Delta Goodrem’s ‘Strictly’ Salsa had a season-first outcome
The Australian singer's performance earned a specific score from one judge that set her apart from all other contestants so far this season.
Australian singer Delta Goodrem is cementing her status as a frontrunner on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, topping the leaderboard for the second consecutive week and earning the first ‘9’ of the 2026 series.
On the third live show, which aired Saturday, Goodrem and her professional partner Kai Widdrington performed a Salsa to a mashup of Jocelyn Brown’s “Always There” and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.” The energetic routine earned them a score of 33 out of a possible 40.
The performance drew high praise from the judging panel, with Motsi Mabuse awarding the first ‘9’ of the season. Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke each awarded the couple an ‘8’.
What the judges said
The panel was enthusiastic about Goodrem’s performance. According to the Largs and Millport News, Craig Revel Horwood called it “amazing.”
Motsi Mabuse was particularly impressed, telling Goodrem, “She brought the D-I-S-C-O. You have been giving from week one… for me, this was the highlight. Well done!” Radio Times reported.
Head judge Shirley Ballas praised the singer’s confidence. “For me, that was absolutely great…you trust yourself, you trust your partner, your awareness skills are exceptional! Keep it up, I think you’re gonna go all the way!” Ballas said, according to Aussievision.
Anton Du Beke added, “You’re setting a very very high bar! You are very very good, well done!” according to Aussievision.
A consistent lead
This marks the second week in a row that Goodrem, who rose to fame on the Australian soap Neighbours and represented her country at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, has finished at the top of the scoreboard. In week two’s Movies Week, she and Widdrington scored 30 for their American Smooth. In the first week of the competition, they placed second with a score of 29 for their Samba.
Who’s at the bottom?
At the other end of the leaderboard for week three was former professional footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. He and his partner Alexis Warr scored just 15 for their Quickstep, placing them last.
Despite the low score, Anton Du Beke said he believed Wright-Phillips had “all the components to be a super, super dancer,” the Largs and Millport News reported. However, according to the Border Telegraph, some viewers on Reddit were critical of the performance, with one user describing it as an “Emergency services on their way after a terrible car crash.”
According to TV Guide, bookmakers have tipped Wright-Phillips as the favorite for elimination. The first celebrity to leave the 2026 competition was hair stylist Chris Appleton, who was voted off in week two.
