Strictly Come Dancing, Icons Week results: Show in a flap as feather furore mars underwhelming episode

Sam Quek became the latest celebrity to be voted off
Sam Quek became the latest celebrity to be voted off - PA

Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One) had another feather-ruffling controversy this week as animal rights activists accused the show of butchery in the name of bling. Animal rights organisation Peta has protested the use of feathered outfits in dancers’ costumes, which the organisation described as “gory not glamorous”.

It’s the latest wrinkle for Strictly, which has already had its wholesome image tarnished by the Amanda Abbington-Giovanni Pernice spat. And now a furore over feathers. Can the beleaguered ratings monster catch a break?

A fairytale ending may yet come to pass—but not for the time being. A first-ever Icons weekend served up another contentious moment as two of the season’s more solid celebs, Sam Quek and Montell Douglas, were relegated to the dance-off despite thoroughly outperforming bottom-rung hoofer Pete Wicks.

With viewers coming out in support of the puckish Pete, Sam and Montell were left to duke it out in an underwhelming episode. They gave it their best  – only for Sam to receive the dreaded thumbs down from the judges. Her elimination won’t be a deal-breaker for Strictly die-hards who’ve stuck with the series despite all the flying skin and hair (and feathers).

Sam Quek was eliminated after the dance-off
Sam Quek was eliminated after the dance-off - PA

But a frustrating evening will surely tarnish the show’s reputation, with adjudicator Anton Du Beke pointing out that Sam and Montell were both potential finalists. His misgivings were echoed by Motsi Mabuse. “It just feels like we’re losing girls – what is happening?”

Plucky hockey gold medallist Quek had chosen Taylor Swift as her icon and, accompanied by pro Nikita Kuzmin, performed an American Smooth to Swift’s Love Story. Alas, this was an era she’d rather forget, as the love story concluded with Montell (and partner Johannes Radebe) receiving a clean sweep of votes from the judges for their waltz to Whitney Houston.

Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin danced to Taylor Swift's Love Story
Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin danced to Taylor Swift’s Love Story - PA

Even setting aside Sam’s surprise departure, the inaugural Icons results night was an up-and-down affair. You don’t get much more iconic than Beyoncé, so it was apt that the pro dancers performed an extravagant routine sound-tracked by a mash-up of Queen Bey’s greatest hits.

But the BBC then pushed the concept of “icon” to its outer limits with the choice of reality TV boy band Dear Alice as musical guests. They mimed and bopped enthusiastically, but their music was “iconic” only in so far as it sounded like Coldplay’s Chris Martin fronting Boyzone by accident.

Strictly is getting down the business now, and the famous – alright then, “iconic” – Blackpool show is on the horizon. With the contest about to turn even more serious, the BBC will hope that it puts the recent run of bad news behind it and that, going forward, complaints about feathers and other unpleasantness will be strictly for the birds. For now, it’s still in a bit of a flap.