Alex Kingston exits Strictly after injury hampers her dances while Sopal survives a fifth dance off
Alex Kingston became the latest celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing after a difficult and painful performance during Saturday’s live show. The Doctor Who star, who had been a popular and elegant presence throughout the series, struggled with a rib injury that left her visibly uncomfortable on the dance floor. Her mistakes in both routines ultimately cost her a place in next week’s Musicals Week quarter finals. Kingston lost the Sunday night dance off to EastEnders actor Balvinder Sopal, who made Strictly history by becoming the first contestant to survive five dance offs.
Kingston, aged sixty two, had dislocated a rib the previous week and entered the weekend already in discomfort. Saturday’s show required her to perform two dances. Her main routine was a cha cha cha to Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell with her professional partner Johannes Radebe. This was followed by a rumba as part of the series’s first ever Instant Dance challenge. Because the Sunday results show is filmed on the same evening as the main programme, Kingston had to complete three dances in quick succession. Despite her best efforts, she was visibly limited by the injury and unable to match the standard she had maintained earlier in the competition.
Her cha cha cha earned a score of twenty three, one of the lowest for this stage of the competition. Only three celebrities have scored lower in week ten across the history of Strictly. Sopal, dancing a jive with Julian Caillon, scored twenty eight. Although her routine contained errors, it was energetic and well received by the judges. When she corrected those mistakes in the dance off, the decision to save her was straightforward for most of the panel. Only Anton Du Beke voted to keep Kingston and Radebe in the competition.
Sopal also excelled in the Instant Dance challenge, finishing second behind series favourite Lewis Cope. Her strong showing in that round may have reinforced the judges’ confidence in saving her. Kingston, who had never previously been in a dance off, looked resigned during the result. She improved in her second performance but the tension of the moment, combined with the physical strain of her injury, made it difficult for her to deliver the fluidity and freedom she had shown earlier in the series.
Speaking after her elimination, Kingston acknowledged the mistakes, admitting she had never experienced such errors before. She expressed disappointment at leaving but also relief at the prospect of allowing her body to recover. Radebe praised her commitment and poise throughout the competition and said she had been a joy to work with.
Sopal’s survival continues a remarkable run of dance off victories. She now stands alone as the only contestant to survive five separate dance offs, surpassing pop star Jamelia, who reached five in the 2015 series but exited on her fifth appearance. Sopal looked stunned at being saved once again and is expected to face another tough battle next week. Many viewers already anticipate the possibility of a sixth dance off appearance, though her resilience has become one of the unexpected storylines of the 2025 series.
The competition now moves to the quarter finals, where a brand new high stakes challenge awaits the remaining couples. Lewis Cope remains the clear favourite and is expected to thrive in the demanding format. Musicals Week will also bring renewed scrutiny to Amber Davies, the former Love Island winner whose background in stage musicals has been discussed throughout the series. Kingston, herself a seasoned stage performer, leaves the show just before one of its most theatrical and celebrated weeks, a disappointment that adds to the sting of her early departure.