Strictly Come Dancing viewers have once again rallied behind Balvinder Sopal, accusing the judges of delivering "harsh" feedback and scoring to the EastEnders star following her American Smooth performance (Entertainment Daily).¹ The actress and her professional partner, Julian Caillon, found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard, sparking outrage among fans who felt the criticism was disproportionate to the quality of the dance.²

The Week 8 Performance and Score

On Saturday night (November 15, 2025), Balvinder, 46, and Julian performed an elegant American Smooth to "My Guy" by Mary Wells.³ Despite delivering a "neat and tidy" and convicted performance, the judges were reserved with their praise:

• Anton Du Beke: Complained the routine was "a little safe," wanting more of the "positivity" she had shown in previous weeks (Entertainment Daily).

• Craig Revel Horwood: Advised her to "watch your recovering arm" after a lift, and wished for "a little bit more punch." He acknowledged, however, that she always dances with "conviction" and is a "beautiful storyteller" (Entertainment Daily).

• Motsi Mabuse: Suggested that Balvinder's focus on technique was detracting from the performance skills (Entertainment Daily).

The final scores placed them at the very bottom of the leaderboard: Craig gave a 6, while Anton, Motsi, and Shirley each awarded a 7, resulting in a total of 27 points (The Pink Un, Radio Times).⁴ This score tied them with reality star Vicky Pattison and her partner, Kai Widdrington, making them joint-bottom of the table (The Pink Un).⁵

😡 Fans Cry "Justice for Bal"

Viewers immediately took to social media to protest the perceived low scores, arguing that the judging panel, particularly Craig Revel Horwood, was determined to see Balvinder eliminated.

• One person called the scores "harsh," suggesting the judges were "showing who they want eliminated" (Entertainment Daily).

• Another fan raged, "A 6??? Bal was so underscored." The sentiment of undeserved punishment was widely shared, with calls for "JUSTICE FOR BAL" trending (Entertainment Daily).⁶

The low score put Balvinder and Julian in a precarious position just one week before the famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom special, causing fans to worry that she would face the dreaded dance-off for the fourth time this series (The Guardian).

The Great Survivor Secures Blackpool Spot

The fears of the fans proved partially correct, as the Sunday night results show (November 16, 2025) confirmed that Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon were indeed in the dance-off, alongside Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington (HELLO!⁷ Magazine).

However, Balvinder’s ability to perform under pressure once again saved her. After both couples performed their routines again, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke all chose to save Balvinder and Julian, with Craig Revel Horwood also confirming he would have saved them had his casting vote been needed (HELLO!⁸ Magazine).

This victory secured Balvinder's place in the competition and officially made her The Great Survivor of the series, having successfully won four dance-offs to reach Blackpool (The Guardian).⁹ Balvinder has now survived eliminations against Ross King, Chris Robshaw, Ellie Goldstein, and, most recently, Vicky Pattison (Mirror Online).

Vicky Pattison, who was eliminated on her 38th birthday, was quoted as saying Balvinder's ability to withstand four dance-offs is a testament to her "nerves of steel" (Mirror Online).

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