Strictly 2026: Who topped the leaderboard in Week Eight?

Detailed summary

One couple stunned the judges with a score of 39 out of 40

Cach Mercer has topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard a week after narrowly avoiding elimination.

The former Love Island winner, 25, and his professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby competed against actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu in the dance-off last week.

After both couples danced, judge Anton Du Beke chose to save Mercer and Ingoldsby, while fellow judges Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood voted to save Antonia and Xu. Head judge Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote and saved Mercer and Ingoldsby.

Mercer is now sitting at the top of the scoreboard after the latest episode of the BBC series.

On Saturday night’s episode, he performed a Charleston to Blame It On The Boogie by The Jacksons.

After Ballas and Mabuse gave standing ovations, the latter also declared it was “the dance of the season”.

Along with Du Beke, those three judges awarded Mercer and his partner a score of 10 for their dance, while Revel Horwood – who called their dance “amazing” – gave them nine.

In second place is Delta Goodrem, who was forced to undergo a partner change within 24 hours of the live show this week as Kai Widdrington was unable to perform after falling ill.

During the live show, she also revealed that her partner had been taken to hospital.

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