Dan Walker fuels Strictly fix rumour with statement on Tom Dean and Nadiya Bychkova exit
Strictly's Nadiya Bychkova and Tom Dean were sent home tonight in the first dance-off elimination and Dan Walker fuelled conspiracies.
Strictly Come Dancing Nadiya Bychkova’s former celebrity partner Dan Walker poured fuel on the fires of fix rumours tonight after she and Tom Dean were sent home after the first elimination.
Olympian Tom Dean and his pro partner Nadiya Bychkova fell into the first dance-off against Toyah Willcox and pro partner Neil Jones tonight - and the judges chose to save Toyah over Nadiya.
Dan Walker, who was partnered on the series with Nadiya in 2021, hit out at the show, fuelling speculation that something fishy was behind Tom’s early exit.
Dan Walker said: “What just happened on Strictly feels a bit messed up.
“Tom Dean’s departure will go down as one of THE early shocks. Lovely bloke who really could have become a great dancer. He looked like he was loving every second of it and Nadiya Bychkova looked like she loved teaching him.
“I’m not an expert - and I’m happy for someone to explain - but how he lost that dance off is completely beyond my comprehension. Genuinely thought they could have gone a long way.”
The pair faced off against Toyah Willcox and her pro partner Neil Jones after falling into the bottom two in week two, the first elimination week.
After both couples danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts, with Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse both choosing to save Willcox and Jones while
Anton Du Beke opted to save Dean and Bychkova. Head judge Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote and chose to save Willcox and Jones.
After the episode went out, which was actually filmed on Saturday, Nadiya posted on her Instagram with an emotional message.
She appeared to be seething over the decision as she refused to be drawn on being eliminated from the contest at the very first dance off.
She said: “I really appreciate all the messages but I’m not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet.”
Some viewers had suggested that the judges kept Toyah because there are only six female dancers this year.
