Toyah Willcox Voted Off in Tense Dance Off Against Paul Merson

Strictly Come Dancing’s Toyah Willcox has become the second star to leave the show after she landed in the bottom for a second week on Sunday – following her husband Robert Fripp booing the judges.

The 80s singer, 66, and partner Neil Jones, 42, were eliminated from the competition after losing the dance off to footballer Paul Merson and partner Karen Hauer following Movie Week.

Following the judge’s decision Toyah gushed over ‘phenomenal’ Neil and declared her experience on the show ‘the best two months of my life!.

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Both couples performed their routines again, with Toyah and Neil taking to the floor with their Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from Little Mermaid, after scoring just 15 out 40 and landing at the bottom of Saturday’s leaderboard.

Meanwhile Paul and Karen performed their Cha Cha to The Magnificent Seven from The Magnificent Seven, which saw them initially score 19.

Strictly’s Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones (L) has become the second star to leave the show after she lost the dance off to footballer Paul Merson and partner Karen Hauer (R) on Sunday

Following the judge’s decision Toyah gushed over ‘phenomenal’ Neil and declared her experience on the show ‘the best two months of my life! (pictured with host Tess Daly)

During their first performance on Saturday judge Craig ordered Toyah’s husband, musician Robert Fripp who’s she’s been married to since 1986, to ‘sit down’ as he booed the panel’s negative comments

After both couples danced the judges delivered their verdicts with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all choosing to save Paul and Karen.

With three votes in favour of Paul and Karen, they won the majority vote meaning Toyah and Neil would be leaving.

Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed with her fellow professionals and said she would have also decided to save Paul and Karen.

Toyah told Tess Daly about her time on the show: ‘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.’

While Neil said: ‘[Toyah] 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! She just kept going, she wanted to learn so much.’

‘If you saw her in the hallway she’s been practicing. Everyone’s been telling me have you seen Toyah practicing, she’s brilliant and she’s what Strictly is all about, and I’ve loved every moment’.

Going on to gush about Neil, Toyah confessed: ‘It was immediate, it had to be Neil. I felt so comfortable and safe. 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.’

During their first performance on Saturday judge Craig ordered Toyah’s husband, musician Robert who’s she’s been married to since 1986, to ‘sit down’.

After both couples danced the judges delivered their verdicts with Craig Revel Horwood , Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all choosing to save Paul and Karen

With three votes in favour of Paul and Karen, they won the majority vote meaning Toyah and Neil would be leaving

During their first performance on Saturday jugde Craig (pictured) ordered Toyah ‘s husband, musician Robert who’s she’s been married to since 1986, to ‘sit down’

Robert stood up and started to boo Craig following his negative comments, while he hit back and told Robert to sit down with a smile on his face

Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard: Movie Week 3

1. Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec – 34

2. Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola – 33

3. Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu – 33

4. Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez – 33

5. JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE – 32

6. Wynne Evans and Katya Jones – 30

7. Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell – 30

8. Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas – 30

9. Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin – 30

10. Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe – 28

11. Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał – 26

12. Paul Merson and Karen Hauer – 19

13. Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones – 15

Robert proudly sat in the audience during movie week to watch Toyah dance but after the performance, Craig told the pair it was ‘all a bit stuck in the mud, ploddy and floppy.’

Robert stood up and started to boo Craig, while he hit back and told Robert to sit down with a smile on his face.

It came one week after viewers were left furious after the judges chose to save Toyah over Tom Dean, who along with partner Nadiya Bychkova, became the first evictee of the series.

Tom was given the boot after the judges pointed out his lack of timing, despite Toyah and partner Neil being at the bottom of the leaderboard and being bookies favourite for the chop.

Taking to X, fans struggled to understand the decision branding it ‘bizarre’ and claimed the Olympic legend had been ‘robbed’.

Writing: ‘Tom did NOT deserve to go. So gutted for him!’: ‘I’m shook why would they vote for Toyah?’: ‘Ridiculous’: ‘I don’t understand the decision at all, justice for Tom’: ‘Fumin’: ‘Why Shirley? WHY?’.

More said: ‘That Strictly Come Dancing result, ridiculous’: ‘No, no, no no… shook that Tom has gone! Wrong decision in my opinion!’: ‘What a bizarre and incorrect dance off result’: ‘Timing and clarity? How about some actual steps that are required in the dance? There was no Jive [in Toyah’s routine]. Tom was robbed’.

It came one week after viewers were left furious after the judges chose to save Toyah over Tom Dean , who along with partner Nadiya Bychkova (pictured left) became the first evictee of the series

It came despite Toyah and partner Neil Jones being at the bottom of the leaderboard and being bookies favourite for the chop

Taking to X, fans struggled to understand the decision branding it ‘bizarre’ and claimed the Olympic legend had been ‘robbed’

With the competition fully underway the first few weeks of Strictly have had no shortage of drama and surprises.

Nick Knowles and his partner Luba Mushtuk have been given a free pass through to week four of the competition after he pulled out of Movie Week due to an injury.

The DIY SOS star, 62, will miss out on performing his Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2 after it was revealed on Friday he fell and injured his knee during rehearsals.

He was seen leaving his Berkshire home on crutches alongside his fiancée Katie Dadzie as he appeared to grimace through the pain.

His latest injury comes just a week after his future on the show was thrown into doubt due to a shoulder problem after he attempted to change a tyre on his car.

Fans of the show have been left fuming at the decision to let Nick go straight through to week four as they branded it ‘unfair’.

Elsewhere in Saturday’s show viewers were left feeling emotional after watching Sarah Hadland ‘s Maggie Smith tribute

It was revealed that the actress, who starred as Minerva McGonagall in seven of the eight Harry Potter films, passed away inside a hospital – and prompted a flood of tributes as celebrities and fans mourned the heartbreaking loss