Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Melanie Walters elimination hung on one vote

Welsh actress Melanie Walters and her professional dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec were eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 during the results show on October 11, becoming the second couple to leave the competition.

The pair landed in the bottom two after judges’ scores and public votes were combined, according to reports from Digital Spy and Radio Times. That placed them in a dance-off against former professional soccer player Shaun Wright-Phillips and his dance partner Alexis Warr.

The week three dance-off

In the dance-off broadcast on BBC One, Wright-Phillips and Warr performed their Quickstep to “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees. Walters and Škorjanec took to the floor immediately after to perform their Charleston to “Ooh Ahh… Just A Little Bit” by Gina G.

Both couples had found themselves near the lower end of the week three leaderboard following the live routines on October 10. Walters and Škorjanec had posted a score of 17 out of 40 points from the judges, placing them second from the bottom, while Wright-Phillips and Warr finished in last place on the night with 15 points.

How the judges voted

The judges were split on which couple should stay in the competition, as detailed by The Independent. Craig Revel Horwood, who noted during the October 10 live performance that he “didn’t love” the Charleston routine, voted to save Wright-Phillips and Warr. Shirley Ballas agreed, also voting to save Wright-Phillips and Warr. Motsi Mabuse, who had previously encouraged Walters to “keep going,” voted to save Walters and Škorjanec.

Rather than remaining permanently with head judge Shirley Ballas, the deciding vote in dance-offs began rotating weekly among all four judges during the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 series. Anton Du Beke held the deciding vote for week three and chose to save Wright-Phillips and Warr, confirming the elimination of Walters and Škorjanec.

Following the final decision on the dance floor, Wright-Phillips and Warr immediately embraced Walters and Škorjanec.

Walters looks back on her time in the ballroom

Speaking on the BBC One broadcast, Walters expressed gratitude for her journey on the series and her partnership with Škorjanec.

“To tell you the truth, no word of a lie, I thought I was going to be out last week, so I’ve had an extra week with this beautiful soul,” Walters said.

Walters and Škorjanec are the second couple to exit the series, which launched on September 19 before live shows began on September 26. Hairstylist Chris Appleton and his partner were the first pair eliminated after a week two dance-off against Jaime Winstone.

Because the BBC does not release individual voting totals, the exact number of public votes received by each couple remains undisclosed. Walters and Škorjanec will make their first post-elimination appearance on the companion program Strictly: It Takes Two on October 12 on BBC Two.