Strictly Come Dancing has been embroiled in a 'sexism' controversy following the first dance off and elimination of the 2024 series. Olympic swimmer Tom Dean , alongside his professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova , was the first celebrity to be eliminated from the competition after a dance-off with Toyah Willcox and her pro partner Neil Jones. This marks the first time Ukrainian former Playboy model Nadiya has had a partner on the show since 2022, having been dropped in 2023 to give Luba Mushtuk a chance in the main lineup.
Neil Jones has also been without a celebrity for several years. After the public vote, the gold-medallist swimmer, 24, faced singer and actress Toyah Willcox, 66, in the dance-off. Following both couples' second performance, 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. However, BBC viewers are furious at the decision, with some arguing that Tom was only eliminated because the series has too few women this year and show bosses didn't want to lose a woman too early. The lineup has just six women out of 15 celebrities in 2024 and some viewers felt that the decision to save Toyah and send Tom home could have been motivated by a desire to keep the numbers balanced in the early stages, reports the Express .
@marciehatter didn't hold back, tweeting: ".
