Blackpool is officially in sight for this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing. The iconic BBC One series' 24th season has surpassed its halfway point, which means it's almost time for the remaining dancers to take to that iconic sprung dancefloor in the Tower Ballroom. But in order to get there, they have to get through Week 8 first.
Last week's episode saw the elimination of Bethany and Nancy after a tense Dance-Off with Cach and Maddie, but the competition's number resets to nine this week as Jaime and Carlos will return to the dancefloor after they missed the previous week due to injury. Needless to say, we're happy to see them back on the dancefloor, and we can't wait to see how it all plays out for every single couple.
Strictly spoilers and results: Week 8 Leaderboard
This was quite an intense night on Strictly - one that deeply divided the judges and the audiences watching at home. While the judges praised routines, fans weren't fussed on them. And, perhaps more importantly, when the judges went to town and marked some strong routines harshly, fans were not happy. All in all, divisive all around.
Cach and Maddie topped the Leaderboard with a Charleston that had Shirley and Motsi on their feet, while audiences were pondering whether it was actually a Charleston or not. Meanwhile, similar conversations came up when the judges harshly marked Lacey and Vito for a lack of Foxtrot in their Foxtrot - with audiences quick to call out the inconsistency there.
Dani and Nikita also divided the judges with an epic Paso Doble that Craig criticized because of the lifts but Shirley loved because of the passion. And Delta performed a stunning Argentine Tango, with Aljaž stepping in after Kai had to pull out due to illness.
Here are the scores that each of the Week 8 dances were given by the judges, and the Leaderboard we were left with at the end of the episode:
- Cach and Maddie danced the Charleston - 9, 10, 10, 10 = 39
- Delta and Aljaž danced the Argentine Tango - 9, 9, 8, 9 = 35
- Jaime and Carlos danced the Charleston - 8, 8, 8, 9 = 33
- John and Katya danced the Jive - 7, 8, 8, 8 = 31
- Dani and Nikita danced the Paso Doble - 6, 8, 8, 8 = 30
- Tabby and Mark danced the Viennese Waltz - 7, 8, 7, 8 = 30
- Graeme and Lauren danced the Quickstep - 6, 7, 7, 7 = 27
- Lacey and Vito danced the Foxtrot - 6, 7, 7, 7 = 27
- Will and Dianne danced the Paso Doble - 6, 7, 7, 7 = 27
Who is in danger on Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 8?
Now, every single week we say that the Leaderboard has been tight on this series but this week, it's the tightest ever. Yes, there are technically more marks between the couple at the top and the couple at the bottom, but there are far less points between them. That is once again down the ties on the Leaderboard, which are at their all-time worst tonight, shrinking the amount of points between those on both ends of the Leaderboard. This makes it easier for those couples in the lower end to escape and makes it significantly more dangerous for those in the middle, as it transfers more of the power to the public vote.
Graeme and Lauren, Lacey and Vito, and Will and Dianne are all tied at the bottom with six points (nstead of the typical one reserved for the person at the bottom), so while you might think they would be in danger, they have a great chance at escape than usual. However, as it is a tie of three couples, one of them is more than likely to land in the Dance-Off. Considering how popular Lacey Turner is, we'd say it's highly likely that she and Vito will avoid the Dance-Off. That leaves at least one of Will and Graeme in danger.
There's a tie in second-from-bottom place as well, with Dani and Nikita tying with Tabby and Mark. Both have really grown into this season's journey contestants, so having both tied on 30 is a risk. Yes, the ties help them more than they don't, but it could also favor one couple over the other - as the public vote will ultimately do that by breaking the tie.
Taking all of that into account, it's looking like the Dance-Off will be between two of Graeme and Lauren, Will and Dianne, and perhaps Dani and Nikita. We'll have to wait and see if the public vote changes any of that.
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