Brief

Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing

The duo lost the dance‑off on Sunday’s results show, while Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu were saved by the judges.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:10:29 GMT

Dame Sarah Storey and professional partner Julian Caillon became the third celebrity couple to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after the Sunday night results show, Independent reported.

What happened

During the Saturday performance, Storey and Caillon danced a tango to Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and received 21 points, placing them at the bottom of the leaderboard. House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia and professional Nancy Xu performed a cha‑cha‑cha to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” earning 27 points and finishing third from bottom. Both couples entered the dance‑off alongside the second‑lowest scoring pair, Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who earned 25 points for their rumba.

What the reports add

Three of the judges – Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse – voted to save Antonia and Xu, allowing head judge Shirley Ballas to abstain from a decision. Ballas later said she would also have saved the pair.

What was said

Shirley Ballas told Independent, "I would have chosen to save Bethany and Nancy," confirming her alignment with the other judges.

How it came about

The elimination follows earlier episodes where Delta Goodrem missed a week due to a rib injury and where the show featured tributes to Madonna and Dolly Parton. Twelve couples remain in the competition, with a possible return from Goodrem next week.

Key facts

Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon scored 21 points for their tango and were eliminated. (independent.co.uk)
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu scored 27 points for their cha‑cha‑cha and were saved. (independent.co.uk)
Three judges voted to save Antonia and Xu, letting Shirley Ballas skip the decision. (independent.co.uk)