The seventh week of Strictly Come Dancing saw plenty of changes for the stars, as not only did they take on the show's first Icons Week, but pro dancer Amy Dowden was missing from the lineup.
The Welsh dancer, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, collapsed backstage before last week's results show and was taken to hospital. A representative for the star said at the time: "Amy was feeling unwell and so an ambulance was called as a precaution."
Amy has since told fans that she's "doing much better", though she took the week off, meaning her celebrity partner JB Gill danced with fellow pro Lauren Oakley while Amy recovered.
What is Icons Week?
Icons Week has never been performed on Strictly Come Dancing, however, the new themed week, which has been brought in for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations will now become a mainstay.
The remaining celebrities danced to songs by their musical icons, choosing tracks that are both personal to them, but also reflective of a star that they admire.
Who danced what?
The inaugural Icons Week was filled with plenty of musical legends, and two of the pairs will be took on their Couple's Choice routines. JB Gill danced to a medley of Bruno Mars hits, while Tasha Ghouri took on Pink's What About Us.
Slowing things down, Montell Douglas did a waltz to Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You and hockey star Sam Quek embodied Taylor Swift as she danced to Love Story (Taylor's Version).
© Guy LevyChris McCausland took on a tango to Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS, while last week's dance-off survivor Shayne Ward did h a quickstep to Help! by The Beatles.
Pete Wicks transformed into Freddie Mercury as he danced a salsa to Queen's Another One Bites the Dust, while Wynne Evans paid tribute to one of Wales's biggest icons: Dame Shirley Bassey. The opera singer danced a rumba to This Is My Life.
© Guy LevyLast week, Jamie Borthwick and Sarah Hadland topped the leaderboard with their spooky dances and this week saw Jamie taking on a samba to George Michael's Faith and Sarah dancing a cha-cha-cha to Madonna's Like a Prayer.
Leaderboard
HELLO! has the full leaderboard here, see below:
- JB Gill & Lauren Oakley – Couple's Choice – 39 (9, 10, 10, 10)
- Tasha Ghouri & Aljaz Skorjanec – Couple's Choice – 39 (9, 10, 10, 10)
- Sarah Hadland & Vito Coppola – Cha-Cha-Cha – 37 (9, 9, 9, 10)
- Montell Douglas & Johannes Radebe – Waltz – 35 (8, 9, 9, 9)
- Shayne Ward & Nancy Xu – Quickstep – 35 (8, 9, 9, 9)
- Jamie Borthwick & Michelle Tsiakkas – Samba – 31 (7, 8, 8, 8)
- Wynne Evans & Katya Jones – Rumba – 30 (7, 7, 8, 8)
- Chris McCausland & Dianne Buswell – 29 (6, 7, 8, 8)
- Sam Quek & Nikita Kuzmin – American Smooth – 29 (6, 8, 7, 8)
- Pete Wicks & Jowita Przystal – Salsa – 22 (4, 6, 6, 6)
Who left in week seven?
Icons Week saw former Olympic hockey player Sam Quek and her professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin eliminated from the show.
The duo was defeated in the dance-off by former Olympian and Gladiator Montell Douglas and her dance partner Johannes Radebe. All four judges agreed unanimously to save Montell and Johannes, and Sam said of her disappointment: “I’m gutted, I just want to say thank you. I’ve learned so much. Strictly has just brought that spring in my step back.
“It’s just been an absolute joy. Nikita, you’ve been key in helping me find that inner Sam that was there, who went a little bit quiet for maybe one or two years and has just come back. “I’m gutted because I do feel like I still have more to give.”
Who went home in week six?
Last week, it was the end of the journey for Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Marquez whose tango to Sweet Dreams saw them at the bottom of the leaderboard. The duo went up against Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu, who were facing the dance-off for the second time.
© BBCThe judges unanimously chose to save Shayne and Nancy following their paso doble.
"I am really proud of myself," Punam said after her elimination. "You know I've taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone. The one thing that I've very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills. I've learnt more than dancing, I've learnt so much from Gorka."
