Bethany Antonia has received an outpouring of support after emotionally addressing her departure from Strictly Come Dancing, following a controversial dance-off decision that left viewers questioning why she and professional partner Nancy Xu were sent home.

The House of the Dragon actress became the sixth celebrity to leave the 2026 competition after facing Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby in Sunday’s results show. Despite scoring 30 points for their Foxtrot to Leona Lewis’s Bleeding Love, Bethany and Nancy were ultimately eliminated after the judges delivered a split decision.

Speaking on the spin-off programme Strictly: Lights Up, Bethany reflected on her emotional journey and admitted she had a feeling that her time on the show was coming to an end.

“I just feel so lucky that that was the one we went out on,” she said, explaining that the day had felt like a significant turning point in her life.

She also opened up about her three appearances in the dreaded dance-off, describing how her emotions had changed each time. While the first experience brought anxiety and sadness, the second felt joyful. By the third, she felt she had accomplished what she originally set out to do.

Asked whether Strictly had lived up to her expectations, Bethany responded enthusiastically: “Oh it absolutely did. It exceeded my expectations of what it would feel like and the highlight of getting to do it with Nancy. I can’t put it into words.”

Nancy also paid tribute to her celebrity partner, expressing how much their partnership had meant to her and praising the actress for the person she had become throughout the competition.

Meanwhile, viewers took to social media to defend Bethany, with several expressing frustration over the judges’ decision to save Cach and Maddie.

One viewer argued that Bethany had been treated unfairly, while another questioned whether the judges’ decisions truly reflected the quality of the performances.

Despite the disappointing result, Bethany’s emotional farewell demonstrated how much the experience had meant to her. Her partnership with Nancy has clearly left a lasting impression on both the ballroom and the audience.