. Appleton expressed gratitude for his time on the programme, stating he had gained a “friend for life” and that Dowden deserved a partner who could have gone much further.
Reactions and Remaining Competition
The elimination drew strong emotional reactions from fans and fellow participants, with comedian and co-host Widdicombe describing the tense final moments as “awful” and emotionally intense. Meanwhile, former champion Joanne Clifton praised Appleton’s noticeable improvement and confidence on the dancefloor under Dowden’s guidance.
Fourteen couples remain in the competition. They will return to the floor on Saturday, October 10, 2026, following a Movie Week that peaked at 5.6 million viewers on BBC One.