Strictly spoilers and results 2023: Who is leaving on Strictly Come Dancing Week 9?

We’re here! It’s time! After eight weeks of dancing their hearts out, the remaining couples have made it to Blackpool on Strictly Come Dancing 2023.

Emanating live from Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom, those seven couples took to the most famous dancefloor in the world to bring the very best Latin and Ballroom routines to the screen. To say it was an evening to remember would be a major understatement.

But just how did Strictly Week 9 pan out? Who stole the show in the Tower Ballroom, and who surprised us (yes, there some very unexpected surprises)? Let’s find out.

*** This article contains spoilers from Strictly Week 9’s Saturday Night show. If you have not watched this week’s Blackpool Special yet and don’t want the dances or scores to be spoiled for you, don’t read on! ***

Strictly spoilers and results: Week 9 Leaderboard

When the dances and songs were revealed for Blackpool Week, I had high hopes that this would be one for the ages. Oh, it was. It really really was. And that much was clear from the high scores that the couples ended up getting.

Bobby Brazier opened the show with a high-energy Jive, Angela Rippon had her huge Blackpool moment that was 40 years in the making, Layton and Nikita danced a sensational Couple’s Choice that had the audience booing Craig for refusing to give them a 10. Craig also got some boos for doing the same to Ellie and Vito, who delivered a captivating Charleston, while Nigel delivered an entertaining Quickstep to close the show.

The real show-stealers, however, were Angela Scanlon and Annabel Croft, who produced legendary moments with stunning routines that had the judges praising them for their development into dancers.

Here are the results from the Strictly Week 9 Saturday night show, the scores, and the Leaderboard we were left with:

• Layton and Nikita danced their Couple’s Choice – 9, 10, 10, 10 = 39
• Ellie and Vito danced the Charleston – 9, 10, 10, 10 = 39
• Angela S and Carlos danced the Argentine Tango – 8, 10, 10, 10 = 38
• Bobby and Dianne danced the Jive – 8, 9, 9, 9 = 35
• Annabel and Johannes danced the American Smooth – 8, 9, 9, 9 = 35
• Nigel and Katya danced the Quickstep – 7, 8, 8, 8 = 31
• Angela R and Kai danced the American Smooth – 6, 7, 7, 8 = 28

Who is in danger on Strictly Week 9?

It’s quite fitting that one of the strongest nights of the whole series ended up producing one of the most frightening Leaderboards. While any of the couples are particularly vulnerable at this stage in the competition (there are just seven couples left), the thing that makes this week especially dangerous for everyone is the fact that there are two ties on.

We’ve said before that more ties means less points between the couples at the top and bottom of the Leaderboard. Adding to that is the fact that the ties are at the top, meaning that Layton and Nikita, and Ellie and Vito are still incredibly vulnerable from the top (even though they shouldn’t be at this point). Sharing the top spot makes things risky for one of these two, while the tie in the middle of the Leaderboard also makes things risky for Bobby and Dianne, and Annabel and Johannes.

Angela Rippon and Kai, and Nigel and Kayta are of course the most likely to land in the Dance-Off based on Leaderboard positioning, but we have a feeling Nigel will escape the Dance-Off as he has done that before when in precarious positions.

The public vote carries much more weight at this stage in the competition, but it carries even more weight tonight due to the ties. Taking that into account, we’re predicting that the Dance-off will be Angela Rippon and Kai taking on one of the couples from the ties, with Bobby and Dianne or even Layton and Nikita finding themselves there. Yes, the two ties have opened things up that much.

Tonight will reveal a lot more about who’s getting the votes.

Update, Sunday November 19: Angela Rippon and Kai and Bobby and Dianne were indeed both in the Dance-Off. Angela and Kai made a huge improvement on their dance, delivering a joyous American Smooth that really served as a fitting finale to her Strictly journey. In the end, the judges unanimously saved Bobby and Dianne.

To say Angela and Kai have been a delight would be an understatement. What a wonderful partnership to watch each week, and Angela did herself proud as the oldest contestant in Strictly history, proving that age is just a number. Her dancing was incredible and we’re so happy she got to finish that journey in the Tower Ballroom – a place that holds such beautiful memories for her.

Relive Angela and Kai’s delightful American Smooth here: