Shaun Wright-Phillips has become the fourth celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after facing Jaime Winstone in the Week 5 dance-off. Shaun and professional partner Alexis Warr landed in the bottom two following Saturday night’s Jive to “Faith”, which had left them at the bottom of the leaderboard with 17 points. They were joined in the dance-off by Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, who had scored 25 for their routine.

After both couples performed again, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke voted to save Jaime and Carlos, while Shirley Ballas chose Shaun and Alexis. That meant Shaun became the latest celebrity to leave the competition, following Chris Appleton, Melanie Walters and Dame Sarah Storey.

Speaking after his elimination, Shaun thanked the professionals, judges and team behind the show, saying: “I don’t think I can put into words how my time has been. I think from the pros, the judges, the staff behind the cameras, everybody that’s helped me along the way, it’s been the most amazing journey I’ve had.”

He also praised Alexis, telling her: “I couldn’t ask for a better partner, a better human being.” Alexis added: “I’m so proud of how you just danced that dance-off, that’s the grit that we talk about. It’s been an honour – friends for life.”

Strictly Come Dancing Week 5 Leaderboard

Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita – 37
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington – 34
John Nellis and Katya Jones – 32
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley – 31
Will Best and Dianne Buswell – 31
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin – 31
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola – 28
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu – 25
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu – 25
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby – 24
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał – 19
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr – 17

Tabby and Mark topped the leaderboard with 37 points after their emotional Couple’s Choice earned two 10s, giving them the highest score of the series so far. Delta Goodrem also made a strong return after missing Icons Week with a rib injury, scoring 34 for her Rumba with Kai Widdrington.

Lacey Turner’s Score Had to Be Corrected

There was also some confusion around Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola’s Tango after the score shown on screen did not match what the judges had actually given them. Shirley Ballas scored the routine a 6, but the graphic displayed a 7, briefly putting their total at 29 instead of 28.

Viewers quickly spotted the mistake, and Emma Willis later apologised on air before the final leaderboard was shown, confirming the correct score. Thankfully, it did not change where Lacey and Vito ended up on the table.

What Else Happened on Strictly This Weekend?

Sunday night’s results show also featured performances from Melanie C and Jamie Miller. Melanie C opened the show with “Sweat”, joined by the professional dancers, while Jamie performed his Number One single “Babydoll”.

There was also a pretty big announcement for next week’s Halloween special, with Strictly introducing its first ever triple dance-off. The three couples with the lowest combined judges’ scores and public votes will all perform again before the judges decide which pair leaves the competition.

For CultureCues, Week 5 felt like one of the busiest weekends of the series so far. Tabby and Mark delivering the highest score of the year, Delta returning from injury, the scoring mix-up and Shaun’s emotional exit gave us plenty to talk about. Shaun might have struggled on Saturday night, but he took everything in good humour and clearly had a brilliant time on the show, so it was still sad to see him go. We’re really looking forward to Halloween Week next, especially now we know there will be a first-ever triple dance-off thrown into the spooky celebrations.

Strictly Come Dancing returns for Halloween Week on Saturday 31 October at 6:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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