Bethany Antonia voted off Strictly after third dance-off

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 9 Nov, 09:43 · Archive

House of the Dragon actress Bethany Antonia was eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing after losing a dance-off to Love Island's Cach Mercer.

Bethany Antonia, the 28-year-old actress from House of the Dragon, has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after losing a dance-off to Love Island's Cach Mercer. Despite finishing in the top half of the leaderboard during Saturday night's live show, Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu failed to secure enough public votes to avoid the bottom two.

The pair were up against Mercer and his pro partner Maddie Ingoldsby, who had been joint bottom on the judges' leaderboard. Both couples performed again, with Antonia and Xu reprising their foxtrot to Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love, while Mercer and Ingoldsby danced a waltz to That Ain't You by Mulaa Joans.

For the first time this series, the judges' decision was not unanimous. Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Antonia and Xu, while Anton Du Beke voted to save Mercer and Ingoldsby. This left head judge Shirley Ballas to cast the deciding vote, which she gave to Mercer.

This was Antonia and Xu's third dance-off of the series. They previously faced elimination during Icons Week against Dame Sarah Storey, and then competed in last weekend's historic three-couple dance-off. Despite these challenges, Antonia said she had 'the most amazing time' and insisted the experience had been everything she hoped for. She told Nancy Xu that she had 'brought out a side of me that I didn't ever think I would get to see'.

How it is being reported

• Bethany Antonia Leaves Strictly Come Dancing After Another Shock Dance-OffThis article contains major Strictly Come Dancing spoilers. Bethany Antonia has become the latest star to leave Strictly Come Dancing after winding up in the dance-off for the third time. Despite finishing in the top half of the leaderboard during Saturday night’s live show, the House Of The Dragon star and her professional partner Nancy Xu failed to secure enough votes from the public to save them from the bottom two. As a result, they landed in the dance-off with former Love Island winner Cach Mercer and his dancing pro Maddie Ingoldsby, who had been joint bottom of the judges’ leaderboard…HuffPost UK · 9 Nov, 08:03
• Strictly 2026 results: Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu are the sixth couple to be voted out after split dance off with Love Island's Cach MercerBethany Antonia has become the sixth celebrity to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing after a tense dance-off.Daily Mail · 9 Nov, 02:24
• Strictly star Bethany Antonia reveals how she copes after facing crushing dance-offsBethany and Nancy have had a turbulent ride on Strictly.Metro · 8 Nov, 11:30

In this story: Bethany Antonia · Nancy Xu · Cach Mercer · Maddie Ingoldsby · Shirley Ballas · Strictly Come Dancing · House of the Dragon

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