Kym Marsh’s return to Strictly Come Dancing proved to be a short lived one, as, just a week after she was forced to miss the show due to Covid, she and pro partner Graziano Di Prima have been eliminated from the competition.
Former Hear’say star Kym was dealt a big blow last week when, just as she and Graziano were gearing up to do their Couple’s Choice routine, she was forced out of training and last week’s live show due to contracting Covid.
It was immediately confirmed by Strictly bosses that Kym and Graziano would be given a ‘free pass’ to the quarter finals, something that didn’t go down too well with some viewers. While Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden were given the same opportunity after both tested positive for Covid last series, Nicola Adams and Katya Jones were forced to withdraw from Strictly a year earlier when pro Katya contracted the virus.
READ MORE: Helen Skelton sends 'message' to ex with defiant Strictly moment
Rather than a Couple’s Choice, it was a cha cha cha that Kym and Graziano did on their return to the ballroom on Friday, as the show was moved from its usual Saturday slot by the BBC. In the same week that the singer of the classic movie song, Irene Cara, died, the pair took the audience back to the 80s for a routine to Fame.
Kym and Graziano ended up getting 34 out of 40 for the dance, a score that put them at the bottom of the quarter final leaderboard and saw some fans argue that they’d been undermarked by the judges. The total proved not to be enough to keep Kym and Graziano out of the dance-off for a second time, having fallen into the bottom twoearlier in the series.
Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu got a series best score 38 for their Chicago themed Charleston but that wasn’t enough to keep them out of trouble as they landed in the dance off for a third time. After both couples reprised their routines, it was down to the judges to decide who made it through to the semis.
And there was some late drama, as Anton forced Shirley Ballas to use her casting vote as he went for Kym, while Craig and Motsi both opted to save Molly. Kym’s exit from Strictly came as some fans continued to complain about her being given a ‘free pass’ so late on in the competition. During Friday’s show, one critic of the decision tweeted: “ Don’t think she should have been given a free pass to be honest. It’s not fair to the others,” with a second reacting: “ I still don't agree with kym marsh getting a free pass into the next round”
Who do you want to win Strictly? Let us know in our poll below:
READ NEXT:
*Why was Strictly on Friday? BBC move show from Saturday slot
*Johannes Radebe 'the start' of Strictly quarter final after emotional exit
*Oti Mabuse back on Strictly in new role as fans delighted
*Helen Skelton championed over 'honest' reason for doing Strictly
