Strictly news: Chris Appleton is first out of Strictly
Chris Appleton became the first celebrity eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after Sunday’s results show. He landed in the bottom two with Jaime…
LONDON — Strictly news arrived on Sunday night as celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton became the first contestant sent home from this year’s Strictly Come Dancing after the show’s first dance-off and elimination.
Appleton and his partner Amy Dowden were placed in the bottom two with actress Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu after the latest results show. Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke voted to save Winstone and Gu, which meant Appleton and Dowden were the first couple to leave the series.
How the first elimination was decided
This week’s results were shaped by a combination of judges’ scores from Saturday night’s Movie Week live show and the public vote. Last week’s opening live show had no public vote, so the numbers from both weeks were used to determine which two couples faced the first dance-off.
That process put Winstone and Gu, along with Appleton and Dowden, at the bottom. Both couples then performed again, with Appleton and Dowden dancing a cha cha to “I’ll Be Ready” from Baywatch. Winstone and Gu repeated their routine with “Oh, Pretty Woman” from Pretty Woman.
After the second performances, the judges delivered their votes. Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Winstone and Gu. Craig Revel Horwood, who held the deciding vote this week, said he would also have saved Winstone and Gu if he had needed to cast a vote.
Appleton reflects on his exit
Appleton described the experience as emotional and said the competition pushed him far outside his usual world. “I think it's been such a whirlwind of emotion,” he said. “I'm 43, I got good at doing what I do, which is hair. And to come into something like this, I felt so out of my comfort zone.”
He added that the show made him see himself in a different way. “I saw myself in a way I'd never seen myself, and it challenged me in ways I never knew I could be challenged,” he said. “I'm very grateful for everyone who's been involved – all the celebrities up there, all the cast and crew, it's been so amazing to be a part of such a special thing that I grew up watching, and I feel very proud to be a part of it.”
Appleton said the biggest takeaway for him was Amy Dowden. “But the most important thing I think I'll take from this show is having a friend in Amy, because I genuinely love [her] and am so grateful that I met someone who has so much heart,” he said. “I already wish I'd done better for her because she deserves to go further in the competition. But we did put everything into it, so it is what it is.”
Dowden said she would remember Appleton’s growing confidence, even if the run was brief. “Watching Chris grow in confidence, although it was short-lived, that's what I'll take away from [the experience],” she said.
The first results show from Movie Week also featured a performance from Matilda The Musical, with the four young performers appearing as part of the programme’s entertainment segment.
Source: bbc.co.uk
