At the midway point of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing – a show that has helped to hasten the departure of director-general Tim Davie from the BBC – Harry Aikines-Aryeetey became the sixth celebrity to be voted off the show. The former Olympic sprinter and Gladiators star, better known as Nitro, found himself in the Sunday-night dance-off for the first time, alongside professional partner Karen Hauer. All four judges opted to save drag queen La Voix – also appearing in her first dance-off – and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec.
Every year, the week after Hallowe’en Week has a distinct “after the Lord Mayor’s Show” feeling and 2025’s early November offering was certainly no classic. However, it did provide the closest Week 7 leaderboard in Strictly history – just 10 points separated La Voix from this week’s surprise table-topper, reality TV star Vicky Pattison. Tess Daly, Claudia Winkleman and the judges tried to use this fact to heighten the drama, but there was an inevitability about the make-up of the dance-off. La Voix’s foxtrot scored 29, while Aikines-Aryeetey’s samba scored just one more. Actress Alex Kingston joined him on 30, but she has otherwise had a very strong series.
While Aikines-Aryeetey has brought charisma and energy to the dance floor, he was never able to keep up with the improvement from his fellow celebrities. Tonight, four of the remaining nine contestants – Balvinder Sopal, Amber Davies, George Clarke and Pattison – secured their highest score of the series. Three more – La Voix, Lewis Cope and Karen Carney – got their highest score last week. As judge Anton Du Beke put it: “That was a good dance for Harry, but the level has just gone up around him.” The result means that Hauer, the current longest-serving professional on the show, will have to wait for her first ever Strictly Come Dancing win.
Many of the remaining eight celebrities will be pleased with their Week 7 efforts, but none more so than Pattison. The 39 she scored for her tango with partner Kai Widdrington – who looks like a man on a mission to secure that Glitterball Trophy – would have seemed scarcely believable just two or three weeks ago.
