Great Britain’s greatest Paralympian, Sarah Storey, became the third celebrity to be voted out of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, in a weekend more noticeable for events off the dance floor than on. Icons Week saw the usual parade of glitz, glam and pomp, with Love Island winner Cach Mercer and actress Jaime Winstone taking advantage of frontrunner Delta Goodrem’s absence to jointly top the leaderboard. However, it was the audible overexcitement from the professional dancers and celebrities in the “Clauditorium” that hogged the limelight.
Sunday night, mercifully, was a more sober affair. Where once results night could be a little soporific compared to the razzmatazz of Saturdays, this series they have been a welcome respite. Not least because the new presenting trio of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe seem far more settled in their Sunday roles. In truth, the dance-off was a formality. As soon as Shaun Wright-Phillips – the only contestant Storey could realistically have beaten in a dance-off – posted a 28 for his James Brown Couples Choice, the Paralympic swimmer and cyclist was doomed. So it proved, with all four judges opting to save actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu.
Storey’s tango, as “icon” Shania Twain, was a decidedly flat and lifeless affair. Any hints of performance there might have been were smothered by Storey’s voluminous wig and flowy leopard-print dress. She looked uncomfortable, as hinted at by comments made by the judges before the dance-off. “Do you want to be here next week? Show us that,” said Motsi Mabuse to Storey and Antonia. “Look like you absolutely want to be here,” echoed Shirley Ballas. Antonia certainly wants to be here, as seen by her sparkling cha-cha-cha tribute to Aretha Franklin. What the routine lacked in technical excellence, it made up for in sheer attitude. Storey could not hope to match it. It didn’t impress the judges much.