Until recently, many viewers might not have been familiar with drag performer La Voix.
Already well-known to fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race, La Voix has seen their profile grow even further thanks to Strictly Come Dancing. Despite the show’s annual controversies, it remains a major career boost for participants—so long as they avoid any scandal that could derail them.
La Voix, whose real name is Chris Dennis, has certainly made an impression. While opinions about the performer are divided, many viewers enjoy their weekly tongue-in-cheek remarks, finding them both funny and charming. It’s likely that La Voix has gained new fans as the series has progressed.
However, despite their popularity, La Voix isn’t among the stronger dancers on the show. As the couples head into the iconic Blackpool Week, the 45-year-old may well be the least technically accomplished of the remaining contestants.
I don’t begrudge celebrities with weaker dance skills staying in the competition—it happens every year, and, in many ways, that’s what Strictly is all about: famous faces learning a completely new craft, showing their struggles, and hopefully improving along the way.
Crucially, each contestant’s place in the show is determined by a combination of fan votes and judges’ scores.
This week, however, it was revealed that La Voix had sustained an injury and would be sitting out the upcoming Blackpool show, allowing them to advance directly to Week 10.
La Voix’s supporters will no doubt be pleased that their favourite contestant is staying in the competition, but this development inevitably puts another couple at risk. Can Balvinder Sopal really survive another dance-off?
The EastEnders star isn’t among the strongest dancers in the current lineup, with performances swinging from impressive to underwhelming compared with some of the more technically skilled contestants.
By contrast, La Voix has, in my view, consistently struggled on the dance floor, seemingly relying on fan votes and the novelty of the flamboyant persona and entertaining routines to secure their place.
The drag performer did land in the dance-off recently but was surprisingly saved, leaving Gladiators star and athlete Harry Aikines-Aryeetey to be eliminated instead.
The following week saw La Voix performing a Couple’s Choice, the context of which was fraught with emotion and a moving backstory.
This saw the memorable performer once again sailing through to Blackpool Week, a huge milestone in the Strictly calendar, while Ms Sopal and Vicky Pattison faced the dance-off.
While I may personally disagree with La Voix having reached Week Nine, I do respect that this pattern emerges almost every year and is simply part of the show. What isn’t acceptable is when there’s a situation in which celebrities can simply strut through the series while not even competing.
Of course, injuries happen and are nobody’s fault, and I can only imagine how crushing that must be for someone who has been enjoying taking part in the show. But as we have seen in the past, it’s the nature of the game.
To name a few, Stefan Dennis of the current series, Nicola Adams of the 2020 show, and Robert Webb in 2021 all had to quit due to illness or injury. Even Kirstian Nairn was replaced before a single twirl this year, resulting in Lewis Cope’s arrival.
Dani Dyer was another casualty of the 2025 series and had been forced to withdraw from the show a week before it began airing after hurting herself during training. It’s unfortunate but somewhat inevitable in such a physically demanding show.
Like any sporting competition, there comes a point when participants must withdraw if they are unable to compete, rather than skipping stages and gaining an unfair advantage.
Back in 2021, presenter and potential Strictly frontrunner AJ Odudu had to pull out of the show near the finale due to injury. Heartbroken though she was, she accepted the situation with grace.
Ms Odudu had shown genuine talent on the dance floor and, had she stayed, was a strong contender for the Glitterball Trophy. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game.
Strictly prides itself on staying true to its classic showbiz roots, maintaining the “show must go on” ethos that was especially evident during the pandemic, when it brought a sense of normalcy while other shows went off air. The programme has also preserved its lighthearted, family-friendly nature despite numerous behind-the-scenes scandals.
Professional dancers are sometimes sidelined for no reason, and they accept it. So why are certain contestants given such a massive advantage?
On a football pitch, if a player is injured, the game continues with a replacement stepping in. Nobody expects the match to pause for the injured player’s convenience.
At this stage in the competition, every week can drastically change the leaderboard. To skip a week and return untouched is, frankly, unfair.
Moreover, La Voix has already achieved what many hoped for in terms of promoting drag representation. They could leave the show with their head held high — so why cling to an unfair method of staying in the contest, especially as the finale looms?
Exceptions might make sense earlier in the series, when standings are still fluid and contestants haven’t yet had a chance to prove themselves. But La Voix’s place in the competition is already clear — and it’s not among the likely winners.
The fair and respectful thing for La Voix to do would be to step aside, letting the finalists be decided on merit. It could even open the door for someone like Ms Pattison to return — why not?
With only three weeks remaining after Blackpool, clinging to a spot without performing feels selfish and unfair to the other contestants.
Fans of the already-popular RuPaul’s Drag Race will tune in to watch La Voix in future series regardless of how they fare on Strictly, and there will undoubtedly be plenty of opportunities ahead.
Stepping away gracefully now would protect the drag star’s reputation, rather than leaving some viewers frustrated as another couple is eliminated under questionable circumstances.
Ultimately, La Voix should do the right thing and exit the competition, allowing the show to progress fairly. If not, the rules clearly need a serious rethink to prevent this kind of situation so close to the finale.