Aston Merrygold's shock Strictly Come Dancing exit is 'wake-up call' for contestants

Strictly Come Dancing star Davood Ghadami has admitted Aston Merrygold’s surprise elimination has made the show’s celebrity contestants realise no-one is safe.

The EastEnders actor admitted his shock at seeing the former JLS singer – who was previously a favourite to win the series – sent home on Sunday’s show after he lost the dance-off to Mollie King.

EastEnders star Davood Ghadami has admitted Aston Merrgyold’s shock exit has been a “wake up” call.

And he now insists all the celebs are treating the shock elimination as a “wake up” call.

Davood – who found himself in the dance-off earlier in the series, but was saved by the judges – told The Sun Online: “I think it wakes everybody up to what this is about, it’s a competition and someone has to go and it could be anyone.

“We’ve been there, we’ve been in the dance off and we know what it’s like, it’s really not nice.

“It was my best score and we ended up in the dance off so we know that anything can happen at any time, so it’s only when that Sunday show has finished you can go, ‘Right, onto the next week.’ ”

The 35-year-old actor – who is dancing with professional partner Nadiya Bychkova – insists he hasn’t set his sights on winning the Glitterball Trophy just yet, but is simply enjoying progressing on a weekly basis.

Aston was eliminated following a dance-off with Mollie King.

He added: “All it does for me is make me realise that it comes down to enjoying every dance, finding something you can enjoy.

“I didn’t do [the show] going, ‘I’m going to win’, it’s learning something new and enjoying every step along the way.”

Aston’s exit prompted an online backlash from some viewers and stars.

A number of fans hit out at Craig Revel Horwood after he scored the singer a four out of 10 on Saturday’s show and then voted, along with head judge Shirley Ballas, to send him home instead of Mollie, following the dance-off.

Former Strictly pro James Jordan hit out at Craig, blasting his scoring as “disgusting” and insisting Aston’s elimination has “ruined the series”.

James said on Facebook Live: “He had 25 points … he should’ve been nowhere near the position he was on the leaderboard.

“Craig put him there, that’s a fact. Craig gave him a four which was disgusting, and you can’t justify that.

“He’s going to go on ‘It Takes Two’ and say, ‘Oh, it was my opinion, I didn’t like it. I marked it a four and I stand by my four.’

“Bulls**t, I call bulls**t. I’m sorry to swear. It is slightly frustrating.

“I actually could cry for Janette and Aston … for me, it’s ruined the series.”

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