We now have our final three for Strictly Come Dancing 2023.
With the Strictly Come Dancing final next week, there was always going to be one couple which fell at the final hurdle and didn’t make it into the final three.
As seen in tonight’s (Sunday 10th December) results show, that couple was Annabel Croft and Johannes Rabede, with Croft becoming the 10th celebrity to be eliminated.
With Layton Williams and Ellie Leach both sailing through to the final, Croft faced Bobby Brazier in the dance off, with the couples each performing their favourite routine from the night.
Bobby and his partner Dianne Buswell performed their Quickstep to Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin, while Annabel and Johannes performed their Viennese Waltz to Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by Slow Moving Millie.
When it came to the judges votes, Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Annabel and Johannes, saying: “Well, one dance was flashy, one dance was quiet. I think both couples have equalised completely. I saw improvement in this one couple and based on this dance and nothing in the past but this dance alone, the person which I think had the most exquisite technique is Annabel and Johannes.”
Read more:
- Strictly’s Ellie Leach didn’t think she’d get this far ahead of semi-finals
- ‘King of Ballroom’ Bobby Brazier receives highest Strictly score yet
Meanwhile, all three other judges chose to save Bobby and Dianne, with head judge Shirley Ballas having the deciding vote.
She said when making her decision: “The semi-final 2023, I thought both couples were absolutely extraordinary, I felt that both couples lifted their performance, I thought there was technical qualities on both sides, improvements galore, but again one tiny mistake coming out of a pivot turn and therefore my decision would be to save Bobby and Dianne.”
Annabel had a difficult night when compared with the other contestants, with her salsa being called “spiky” and landing her and Johannes at the bottom of the leaderboard.
On hearing that she would not be making it through to the final, Annabel said: “It’s been the most life-changing and extraordinary experience of my life. I have to congratulate Bobby and Dianne and all the contestants that took part in it. But obviously, it’s been an amazing, magical experience for me.
“Johannes, you have been absolutely extraordinary. You have given me a reason to get out of bed and come and dance with you, distract me and to heal me. I can’t thank you enough for that. You have been so patient, so caring and so loving. You are an unbelievably special human being. I simply adore you. Thank you so much.”
Meanwhile, Johannes said to Annabel: “I would like to say thank you. Thank you for making the decision to come here. Thank you to Strictly Come Dancing for sending her my way. My life is richer with you in it.
“I hope we dance long after this has ended. You know my heart and I just want to tell you thank you Annabel. Thank you Lily, thank you Amber, thank you Charlie [Annabel’s children].”
The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 final will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 16th December at 7pm.
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