A whopping 57.5 per cent of fans think that Strictly Come Dancing star Rhys Stephenson and partner Nancy Xu should have returned for tonight’s grand final, following confirmation that original finalist AJ Odudu had dropped out of the competition.
Sadly, AJ Odudu and her professional dance partner Kai Widdrington pulled out yesterday due to AJ’s traumatic foot injury, which has left her unable to stand.
RadioTimes.com‘s official poll asked viewers whether they thought Rhys should have been given a chance to compete in her place. The response saw most people agree with the suggestion, with the remaining 42.5 per cent deciding against the idea.
With AJ Odudu officially out of the #StrictlyComeDancing final, should they have brought Rhys Stephenson back to compete? Share your thoughts in the replies.
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) December 17, 2021
Last week’s semi-final saw Rhys and Nancy perform two dances in a bid to earn a spot in the final. They danced a Samba to It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) by Michael Bublé followed by a Tango to One Vision by Queen, scoring 36 and 38 out of a maximum 40.
They later bowed out after twelve impressive weeks, with a strong journey that saw the couple break the record for the earliest top score for a Charleston.
The pair faced the dance-off against John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, and the usually tough to impress Craig Revel Horwood struggled before making his choice, saying: “This has been one of the most amazing dance offs I’ve ever witnessed. Both couples are equal and both couples deserve to go through and I just want to put both couples through.” Despite this, he ultimately agreed with his fellow judges, opting to save John and Johannes.
Following last Sunday’s results, our previous poll showed that 75 percent of fans agreed with their decision. But the competition now features only John and Johannes competing against Rose Ayling Ellis and Giovanni Pernice for the glitterball trophy – and many feel that Rhys should have been brought back for a second chance.
Unfortunately, the show won’t be bringing any former contestants back, leaving just two to battle it out for the champion title.
Strictly continues tonight on BBC One. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub.