Pete Wicks dealt brutal blow ahead of BBC Strictly live show amid backlash to avoiding dance-off
Pete Wicks may have avoided the dreaded dance-off so far in his BBC Strictly journey, but the reality star might find his luck could run out this week.
Wicks, 36, and dance partner Jowita Przystal found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard on last weekend’s show, but the two were once again saved from having to fight for their place in the competition.
Following the couples’ performances in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom during the milestone week, the two with the fewest votes ended up being Wynne Evans and partner Katya Jones and Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe.
The four judges unanimously opted to save the latter, meaning opera singer Evans had to bid farewell to the competition.
Former The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star Wicks was the subject of some social media backlash following the results show, with many fans agreeing he had been the weakest dancer and should have been in the dance-off.
Viewers might see things changing this weekend though, with new odds indicating Wicks is the current frontrunner to be booted off on Sunday’s show.
According to betting company Betfred, the TV personality is the favourite to be eliminated, with unfavourable odds of 10/11.
Kayley Cornelius from Betfred commented: “Pete Wicks has been dancing on thin ice since the start of the series.
“However, his ballroom journey may be nearing its inevitable end, as he’s priced at a damning 10/11 to be eliminated this weekend.
“Without a strong performance this Saturday, it’s going to be difficult for Pete to dodge the dance-off again, especially now that most of the less-favoured competition has left.
“His loyal fans will be put to the test once again if they hope to save their favourite star.
“For the remaining contestants, facing Pete Wicks in the dance-off would likely come as a relief, given his skills are significantly behind the rest of the pack.
“Meanwhile, Montell Douglas, currently priced at 3/1 to leave on Sunday night, will need a relatively easy opponent to survive her third dance-off and if she hopes to make it to the semi-finals.”
Douglas is priced at 3/1, with JB Gill at 100/30 and Jamie Borthwick’s odds of leaving standing at 9/2.
Douglas and Radebe were put in the worrying position last week despite being towards the middle of the leaderboard, with the two receiving a promising 35 points for their Salsa.
After his Cha Cha Cha, Wicks achieved a much weaker score of 27, along with some mixed feedback from the judges.
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Craig Revel Horwood noted: “I don’t think this dance actually sat naturally on you, and I felt like you were fighting every single inch of it.”
He continued: “It was very uncoordinated, you were behind musically as well. You were on a completely bent leg.”
Fans will have to wait until Saturday’s show to whether the TOWIE star manages to pull out all the stops and impress with his week 10 dance, a Tango.