Chris Appleton has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing after losing the first dance-off of the series to actress Jaime Winstone.
The 43-year-old hair stylist, who grew up in Leicester and is now based among Hollywood’s most sought-after hairdressers, received the fewest public votes alongside Winstone, 41. The judges then unanimously chose to save Winstone and her professional partner Carlos Gu.
Appleton and his partner Amy Dowden performed a cha cha to I’ll Be Ready from Baywatch during Movies Week, but their routine earned 17 points. Despite ending with Appleton opening his red vest to reveal his stomach, the judges criticised his technique.
Craig Revel-Horwood said the performance was “a little bit disconnected” and included “some awkward moments”, adding that Appleton’s upper body needed to work more closely with his hips and straight legs.
Motsi Mabuse said she could “see improvement”, while Anton Du Beke described the routine as being “another level”, although he agreed that the dancing was not yet strong enough.
Revel-Horwood did not need to use his deciding vote after Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Du Beke all voted to save Winstone and Gu, who had danced to Pretty Woman. He later said he would also have chosen to save Winstone.
Appleton had spoken about his nerves before the dance-off. “I’m having a blast, I am really struggling with my nerves, I’m not going to lie, I’ve never done it,” he said. “But I am finding a new part of myself and dancing, I’m just having so much fun.”
The result means Appleton has not matched the progress of his close friend Kim Kardashian, who was the third contestant eliminated from the US version, Dancing With The Stars, when she competed with professional partner Mark Ballas in 2008.
Amy Dowden’s hoped-for Strictly comeback ends early
The early exit is also a setback for Dowden, who had been hoping for a stronger return to the programme after a difficult run in recent years.
Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32 in 2023 and stepped away from the show while undergoing treatment. She had found a lump one day before her honeymoon after marrying fellow dancer Ben Jones.
She returned the following year but was forced to withdraw because of a severe foot and shin injury. Last year, she and Thomas Skinner were eliminated in the second week.
Dowden has also lived with Crohn’s disease since her teenage years. Appleton and Dowden had been near the bottom of the leaderboard before failing to receive enough public support to continue.
The remaining 14 couples will dance next week, when Strictly Come Dancing returns at 6.15pm on Saturday October 10. Appleton and Dowden will also appear on Strictly – It Takes Two on Monday at 6.30pm.
