Strictly Come Dancing fans were less impressed after the show made some changes on Sunday night.

Last night, all 15 Strictly celebrities battled it out on the dancefloor for a place in the competition, but one couple will be sent packing tonight.

However, as Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly confirmed which celebrities were safe, they slowly whittled it down to who could be leaving.

Usually, in the first half of the show, the hosts would announce the first couple who landed in the dance-off, before announcing the second pairing in the second half of the programme.

However, they decided to shake things up tonight, and some fans were not happy about the change. This wasn’t the only shake-up to the show, as fans noticed that the music had changed when the results were announced.

Some were also frustrated that the show wasn’t opened with a performance from the professional dancers.

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Fans weren’t happy with the format shake-up(Image: BBC)

Taking to X, one fan fumed, “Ew, I forgot they stopped showing the pro dance first, it still feels so wrong #strictly.”

Another said, “Ugh, still no pro dance at the start, always hated this change #strictly.”

Meanwhile, some supporters of the saved contestant defended the decision, arguing that punishing someone over a technical issue would have been unfair. “Imagine being eliminated because of a glitch,” one user posted. “They did the right thing — people are just mad because it wasn’t their favorite who benefited.”

Still, even those who sympathized with the technical hiccup agreed that the BBC’s communication left much to be desired.

The network released a brief statement later that night confirming that “a technical problem affected a small number of viewer votes” and that “the fairest course of action was to ensure no contestant was disadvantaged.”

They assured fans that the issue had been identified and would be resolved before the next live show.

While a third added, “Bring back the old results music, I’m begging you BBC #StrictlyComeDancing #Strictly.”

Someone else added, “Why change the music? Really not liking it. #StrictlyComeDancing.”

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Amy and Thomas on the results show(Image: BBC)

“They’ve changed the music when who is in dance off is announced. It doesn’t build the tension nearly as much as the old music. Why change something which ain’t broke? #strictly,” another fan commented. (sic)

Social media exploded within seconds. X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with furious posts accusing the show of favoritism and bending the rules to protect certain celebrities.

“I can’t cope! How do they just change the rules like that?” one fan wrote. Another fumed, “This isn’t fair — it’s Strictly Come Dancing, not Make It Up As We Go Along!” A third complained, “You can’t just decide mid-show that no one goes home. What’s even the point of voting then?”

Even long-time fans of the show admitted they were baffled. Many pointed out that the so-called “technical issues” conveniently benefited one of the show’s more high-profile contestants — a star who had been struggling on the leaderboard but remained a ratings favorite.

“Funny how the system always ‘breaks’ when it’s time to save someone the BBC wants to keep,” one user remarked. Another added, “It’s giving producer interference — plain and simple.”

One fan went on, “I can’t cope with all these changes… no phone voting, no introducing Tess and Claudia at the beginning, the celebs’ jobs not being introduced, and them not coming down the stairs to the theme tune anymore, and NOW new results music. ENOUGH. #Strictly.”

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Claudia Winkleman on Strictly(Image: BBC)

“This format is s***,” an angry fan fumed while another echoed the same sentiment. Someone else accused the BBC of “ruining” the show.

Not everyone hated the format shake-up, as one said, “Already loving this new format for the results show giving us a Last night bit before the main titles #Strictly.”

Tonight, the two pairings that landed in the bottom two were Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden, and Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova.

Strictly Come Dancing fans were left absolutely fuming last night after a last-minute rule change during the results show flipped the competition on its head — sparking a wave of outrage across social media. What should have been a straightforward elimination turned into one of the most controversial moments in the show’s history, as a surprise decision from the judges and producers saved a struggling celebrity from being sent home.

The drama erupted midway through the live results broadcast, when hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced that a “special adjustment” would be made to the week’s elimination process due to “technical complications with the voting system.” Fans immediately sensed something was off — and moments later, chaos ensued.

After all the votes were tallied, two contestants — a fan-favorite performer and one of the lower-ranked stars — were expected to face off in the dreaded dance-off. But instead, Tess revealed that the elimination format had been temporarily altered, meaning no one would be sent home that evening. The shock decision saved one contestant who had clearly been on the brink of elimination — and viewers were not having it.

The contestant at the center of the storm appeared visibly emotional on stage when Tess confirmed they were safe, covering their face and thanking the judges for the “unexpected lifeline.” But that didn’t do much to calm viewers at home, who felt the twist undermined the show’s fairness.

Behind the scenes, sources close to the production told tabloids that the decision was made only minutes before the live broadcast began, after a glitch was detected in the online voting system. “Producers were panicking,” one insider revealed. “They didn’t want to risk an unfair result, so they called an emergency meeting and decided it was safest to freeze eliminations for the week. But they knew fans wouldn’t be happy.”

And fans certainly were not happy. Hashtags like #StrictlyFix and #RuleChangeRage began trending almost immediately, with thousands of posts slamming the show’s credibility. “I love Strictly, but this feels wrong,” one longtime viewer wrote. “If you can’t guarantee a fair vote, postpone the results — don’t just move the goalposts mid-show.” Another fan vented, “This is why people stop voting. We spend money on texts and calls just for them to say, ‘Oops, never mind!’”

Even some former contestants weighed in, with one ex-pro dancer tweeting, “Rule changes should never happen live. It damages trust — and the celebs feel awkward about being ‘saved’ this way.” Others speculated that the show could face backlash from Ofcom if viewers file complaints about the integrity of the voting process.

Despite the uproar, the judges appeared supportive of the decision on-air. Shirley Ballas, the head judge, told viewers, “Sometimes these things happen — what matters is fairness to all the couples. We’ll come back stronger next week.” But her words did little to calm fans convinced that the rule change favored certain competitors over others.

Claudia Winkleman, sensing the growing tension, tried to lighten the mood with her signature dry humor, quipping, “Well, that’s one way to keep the glitterball dream alive!” The studio audience laughed — but social media wasn’t as forgiving. “They’re laughing while fans are fuming,” one comment read. “It’s like they don’t take us seriously.”

Yet, the damage was already done. Fans continued to call for more transparency, demanding proof of what went wrong and accusing the show of manufacturing drama to keep ratings high. “Every year there’s a twist,” one angry viewer wrote. “But this one takes the cake. It’s not a dance competition anymore — it’s reality TV chaos.”

By Monday morning, the controversy had made national headlines, with several outlets dubbing it “Strictly’s most scandalous results show in years.” Rumors began swirling about tension among the remaining contestants, with some reportedly feeling uneasy about how the decision might affect future eliminations.

Still, insiders say the show is determined to move forward. “The producers know they’ve upset people,” one source said. “But next week’s live show will be bigger than ever — they’re hoping an incredible performance lineup will get fans focused back on the dancing.”

Whether that works remains to be seen. For now, Strictly Come Dancing finds itself in the middle of yet another glitter-filled controversy — one that’s left fans questioning not just the rules, but the very heart of the competition itself.

As one viewer put it perfectly: “Strictly isn’t supposed to make me angry. It’s supposed to make me dance around my living room. But tonight? I’m seeing red — not glitter.”

They both had to take to the dance floor once more, and Thomas and Amy performed their Salsa to “Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden, before Chris and Nadiya performed their Viennese Waltz to “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

However, sadly, the judges voted to save Nadiya and Chris, meaning Amy and Thomas were sent home.