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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Lottie Gibbons

BBC Strictly viewers spot 'real reason' Richie Anderson was eliminated

Strictly Come Dancing fans were furious as Richie Anderson was revealed as the second celebrity to depart the dance floor.

After the second public vote, the 34-year-old TV and radio personality found himself up against Fleur East in the dance-off. Richie then performed his routine with partner Giovanni Pernice for the second time after Saturday evening's live show.

The pair danced their head-turning samba to Hakuna Matata from the much-loved Disney movie The Lion King. During the judges' comments on Saturday evening, head judge Shirley Ballas joked: "I don't think I'll ever look at Giovanni the same again," after the pair donned Lion King costumes for their performance.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson speechless as ITV Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestant breaks 14-year record

Richie dressed as mischievous meerkat Timon, while Giovanni, 32, was dressed as warthog Pumbaa. The dancing show's 14 celebrity contestants took to the dancefloor for the third time on Saturday evening for the traditional movie-themed edition.

Up against Richardson in the dance-off, former The X Factor contestant Fleur, 34, performed the American Smooth to Part Of Your World from The Little Mermaid with her dance partner Vito Coppola.

Following the dance-off, viewers took to Twitter. Julia said: "This is what happens when you have the judges playing silly b****** with the scoring pandering to the audience." Doddsy said: "Odd that the judges don’t think their ridiculous scoring and obvious favouritism doesn’t push viewers in the opposite direction."

Jeremy added: "Well if the judges had been more honest and consistent with their scoring, Fleur wouldn’t have been in the bottom two as she’d have been higher up the leaderboard to start with." And LyVa said: "Can I just say, the crazy judges scoring is to blame for putting the two couples in the dance off."

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