Skip to main contentSkip to footer
celebrities on strictly dance floor © Guy Levy

Strictly Come Dancing eliminates second contestant from show – find out who

Toyah Willcox faced Paul Merson in the dance off

Phoebe Tatham
Content Writer
October 6, 2024
Share this:

Strictly Come Dancing lost another celebrity on Sunday night when Toyah Willcox was eliminated from the competition.

Alongside her dance partner, Neil Jones, the singer-songwriter and actress took part in the dance off against Paul Merson and his partner, Karen Hauer.

Toyah and Neil performed a Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from Little Mermaid© Guy Levy
Toyah and Neil performed a Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from Little Mermaid

The pair performed their routines for a second time, with Toyah and Neil serving up an energising Samba to 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' from Little Mermaid, and Paul and Karen performing a Cha Cha to 'The Magnificent Seven' from The Magnificent Seven.

After the celebs had performed, judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke were unanimous in their decision, opting to save Paul and Karen. Head judge Shirley Ballas later agreed that she would also have saved the sports pundit.

two dancers on dance floor chatting to host© Guy Levy
Toyah described her time on the show as 'the best two months' of her life

When asked by Tess about their time on the show, Toyah, 66, said: "It's been the best two months of my life, it has been fantastic. I have enjoyed every second. And you [Neil] have been phenomenal, thank you so much."

Neil, meanwhile, added: "She has made me laugh so much, I have never seen someone work so hard - I'm the one asking for breaks every now and then!

four people standing on dance floor© Guy Levy
The pair were in the dance off with Paul Merson and Karen Hauer

"She just kept going, she wanted to learn so much. If you saw her in the hallway she's been practising. Everyone's been telling me have you seen Toyah practising, she's brilliant and she's what Strictly is all about, and I've loved every moment."

Elsewhere, Toyah thanked Neil for his continued support, adding: "You're a great teacher, you're a great friend as well. You've just given me a new zest for life, that's the most valuable thing I've come away with."

Strictly's hotly-anticipated Movie Week saw Love Island star Tasha Ghouri top the leader-board with an impressive 34 out of 40 for her rumba with Aljaz Skorjanec. Dressed in head-to-toe pink, the duo performed their routine to Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' from Greta Gerwig's film, Barbie.

Meanwhile, Miranda actress Sarah Hadland sparked an emotional fan reaction with her touching tribute to Dame Maggie Smith who passed away last week.

two people dancing © Guy Levy
Sarah and Vito paid tribute to Dame Maggie Smith

Transforming into Harry Potter professor Minerva McGonagall, Sarah and her dance partner Vito Coppola performed a spellbinding Viennese Waltz to 'Hedwig's Theme'.

At the time, one fan commented: "Maggie Smith tribute is making my heart ache, beautiful way to honour a wonderful actress," while a second added: "Sarah and Vito's dance was gorgeous! Lovely tribute to Dame Maggie."

Elsewhere, Dr Punam Krishan impressed the judges with her traditional Bollywood routine, while Shayne Ward and his dance partner Nancy Xu scored 33 points with their dazzling Viennese Waltz to 'If I Can Dream' from Elvis.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more