BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans can't believe it as Emmerdale star spotted in studio audience

Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts were left in astonishment after seeing Emmerdale's very own Lisa Riley in the studio audience on Saturday evening. The actress famed for her role as Mandy Dingle was seen applauding in a cream jumper dress alongside her partner.

Social media platforms buzzed with viewers' observations about Lisa's presence. One fan took to Twitter, writing, "Lisa Riley is in the #Strictly audience."

Another replied, "Yes, it is; I love her," while a third asked, "Do you mean Lisa Riley (blue tick)?"

Lisa once graced the Strictly dance floor herself during series 10, with the late Robin Windsor as her dance partner.

The Halloween special of the show saw judges and contestants pull out all the stops with their costumes for the themed night," reports the Mirror.

The evening kicked off with Chris McCausland and his dance partner Dianne Buswell delivering an energic Samba. Although the judges lavished their performance with commendations, some fans expressed concern for the comedian's chances of staying in the competition due to a perceived 'curse' related to opening the show, fearing that it often leads to the next day's elimination.

Chris even broached the subject himself while conversing with host Claudia Winkleman, pointing out: "We have lost four people so far this series.

"Two of them on Sambas, and we have had four dance-offs, and three of them are people who have went on first, so the maths is against us this week."

The previous weekend witnessed the departure of Paul Merson from the contest after a dance-off against competitor JB Gill.

The previous Sunday, Paul Merson bowed out of the contest after a dance-off clash with JB Gill.

When chatting with Tess Daly, Paul couldn't hide his enthusiasm: "It's been really good. For anybody I talk to, I would say you've got to go on this show. It's amazing - everybody. There's a Tottenham fan over there called Lincoln, and he's nice!

He continued to express his joy, saying, "It's been amazing, honestly, amazing. I loved every minute of it, I've had a great teacher. She's been amazing, absolutely amazing, and I couldn't wish for a better coach."

Paul also added: "I've loved every minute of it. I can dance now. I won because I can dance. I couldn't dance before, but I can half dance now. It's a bonus, absolute bonus."

Despite the positive vibes, the competition is set to intensify as another celebrity faces elimination on Sunday night. Bookmakers tip Punam Krishnan as the likely next to depart.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Sunday at 7.20pm on BBC One.