BBC Strictly Come Dancing fans accuse show of being 'fixed' as another celebrity is voted off

Sam Quek was eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday, with viewers attributing her exit to 'unfair scores' and suggesting another contestant should have been sent home instead. Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse delivered their verdicts during the show's first ever Icons Week on Saturday.

Following her American Smooth performance, Sam Quek and Nikita received praise from the judges for their resilience after a minor setback the previous week, earning them a total score of 29 out of 40. However, this placed Sam at the bottom of the leaderboard alongside Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe.

Like Sam, Olympic sprinter and bobsledder Montell impressed the audience with a Waltz to Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You', securing a score of 35. Despite this, the public vote led to her facing the dance-off.

Both Montell and Sam competed in the dreaded dance-off on Sunday, November 3, with the judges unanimously voting to save Montell and Johannes. The result sparked outrage among fans who felt that Sam had been underscored by the judges.

Many expressed their disappointment on Twitter, reports the Mirror.

"Pete should have gone home this week, he was atrocious. Yes I've read the spoiler and I'm really cross. The other pair should NEVER have been anywhere near the dance off", one fan expressed, clearly upset that Pete Wicks survived another round in the competition despite his low scores from the judges on Saturday. Another viewer chimed in with disbelief: "This bottom two when Wynne and Pete are right there? ! ? ! ", while a third insisted: "If we don't see Wynne or Pete in the dance off next week i am gunna kick off."

Echoing the sentiment, a fourth added: "I need Pete to be the dance off next week. We're losing decent dancers and he's just not there."

Another fan pointed out: "#strictly pete shayne and wynne were the weakest! ".

The leak of a Strictly spoiler online, which came out hours before the results show on Sunday, sparked outrage among fans who had seen it, leading to accusations of a fix and criticism of judge Shirley Ballas' perceived favouritism. One fan didn't hold back, stating: "She was so vocal about it. They should now be honest about it if it is all female dance off. Males favoured! " The elimination of Sam also fuelled further speculation of bias: "Sam and Montell should never have been in the dance-off. There's some mediocre men that should have been there. Very unfair as they were both what strictly is about. Loved watching them both progress", lamented another viewer after this Sunday's show.

Speaking of her departure from the show, Sam expressed her feelings: "I'm gutted, I just want to say thank you. I've learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back. It's just been an absolute joy. Nikita, you've been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. I'm gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give."

Her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin also shared his thoughts: "I'm just in awe of this girl. Sometimes they say it's about the journey, not the destination, but to me it's about the company. Sam you are the most wonderful company I could have had."

Yet, amid the emotional farewells, controversy arose with Wynne Evans being criticized by fans who accused him of breaking Strictly Come Dancing rules. The 52 year old opera star returned to the stage with partner Katya Jones for a ruminative rumba set to Shirley Bassey's 'This Is My Life', culminating with Evans singing the final note live – an act that snagged a standing ovation but stirred up discontent among some viewers.

They argued that Evans wasn't abiding by contest regulations, despite the commendations from presenter Tess Daly and judge Anton Du Beke on his vocal performance.