Former Olympic hockey player Sam Quek and her professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin have been eliminated from this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The pair, who scored 29 with their Icons Week American smooth to Taylor Swift’s Love Story, will depart the show, despite reality TV star Pete Wicks and his partner Jowita Przystal scoring just 22 with their performance to Another One Bites The Dust by Queen on Saturday.
Quek and Kuzmin were defeated in the dance-off by former Olympian and Gladiator Montell Douglas and her dance partner Johannes Radebe, who scored 35 in Saturday’s live show for their waltz to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.
All four judges agreed unanimously to save Douglas and Radebe.
Speaking about her time on the show, Quek said: “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.”
Her partner, Kuzmin added: “I’m just in awe of this girl. Sometimes they say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but to me it’s about the company. Sam you are the most wonderful company I could have had.”
The 36-year-old went on to describe her partnership with her professional partner as “magical”.
It comes after JLS singer JB Gill and stand-in professional partner Lauren Oakley scored the joint highest of this year’s series on Saturday’s live show, with 39 for their Bruno Mars medley, as Amy Dowden watched on from the studio due to illness.
The Welsh professional dancer, who is normally Gill’s partner, missed last Sunday’s results programme after being taken to Barnet Hospital from the BBC One show’s production centre, Elstree Studios, as a “precaution” after she began “feeling unwell”.
Speaking during Saturday’s show, Dowden said: “It’s been a real dream team, even to the point where Lauren put in our chat, ‘J, do you want a coffee?’ To which I replied: ‘Yes, you’ll have a vanilla latte’.”
Reality star Tasha Ghouri and professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec performed to Pink’s What About Us and also scored a joint series high of 39.
Sunday’s results show also featured a performance from K-pop boyband dearALICE, along with a Beyonce medley, with Radebe channelling his inner Sasha Fierce as the protagonist in the routine.
It comes after Dr Punam Krishan became the fifth celebrity to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing last week.
The remaining nine couples will take to the dancefloor next week when Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, November 9 at 6.35pm, with the Remembrance Sunday results show on Sunday, November 10 at 7.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Quek and Kuzmin will join Fleur East on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday, November 4 at 6.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
