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Lewis Cope and Katya Jones Address Shock Strictly Exit as Viewer Backlash Grows

An emotional It Takes Two appearance has fueled debate over judging consistency before the semi-final.

Overview

  • Cope and Jones were eliminated after losing the Musicals Week dance-off, with judges saving Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin despite their perfect 40.
  • On BBC Two’s It Takes Two, Cope said Jones helped him “fall in love with life again” as he reflected on an 11‑week run and thanked voters.
  • Jones told followers her “heart is broken” and grew tearful on air, later insisting she would not have changed their routines and praising Cope as “one of a kind.”
  • Fans flooded social media with outrage, fix accusations and boycott threats, while head judge Shirley Ballas was seen wiping away tears during the result.
  • PR analysis cited fatigue with prior dance experience, the impact of performing first and perceptions of narrative control as trust issues linger ahead of the semi-final featuring Davies, Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke and Karen Carney.