Who left Strictly Come Dancing tonight? Recap semi-final dance-off as Balvinder Sopal departs
Strictly Come Dancing has eliminated yet another star - recap the latest exit now! 🕺💃
- Strictly Come Dancing has its line-up for the 2025 final.
- One of the stars has brutally missed out on a spot in the conclusion.
- But which of the celebs was sent home in the dance-off?
This article contains full discussion from week 12 of Strictly Come Dancing series 23. Don’t read if you haven’t watched tonight’s (December 14) results show.
Strictly Come Dancing has waved goodbye to yet another star as the line-up for the 2025 final has been set. It was heartbreak in the semi-final for one of the remaining celebrities this weekend.
The iconic BBC show is nearing its dramatic conclusion and only three spots were available in the last week of series 23. It meant that there would be one more departure before the grand finale next Saturday (December 20).
But who fell at the final hurdle and was eliminated in week 12? Here’s all you need to know:
Who was at the top of the leaderboard this week?
Having reached the semi-final stage, the celebrities faced taking on multiple routines this weekend. During last night’s live show (December 13), the stars took to the ballroom floor on two occasions.
Each of the celebs and their professional dance partners had to impress the judges twice. It saw some very high scores, including yet another perfect 40.
- Karen and Carlos - 78 (39, 39)
- Amber and Nikita - 77 (37, 40)
- George and Alexis - 72 (35, 37)
- Balvinder and Julian - 70 (35, 35)
How does the scoring work on Strictly Come Dancing?
For the final time this season, the result is based on a combination of the judges scores and the votes from the public. The leaderboard had Karen and Carlos at the top, with Balvinder and Julian at the bottom - however, that was before voting began.
After the public vote is closed and counted, this is added together to make an overall score. The two celebrities with the lowest points at that stage went on to face the dance-off.
In the dance-off, the result is solely decided by the judges - who vote which celeb to save. The casting vote has been rotated around the full panel this time around and is used if the votes are tied to decide who is sent home.
Who was in the bottom two this week?
For the second week in a row, Amber Davies found herself in the bottom two - despite high scores from the judges. She faced off against EastEnder’s favourite Balvinder Sopal in the dance-off.
With two routines to choose from this week, Balvinder opted for a repeat of a salsa to Gloria Estefan’s Rhythm Is Gonna Get You and Get On Your Feet. While Amber did the couple's choice to Raye’s cover of Fly Me To The Moon.
Who left Strictly Come Dancing tonight?
After the stars took to the dance floor once again, all four of the judges decided to save Amber. It meant that after 12 weeks, Balvinder Sopal’s time on the show is over - and she just missed out on making the final.
Speaking after her exit, Balvinder said:“Everyone’s been brilliant. The minute you walk into this building, it’s like a massive hug. Every single time. I’ve walked in, people have just held me and gone ‘you know, you’re all right’, it’s such a wonderful place to work.
“(To the judges) thank you, Claud(ia) (Winkleman) and Tess (Daly), I’m grateful that I got to be on the show on your last moment here as well, because you, for me, are what Strictly is about.
“You’re the era of Len Goodman and (Sir) Bruce Forsyth, and that’s when I started watching it, and that, for me, is really special.
“This year, it’s been full of so many serendipitous moments. I’m so lucky, and I’m really, very happy.”
The Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final will take place next Saturday (December 20). It will start at 7pm and run for just over two hours.
Remind yourself of the full song list for this week’s edition of Strictly. Plus see which routines all of the celebs performed.