Hartlepool actor Lewis Cope leads the Strictly leaderboard again while former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is eliminated by the judges.
Dancing a quickstep to Ring of Fire with professional partner Katya Jones, Lewis Cope scored 34 out of 40 on this week’s Icon show, which celebrated some of the world’s biggest music stars.
Lewis, dressed as country legend Johnny Cash, received high praise from the judges, who were also dressed as music icons. Craig Revel Horwood said, “I absolutely loved it, it was clean, it had flight. You are incredible.” Motsi Mabuse added, “This is how you open a show. This was so on top, I absolutely love the way you work with music. I love how you’ve developed your ballroom, especially dancing in connection with your dance partner. Perfect start to the evening. Well done.”
This wasn’t the first time Lewis and Katya topped the leaderboard, having previously scored 37 points for their paso doble to The Plaza of Execution from The Mask of Zorro.
Lewis, previously part of Hartlepool street dance troupe Ruff Diamond, will return for the series’ popular Halloween Special on Saturday, November 1.
He is considered one of the frontrunners to win the glitterball trophy, alongside YouTuber George Clarke.
During the show, hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly addressed their upcoming departure from Strictly, having co-hosted the series since 2014.
Former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was the fourth celebrity eliminated during Sunday’s results show.