Motsi Mabuse to eliminate the first celebrity from Strictly Come Dancing
Motsi Mabuse has the casting vote to decide which celebrity and their professional dance partner will be first to leave Strictly Come Dancing - in the event of an unanimous decision among her fellow judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.
Motsi Mabuse will decide the first celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing.
For the last seven years, during the Sunday night results show, Head Judge Shirley Ballas, 65, has had the casting vote when her fellow judges cannot decide which star and their professional dance partner should stay in the BBC's Latin and ballroom dance competition and who should leave, following a dance-off between the two couples in the bottom two.
But in a major twist for this year's series, the fate of each couple will lie in the hands of every judge - Shirley, Craig Revel Horwood, 60, Motsi, 44, and 59 year old Anton Du Beke - as the power alternates between the foursome each week.
At the end of Saturday (04.10.25) night’s live show, Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly, 56, announced that Motsi is first up to send home a couple - in the event of a unanimous decision - saying: "Tomorrow night, after we've combined your votes with the judges' scores, our bottom two couples will face the first dance-off of the series.
"And we can now reveal that the judge who will have the casting vote in that decision is ... Motsi!"
In another change to the voting system on this year's Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC has scrapped premium-rate phone voting, meaning viewers can no longer call to save their favourite couple.
Now, the public can cast their votes online.
On Saturday night, BBC newsreader Clive Myrie, 61, had the honour of explaining the new voting system to viewers.
He said: “This year, for the first time on Strictly, voting will be available online only.
“Each week, you’ll get five free votes to use as you wish.
“To do that, you just need to sign in or register for a BBC account first.
“Head to the website, bbc.co.uk/strictly, where you will find all the information you need.”
On Saturday night, 29-year-old actress Amber Davies and her 27-year-old professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin topped the leaderboard with 56 points - 27 in week one and 29 in week two.
At the bottom of the leaderboard is Lorraine and Good Morning Britain's Los Angeles Correspondent Ross King, 63, and his 31-year-old professional dance partner Jowita Przystal with 25 points - 10 in week one and 15 in week two.
The scores are combined with the points they were awarded by the judges during the series' first live show, which was aired on September 27.
The results show sees the two couples with the combined lowest score - from the judges and viewers - take part in a dance-off.
They try to improve the routines they performed on Saturday night, and it is then up to the judges to decide who should stay in the show and who should pack their bags.
At the end of the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing, Tess announced that Shirley would not be the only judge to decide which couple is sent home each week this year.
Tess said: "For seven years, Shirley has been responsible for casting decision to choose the couple that will stay."
Shirley added: "Which hasn't been easy, but that's about to change.
"It's about time that power was shared by a different judge each week."
After the announcement, one Strictly Come Dancing fan took to X to question what the 'Queen of Latin' thought of the major change.
They wrote: "Wonder how Shirley felt about the Head Judge twist?"
Responding, Shirley penned: "Got a call, and I said 'Omg yes love it. I can't wait to see Anton send someone home.'"
Shirley has long called for the show's bosses to allow her fellow three judges to decide the couple to send home.
She previously told the Radio Times: "I’m sitting there every weekend, thinking, Dear Lord, my saviour, please let the other three make the decision so it doesn’t come down to me.'
"But somebody has to do the job, and I try to send them home with as much confidence and affection as I can.
"My heart does have a little cry when I see them go because I've got to know them and see them improving."
