Actress Alex Kingston's journey on Strictly Come Dancing has come to an end, making her the eighth celebrity to be eliminated from the BBC's flagship dance competition.
The Final Dance-Off
The decision was made during Sunday night's results show after Kingston and her professional partner, Johannes Radebe, found themselves in the dance-off against Balvinder Sopal and her partner Julian Caillon. This marked the fifth time the EastEnders actress had been in this precarious position.
Following the repeat performances, the judges were divided. Anton Du Beke chose to save Alex, while Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse voted to save Balvinder. With the votes tied, head judge Shirley Ballas used her casting vote, ultimately sending the ER star home and ending her hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
An Emotional Farewell
Speaking after her elimination, a reflective Alex Kingston shared her thoughts on the experience. "I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would last this long," she confessed. "It's been just the most incredible journey for me. I feel quite proud of myself because I've loved the process, I mean 100%, you can tell by my smile."
She also paid a heartfelt tribute to her dance partner, confirming a lasting bond. "Everyone always says that their dance partner is a friend for life, but JoJo really will be."
Johannes Radebe responded in kind, stating, "I've never grinned as much as I have in the last few weeks. Thank you Alex for being a trooper, I will hold on to the memories. As far as the dancing goes, I think we've achieved what we wanted to achieve. These memories are just the beginning for us, we can say that we are very much a Strictly family."
The Physical Toll of Competition
Kingston's exit follows her candid revelations about the physical strain of the competition. On the previous night's show, the 62-year-old actress opened up about the challenges her body was facing.
"This is the time to talk to the public actually about where we're at as competitive dancers in this," she said. "It's never really discussed when you're at the sharp end how your bodies are really suffering."
She humorously added, "My 62 year old self is saying 'What are you putting me through?' But my spirit and my soul is going (fingers in ears) I don't want to know, I want to keep dancing." Her comments came after her daughter had previously disclosed that Alex was dancing with a rib injury during Blackpool week, highlighting the immense dedication required from the celebrities.
Despite the physical demands, Kingston acknowledged the shared experience with the professional dancers, concluding, "But there is a point at which you feel this is what the life of a dancer is like. All of these dancers know what I'm going through...which is physical problems and fatigue. But it's still a competition."
