Strictly Come Dancing viewers saw the remaining contestants take to the dancefloor once again on Saturday night.
Tianna Corbin TV Reporter
19:30, 08 Nov 2025
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On Saturday night, BBC viewers tuned in for another night of glitz and glam as Strictly Come Dancing officially reached its halfway point.
The competition is ramping up as last weekend saw the first 40 of the series from Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope.
However, it also marked the end of the road for Ellie Goldstein and her professional partner, Vito Coppola. Despite the pair earning a score of 27, they found themselves in the dance-off against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
In the end, the judges opted to save the EastEnders actress, ending Ellie’s time on the show.
The 23-year-old had nothing but praise when speaking about her time on the competition as she complimented Vito, whom she refers to as her ‘big brother’.
Ellie Goldstein was the latest person to leave the BBC show(Image: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire )READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing record breaker has died after living out of spotlightREAD MORE: Strictly Come Dancing exit ‘sealed’ as fans fume star is put in ‘death slot’
With another person set to leave this weekend, the leaderboard has been wiped clean as the celebrities try their best to impress.
During the show, Balvinder was highly emotional as she detailed a devastating loss last year when her mother died.
Ahead of her performance, the EastEnders actress was moved to tears as she reminisced on times with her late parent.
The pair were dancing a commercial Punjabi Bhangra as their Couple’s Choice this week, as Balvinder told viewers her mother’s house on a Saturday was always a hive of activity.
She commented: “Last year was a really terrible year for us, losing my mum felt like and still does, feel like I’ve lost a part of me.
Balvinder Sopal opened up on her tragic loss(Image: BBC)
“Me and my mum, we had a brilliant relationship. One of the things I loved was coming home from work, sitting down and having a cup of tea with my mum, wrapped in a blanket, we’d just be warm together.”
The BBC star took a moment to compose herself as she started to tear up speaking about her mum.
She continued: “I’d said no to every single thing that came my way, then Strictly came knocking and I thought, yeah, I’m going to do it. This is my yes year, and I’m going to do it because I want to be seen, because my mum would want me to be seen.”
In a separate clip, with Balvinder speaking with her sister and professional partner, people discovered that their mum had been interviewed by Balvinder for BBC Radio Kent.
The actress played an interview on the BBC show from her mum that was recorded(Image: BBC)
Playing the clip out loud, people were then treated to a voiceover of Balvinder’s mum.
She said: “Try your best and definitely, when you try your best, you’ll get a good result and keep optimistic and one day, definitely, you will get it.”
The actress confessed she’s living her dream being on Strictly, despite it being a rollercoaster of emotions. Balvinder added: “I think my mum would be incredibly happy and dancing, wherever she is, shining down on me.”
In the end, Balvinder was awarded a score of 34 for their routine, her highest in the show so far.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
