'Strictly' week 7 result: Mike Bushell is saved for a third time and fans are left wondering who could possibly beat him

Mike Bushell has been saved from Strictly Come Dancing elimination for a third week running, leaving fans of the show wondering who he has to go up against to lose.

The BBC sports reporter has found himself in the dance-off after landing in the bottom two couples three weeks in a row, but was yet again saved by the judges, this time ousting Emma Weymouth and Aljaz Skorjanec from the competition.

Read more: Katya Jones quits social media over Mike Bushell backlash

Despite being boosted up the leaderboard recently by scores that some viewers have felt were inconsistently high from the judges, Bushell and his partner Katya Jones have still been in the danger zone after the public vote.

Frustrated Strictly fans began questioning on Sunday evening just who could beat Bushell in the BBC dance contest, especially as many thought they had seen him make a mistake in his routine.

In fact, such is the strength of feeling amongst Strictly fans over Bushell and Jones knocking out other couples, Jones even told The Sun on Sunday: “I’m off social media; it’s not real.

“There’s no need for negatives. I just want to do my own thing.”

Although her Twitter profile is still available to view, Jones has not posted anything since October 14.

Last week, Bushell knocked Catherine Tyldesley and Johannes Radebe out of the competition, and the week before the judges chose to save him over David James and Nadiya Bychkova.

Weymouth, who failed to impress after a second go at her Samba, tearfully said: “I’ve loved this more than anything I’ve ever done in my whole life...I never wanted to let (Skorjanec) down, I’m just absolutely heartbroken.”

All four judges voted to keep Bushell instead of Weymouth after his repeat performance of the Charleston this week.

During the week, Bushell and his wife Emily both appealed to Strictly viewers to stop posting harsh comments about him staying in the show on Twitter as they felt some opinions had become abusive and even included an apparent death threat.

Meanwhile, viewers who were outraged that Emma Barton and Anton du Beke were in last place on the leaderboard after some tough criticisms from the judges managed to save the pair from elimination by voting for them to stay another week.

Read more: Here’s why Shirley Ballas and Anton du Beke clashed in week 7

Head judge Shirley Ballas had told Barton she couldn’t work out what beat the EastEnder was dancing the Rumba too, prompting fans to complain that the comments were too mean.

Barton explained later that she had been watching YouTube videos of Ballas dancing the Rumba in preparation for the routine, to which du Beke said: “That’s the last time we YouTube Shirley.”

Du Beke jumped up and down shouting “Yes!” as their names were announced as being through to next week.

He later told host Claudia Winkleman: “I would have hated for us to be in the dance off on that dance, because I thought that Emma danced it beautifully.”

The episode also included Strictly’s first ever same-sex pairing as Johannes Radebe and Graziano Di Prima danced together.

Viewers loved the routine and congratulated the show on featuring two men dancing with each other.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.50pm.