Strictly's next couple to leave 'sealed' as they 'reach limit on abilities'

03 November 2023 , 12:34

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Strictly's next couple to leave 'sealed' as they 'reach limit on abilities'

As the final of Strictly Come Dancing draws closer, the intensity of the competition is heating up as the remaining contestants fight to keep their spot on the show.

Last weekend saw Zara McDermott say a teary farewell to the competition. The former Love Island star said she 'knew this day would come' after being in the bottom two numerous times.

This week, there is everything to fight for with a number of pairings floating around the bottom half of the leaderboard. According to body language expert Darren Stanton, Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas will be the next contestant to be voted off, as his nerves are starting to effect his performance.

Adam has had a difficult few weeks after being banned from training due to illness and then falling sick again the following week where he was forced to sit out an It Takes Two performance with partner Luba.

But Adam is not the only contestant who isn't assured a place next week - so too is former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach. Darren also claims that Ellie has shown flashes of doubt on her face, which has led him to believe that the routines are becoming too challenging for her to handle.

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Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk could be in trouble on this weekend's Strictly

Speaking to Betfair Roulette, Darren said: "Adam and Luba could be evicted this week after being in the bottom two. I think we've seen Adam reach his time in terms of any more progress as a dancer. I can't see him wowing the judges this week, but if he is able to, he will need to pull something out of the bag. What people admire about Adam is his enthusiasm and passion for being in the competition, which does go a long way."

He added: "When we see Adam and Luba dance together, there are fewer instances of engaged eye contact, and I can see his nerves creeping in. I get a sense he's not feeling as strong as he did when we first saw him in the competition. Even though he is popular with viewers and the audience, he has reached the heights of his ability to dance. They have a strong connection, there's no doubt about that. There’s a good level of chemistry and they have each other’s backs. But it feels like it's towards the end of their time. It could be that the viewers will have his back again, but physically, I sense he's going to struggle to pull through this time."

And while Ellie has been given incredibly high scores from the judges, Darren says that her facial expressions show that the routines are becoming too demanding and she is now "falling a bit behind." He continued: "Ellie and Vito have continued to show their compatibility with one another. They have a clear, strong rapport that continues to grow. When they were receiving feedback, Ellie was standing in front of Vito, with his arms around her, and that tells me he wants her to take the limelight."

Strictly Come Dancing's Vito Coppola and Ellie Leach could also be in trouble (BBC)

He went on to say: "He knows how important this is to Ellie. They have a comforting bond together, and it's clear that they feel at ease and safe with one another. Ellie has become very popular with viewers and is a clear favourite. However, I fear for her position in the competition. I think she will have reached her limits by this weekend. She has a great connection with Vito. Ellie has a lot of determination to make Vito proud, and she's really letting herself go and enjoying every moment now that she's relaxed into it a bit more. However, I don't think she physically has much more to give."

Analysing her facial expressions, he told Betfair : "It's got nothing to do with her and Vito’s connection, as they get on well together. But when you look at her facial expressions and body gestures during her most recent routine, she flashes signals of nervousness, which tells me she struggled with some of the moves and demands of the routine. From a physicality perspective, she seems to be falling a bit behind."

Lucretia Munro