Bethany Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu are eliminated from BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after being voted into another dance-off and finishing in the bottom two. Multiple outlets report the couple were in the lower places on the public vote despite performing well on the leaderboard, leading them to compete again in a split dance-off.
After their exit, several reports focus on Antonia speaking about the experience on live television and in post-elimination interviews. The Manchester Evening News highlights that her departure is causing a divide among viewers, while other outlets stress her emotional reaction, including moments of tears, and her comments about the routines and partnership.
One outlet also adds a separate controversy: HuffPost UK reports Antonia says she was “devastated” that a trans-support t-shirt (“Protect the Dolls”) worn during rehearsals was censored or blurred for broadcast, which the BBC said was standard practice for overt branding. That coverage shifts emphasis from the elimination itself to what follows surrounding its handling on air, while other articles keep attention on the competition result.
