The Chapman Report (4)

Dec 9, 2025 by Jeremy

And then there were four. But not the four the Strictly judges nor, evidently, the masses of social media malcontents who screamed “fix” and “ stitch-up” when the two most accomplished celebrities were pitched into a heavyweight dance-off on Sunday and the hugely likeable Lewis had to go.

Head judge Shirley was so distraught she went face-down on the table not knowing what to do. “Speechless” was the word that eventually emerged through gritted teeth. Then “shocked”. A lot more was left unsaid.

The public said it for them. On X, Dave Stewart wrote “What a joke”, Anastasia called it “the biggest robbery in Strictly history”, Ryan blamed horrific voting patterns for depriving genuine fans of seeing the dance of the series, Lewis and Katya’s Halloween Week Couple’s Choice, reprised in the final, Jamal wants a change of format, and Fiona Martin said “sign of the British nationality – people resent seeing people who have natural talent“ favoured over those “who struggle and are less than perfect. It is happening everywhere – the dumbing-down of excellence so that people feel better represented.”

Sure, Fiona, but it is you, the public, who decide who has to dance off. If more people had voted for Lewis than Balvinder, he would have been spared. You can be sure nothing is fixed. In the current climate, the BBC wouldn’t dare, Strictly wouldn’t dare. The show can, however, cleverly steer the public vote, in a ‘plausible deniability’ way.

At least the judges were consistent. After awarding Amber and Nikita the perfect four-0 in real time and Lewis/Katya 35, and with both pairs unerring in repetition, they could hardly have come up with anything other than an emphatic Amber victory. Only Shirley’s comment that “both pairs upped their game” did sound a tad ridiculous. How, in the case of Amber, do you improve on perfection?

No, the judges weren’t the villains – it was YOU, the voting public. You have your favourites and will stick by them through thick and thin. You have taken against the ultra-competitive West End musical theatre star Amber, in particular, from the get-go, ever since she stepped in at short notice for Dani Dyer who had to withdraw.

The final ignominy came when despite scoring 40 (for the second time) she was thrust into a dance-off, as predicted by the week 11 exit poll, which suggested she was going to end up last on the evening’s public vote. So desperate was the voting public to get rid of the ringers (i.e. those with musical theatre training) that, by default, Balvinder was spared a sixth dance-off.

The EastEnder at least has been on “the journey” but that journey will surely end this weekend. Despite her steady improvement, even the generous judges could not give her more than 35, and if that is the limit of her ability and Amber is in the dance-off with her, the judges will again have no option, leaving the unloved Welsh girl to join Karen and George in a final voters and polls have already said conclusively she cannot win.

Bal would have more chance if one of the two favourites, Karen or market leader George, was her dance-off rival this weekend but they appear to have massive public support.

Karen went odds-on for a while to overhaul early market leader George but by Monday night all the odds-against George had been filled in. It’s 1.99 George, 2.22 Karen, at the time of posting, and your guess is as good as mine. But one of them will surely be holding up that Glitterball trophy in two weeks’ time. My bank manager hopes it will be Karen.

The guys have won 13 of the 22 glitterballs and the debonair, laid-back George is now their lone hope of making it 14. He and Karen have both made the required “journey”, Kaz having scotched a rumour she’d had ballet training as a youngster. “With my stiff back, does it look like I could do ballet?” she told the Daily Telegraph. “I was belly-laughing about that.”

She’s the real deal, right enough, as a 144-cap England football international, an MBE and OBE who with steely determination overcame Scheurmann’s Disease (curvature of the upper spine) and has a heap of fans at her old clubs Arsenal, Birmingham and Chelsea – and England – behind her, plus new ones she has made as a TV pundit on Sky and TNT, and now a new Strictly fan club who admire the quiet humility which masks a fierce work ethic. And they have also grown to like her effervescent partner, Carlos Gu.

YouTube personality George’s votes come from a massive social media following that runs into millions and he is very persuasive in getting them voting on Saturday nights. Not the best dancer but still a charmer, he has yet to be in a dance-off, like Karen, and may well get to the final with a clean sheet.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year waters were muddied by Lando Norris’s FI Drivers’ Championship win in Abu Dhabi on Sunday and I was surprised not to see more movement in the market. The Englishman from Glastonbury is still only third favourite behind Rory McIlroy and Chloe Kelly, with plenty of 5.7 available on Betfair.

There has been a big change at the top with Rory backed in to odds-on and footballer Chloe drifting like Kon-Tiki. This will be sweet music to the EntertainmentOdds chief honcho, who might just have had a bit of 50/1 about McIlroy, presumably long before he won the Masters and completed a career Grand Slam. Not long to wait now, Rob!