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Strictly Come Dancing: Michelle Visage voted out in Week 9

She and Giovanni Pernice lost out to Saffron Barker

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Drag Race star Michelle Visage’s wild ride on Strictly Come Dancing has come to an end in Blackpool.

The US TV personality, 51, became the ninth celebrity to leave the BBC One competition after she lost out in the dance off to YouTuber Saffron Barker.

Michelle and pro partner Giovanni Pernice found themselves rock bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday night, despite picking up a respectable 32 points for their couple’s choice – a street commercial to Vogue by Madonna.

Judges and viewers at home via social media made it clear how much they appreciated the routine’s bold theme, but it seems that did not translate into votes.

Michelle got her Vogue on (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Read more: Michelle Visage ‘at war with BBC over her axing from Strictly Come Dancing tour’

Craig Revel Horwood remarked yesterday evening: “I loved the high styling of it and I loved the sentiment of it.”

And head judge Shirley Ballas added: “A dance is an expression to music and you used it fully. I also loved the sentiment.”

I loved the sentiment of it.

Meanwhile, Saffron and her partner AJ Pritchard racked up a score of 35 to finish fourth out of the seven acts remaining.

That, too, was not enough to keep them safe from potential elimination and demonstrates how every point counts as the contest reaches the later stages.

Saffron survives to dance another week (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Read more: Strictly’s Motsi Mabuse tickles viewers with a bizarre slip of the tongue during Blackpool show

And although the standard of performances was very high for the annual bonanza in the north west, there was controversy elsewhere when Karim Zeroual was denied a perfect score.

Many fans felt the presenter had been ‘robbed’ of four 10s.

It was a high scoring round (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Veteran pro partner Anton du Beke will probably have fond memories of this trip to Blackpool, though. The 53-year-old achieved his first 10 in 17 years on the show!

And following a dramatic show, it seems the show’s stars made the most of unwinding before another week of hard training. According to a tabloid report, the post-show party in Blackpool for some continued until 5am.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B47pPagHijK/

Some of Michelle’s fans feel she lost her place in the competition because viewers didn’t understand the significance and importance of Vogue-ing, which is so rooted within the gay community.

They argued that her routine didn’t contain enough technical dance moves.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One next Saturday at 7pm

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Robert Leigh
Freelance writer