Lauren and Krishnan have been a joy to watch this year (Picture: BBC/PA)
The seventh star has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2023 – and sadly, Krishnan Guru-Murthy’s time in the competition has come to an end.
The newsreader has been a bundle of joy throughout this year’s BBC series, after joining forces with professional dancer Lauren Oakley in her first partnership with a celebrity.
On Saturday night, Krishnan, 53, and Lauren, 32, landed at the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 25 out of a possible 40 for their saucy Samba to Bamboléo by Gipsy Kings.
The pair wound up in the dance-off opposite Angela Rippon, 79, and her partner Kai Widdrington, 28, who had performed a Paso doble to Madonna’s Hung Up.
After both of the couples performed their routines for a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke deciding to save Angela.
While this confirmed Krishnan’s elimination, head judge Shirley Ballas revealed that she would have chosen to keep him in the competition.
Shirley revealed she would have saved Krishnan and Lauren in the dance-off (Picture: BBC/PA)
Angela and Kai will be returning for Blackpool week (Puctyre: BBC/Guy Levy)
Looking ahead to next week’s Strictly, which will take place at The Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Craig said: ‘Well Krishnan you really upped your game in that dance off, it was magnificent.
‘Angela you nearly lost your supporting leg darling in the kick but you saved it, miraculously. But the couple that I would like to save and go through to Blackpool is Angela and Kai.’
Motsi admitted that the decision was very difficult for her to make, stating: ‘To be honest I’ve never been so undecided in my decision, I’ve been going back and forth, back and forth, in the end I’ve decided for fundamentals and technical level so I will be saving Angela and Kai.’
Anton said that both couples ‘danced very well’ in a ‘super dance off’, before adding: ‘But just for the cleaner technique really, and the more recognisable fundamentals, I’m going to save Angela and Kai.’
However, Shirley then revealed: ‘Well I picked the person that I felt was more grounded on their feet without any technical errors and I would have saved Krishnan & Lauren.’
We’re going to miss these two! (PIcture: BBC/PA)
Speaking to presenter Tess Daly after he was voted out of the competition, the Channel 4 News journalist shared: ‘Look this has been the most incredible experience. I said it has been life changing and it genuinely has. I am incredibly grateful to the entire production team, judges, my incredible Strictly family up there.
‘It’s right I am going out this week and I have got to get back to life. The thing that has made Strictly really special is Lauren. She is the most incredible teacher, partner, friend. She is the real Strictly star and I am so delighted I am the first partnership you have had. She is going to go a long way and I am very proud of her.’
Lauren said that she ‘couldn’t have asked for a better first dance partner’, after first joining Strictly last year.
‘It has been an absolute dream,’ she said. This guy is what Strictly is about from not having danced a step eight weeks ago and you just danced that Samba!
‘I had an absolute ball every single week. You taught me so much as well, I am so grateful and it will be in my memory forever, and we will keep dancing.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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The couple have narrowly missed out on Blackpool week.