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Privacy NoticeStrictly Come Dancing fans expressed some confusion tonight with adjustments to the beloved show’s format following the initial results episode of the new season, which saw Olympian Tom Dean become the first celebrity to be voted off. He and professional partner Nadiya Bychkova performed a cha cha in the dance-off against Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones, but failed to win over head judge Shirley Ballas who had the deciding vote. However, before the exit decisions were made, viewers were quick to spot that the first results show had undergone a few format tweaks – and not everyone was impressed with the changes. For starters, viewers expected the dazzling opening with the professional dancers’ routine, but were instead greeted by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with the pro dance segment following several minutes later.
Tom and Nadiya were the first couple to leave Strictly 2024
Additionally, there was more than a little surprise when judges Craig Revel-Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, and Motsi Mabuse joined the professional dancers for a twirl on the floor, in a break from the tradition where only the professional dancers strut their stuff. Speculations arose with one fan speculating on X (formerly Twitter) that head judge Shirley might be behind these changes. One user tweeted, “Why are we not starting straight into a pro number please stop changing the format it’s weirding me out #strictly”, and another posted, “What the hell is with all these format changes #strictly”. A third commented: “What are #Strictly doing with the format this year? #StrictlyComeDancing”, and another complained that there was “far too much chit chat” and not enough dancing.
Shirley Ballas danced with Anton Du Beke on the results show tonight
(Image: No credit)
One person suggested that head judge Shirley might be behind the changes to the pro dance line-up, saying she’s a fan of “attention”. After the format changes, it was a return to the series’ traditional dance-off and judge’s votes, which saw Olympic swimmer Tom and professional Nadiya perform for the final time. Reflecting on his time on the show, Tom said afterwards: “I’ve had the best time the last few weeks and getting to work with Nadiya has been incredible. I wish I could have gone further and done more dances. I’ve had the most fun and I wish we could keep going longer and longer. We’ll still go out for loads of brunches I’m sure.” Nadiya also had some final words to share, saying she’d learnt “how to work really hard and how to put everything in” from her celebrity partner this year, adding: “And you know what? On this programme, sometimes to win, you don’t need to win, and that’s how I feel this year.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnClaudia WinklemanShirley BallasTess DalyAnton Du BekeStrictly Come Dancing
