Chris Appleton Becomes First Celebrity Eliminated From Strictly 2026
Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton and partner Amy Dowden lost the first dance-off of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu.
- Hair stylist Chris Appleton is the first celebrity eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026.
- He and partner Amy Dowden lost the dance-off to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu.
- Ballas, Mabuse and Du Beke voted to save Winstone and Gu.
- Fourteen couples remain; Strictly returns Saturday 10 October on BBC One.
Chris Appleton has become the first celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing this year. The celebrity hair stylist and his professional partner Amy Dowden were sent home on Sunday night's Movie Week results show after losing the first dance-off of the series.
What happened in the dance-off
The first week of the series had no public vote. That changed on Saturday 3 October, when viewers could phone in for the first time this year.
To decide the bottom two, the judges' scores from this week were added to those from the first live show. They were then combined with the result of the public vote.
That left Appleton and Dowden facing actress Jaime Winstone, known for Kidulthood, and her partner Carlos Gu.
Both couples danced a Cha Cha again. Appleton and Dowden performed to "I'll Be Ready" from Baywatch. Winstone and Gu danced to Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" from Pretty Woman.
How the judges voted
Head judge Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Winstone and Gu. That meant Craig Revel Horwood, who held the deciding vote this week, did not have to use it.
Asked by hosts Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe, Revel Horwood said he would have made the same choice.
The rest of the results show
The Strictly professionals performed a routine inspired by The Devil Wears Prada. According to The Independent, it featured Mabuse and Revel Horwood.
There was also a guest performance from Matilda The Musical. The four young performers who play Matilda sang "Quiet" alongside the show's composer, Tim Minchin.
Who is Chris Appleton?
Appleton, 43, is a celebrity hair stylist. The Independent reports he has styled stars including Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande. His memoir, Your Roots Don't Define You, recently made the New York Times Best Seller list.
Before his exit, he said he was "thrilled" to join the line-up. His casting also set off rumours that Kardashian might be in the audience for his first performance. She did not appear.
A repeat for Amy Dowden
The result is the second year running that Dowden has been in the first couple to leave. In 2025, her partner Thomas Skinner was voted off first, according to The Independent.
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What happens next
The remaining fourteen couples return to the dance floor on Saturday 10 October at 6:15pm on BBC One. If you want to influence who stays, the public vote is now part of the process, and it is combined with the judges' scores to decide who lands in the bottom two. Winstone and Gu go into the next round having survived their first dance-off.
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