Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will say goodbye to its first celebrity tonight, as the results of the opening public vote are revealed on BBC One. The first results show of the series begins tonight, Sunday 4 October, at 7.10pm, following Saturday’s Movie Week. With nobody eliminated last week, all 15 celebrities got the chance to take part in the first themed show of the series before the judges’ scores from both weeks were combined with the public vote.

Tonight, the two couples at the bottom of the final standings will face the first dance-off of 2026 before the judges decide who stays and who becomes the first celebrity eliminated.

SPOILER WARNING: The result of tonight’s first elimination is revealed immediately below, including the two couples who faced the dance-off and who left Strictly Come Dancing 2026.

Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden became the first couple eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after facing Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in the dance-off. Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke all voted to save Jaime and Carlos, with Craig Revel Horwood confirming he would have made the same decision.

Read on for the full live breakdown of the results show, including each couple confirmed safe, the dance-off reveal, the judges’ votes and the first elimination of the series.

Strictly Come Dancing Movie Week Scores

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley topped Saturday night’s individual leaderboard with 31 points for their Godfather-inspired Waltz, closely followed by Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington on 30. Delta finished at the top of the combined leaderboard across the opening two weeks with 60 points.

The full Movie Week scores were:

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley — 31
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington — 30
Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby — 29
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola — 28
Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita — 28
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu — 27
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr — 25
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon — 24
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin — 23
John Nellis and Katya Jones — 23
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu — 21
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał — 19
Will Best and Dianne Buswell — 19
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden — 17
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec — 15

Those scores do not decide tonight’s elimination on their own, with the public vote also playing a part in determining which two couples end up in the dance-off.

Strictly Results Live

7.10pm: Strictly Come Dancing results show begins on BBC One.

7.18pm: Tonight’s results show begins with a look back at Movie Week before Emma and Johannes join the judges for a debrief, going through the performances, the scores they awarded and the reasons behind them.

7.22pm: In no particular order, the first couples safely through to next week are Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, and Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby.

7.25pm: Also safely through to next week are Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec, Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, and Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley.

7.27pm: We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out which other couples are safely through, with the first results reveal now paused.

7.30pm: Vito Coppola revealed to Lacey Turner that they will dance a Samba next week, while Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby confirmed they will be taking on their Couple’s Choice. Aljaž Škorjanec revealed that Melanie Walters will be dancing a Charleston next week.

7.32pm: Mark Karmalita revealed to Tabby Stoecker that they will dance an Argentine Tango next week, while Lauren Oakley told Graeme Hall that their next dance will be the Jive – and the moustache will be gone.

7.34pm: Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood join the Strictly professional dancers for a The Devil Wears Prada-inspired group number, with Motsi taking on Miranda Priestly.

7.37pm: Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu are safely through to next week, along with Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin and Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon.

7.38pm: Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington are also safely through to next week, with John Nellis and Katya Jones the final couple confirmed safe for now.

7.39pm: Four couples remain: Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden, Will Best and Dianne Buswell, Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, and Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał. Only two are guaranteed a place next week, with the other two set to face the first dance-off of the series. Craig Revel Horwood will have the casting vote if the judges are split.

7.40pm: Nancy Xu revealed to Bethany Antonia that they will dance an American Smooth next week to “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles, while Nikita Kuzmin told Dani Dyer that they will be taking on the Tango.

7.42pm: Kai Widdrington revealed to Delta Goodrem that they will dance a Salsa next week to “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan.

7.44pm: The cast of Matilda The Musical, including Tim Minchin, take to the ballroom to perform “Quiet” live on Strictly Come Dancing.

7.47pm: Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden join Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in the first dance-off of the series.

7.48pm: That means Will Best and Dianne Buswell and Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał are both safely through to next week.

7.54pm: Both couples have now performed their dances again, and the decision is in the judges’ hands as they choose who stays in the competition and who becomes the first celebrity eliminated.

7.56pm: Motsi Mabuse votes to save Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. Shirley Ballas follows, saying one couple had the edge with “more power”, and also chooses Jaime and Carlos. Anton Du Beke then votes for the couple he felt danced strongest, again saving Jaime and Carlos.

7.57pm: Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu are safely through to next week after receiving three votes from the judges, with Craig Revel Horwood confirming he would also have saved them. That means Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden become the first couple eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026.

7.58pm: Chris Appleton says the biggest thing he will take away from Strictly is gaining a friend in Amy Dowden, adding that everyone on the show has been amazing. Asked by Emma Willis whether this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Amy replies “absolutely”, saying she is heartbroken to leave after her difficult luck over the past few years but has made “a friend for life” in Chris.

7.59pm: Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden take to the ballroom together one final time, reprising their Dirty Dancing-inspired routine to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” for their farewell dance.

For CultureCues, it’s a shame to see anyone leave this early in the competition, especially after only two full weeks of dancing. Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu were the stronger couple in the dance-off and deservedly earned the judges’ votes, but it is still sad to see Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden become the first pairing to go. Their final comments made the exit feel especially bittersweet, with both clearly coming away from the experience with a genuine friendship.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 10 October at 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, when the remaining 14 couples return to the ballroom for Week 3.

More From CultureCues

Adultery First Look: Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai Lead New ITV Drama

The Blame Episode 5 Is on ITV Tonight: What Happened So Far Before the Finale

The Split Up Episode 5 Is On BBC Tonight: What Happened So Far And When Is The Finale?