BBC Strictly Come Dancing star given 'worrying' figure ahead of second dance and first exit

One Strictly Come Dancing star has been dealt a blow ahead of the second week of the competition as a 'worrying' figure was revealed. The hit BBC One dance contest is well and truly underway after the celebrities and their dance partners performed for the first time.

The first live show of the 2024 series aired last Saturday (September 21), a week after the pre-recorded launch show kicked off the show's latest run in its usually sparkly and spectacular style.

It was then last weekend that all 15 of the new Strictly couples performed live for the first time but this time it was just for the judges' comments and scores as it's not until this Saturday (September 28), during week two of the competition that viewers get to cast their votes.

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The voting lines opening, however, means that the first dance-off and elimination of the 22nd series will take place during the results show on Sunday night (September 29) after all the couples perform once more.

Ahead of the next live show, it's been revealed that Toyah Willcox is the firm favourite to be the first contestant eliminated from this year’s edition of Strictly on Sunday, with research from William Hill Vegas suggesting her decision to perform the Jive this weekend could contribute to her downfall.

The Jive has been responsible for a significant 14.7 per cent of eliminations from the popular BBC show in the last seven series, making it the second riskiest routine in the show behind the Samba (21.3%). It's characterised by its upbeat tempo, sharp kicks and flicks, making it one of the hardest routines on the Strictly dancefloor.

Contestants have struggled with the dance in recent years, notably Nikita Kanda in last year’s series, who suffered elimination in the second week. Toyah will therefore need to work on her precision and endurance to avoid falling into the Jive's elimination trap, and is the firm 11/8 favourite to depart the show this weekend after scoring just 12 points in last week’s opener alongside her professional dance partner Neil Jones.

William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, said: “The Jive is often perceived as one of the trickier routines in Strictly Come Dancing, with our research showing that the African American dance has been responsible for more than one in seven Ballroom eliminations since 2018.

"That figure will sound worrying for Toyah Willcox and partner Neil Jones, who not only will be performing the Jive on Saturday but are now our firm 11/8 favourites to be the first pair eliminated from the show.

"Toyah’s price to leave this weekend continues to shorten and is the lowest price for elimination we’ve had on any contestant so far this series, with Paul Merson (9/4) and Nick Knowles (13/2) also in the running."