Strictly Come Dancing viewers have shared their growing concern for EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, after she found herself in the dreaded dance-off for the fourth time this series.
Another Nerve-Shredding Sunday Night
The tense results show on Sunday, November 16, saw Balvinder and her professional partner, Julian Caillon, land in the bottom two once again. They had jointly placed at the bottom of the leaderboard with fellow contestants Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington, both couples scoring only 27 points from the judges.
This marked the fourth time in seven weeks that Balvinder has had to fight for her place in the competition. Ahead of the final performance that would decide her fate, a disheartened Balvinder made a sad admission to the cameras, saying, "I don't want to do it. I really don't want to do it."
Judges' Unanimous Decision and Fan Reaction
Despite predictions from bookies and fans that her journey was over, the judges unanimously chose to save Balvinder after she performed her American Smooth to 'My Guy' by Mary Wells. This sent her through to the coveted Blackpool special, while Vicky Pattison was sent home on her 38th birthday.
The repeated appearances in the bottom two have taken a visible toll, prompting an outpouring of support from the show's audience on social media platform X. One fan wrote, "I fear #Strictly will break Bal," highlighting worries about her confidence. Another supporter commented, "Obvious that being in the dance off almost every week is getting to Balvinder and is affecting her confidence."
The Mental Toll of the Competition
This is not the first time Balvinder has openly discussed the psychological challenge of being on the hit BBC show. After a previous save, she was overcome with emotion, telling host Claudia Winkleman she thought there had been a "mistake" when their names were called.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Balvinder confessed, "I am really surprised at how mentally taxing it has been." She elaborated on the pressure, explaining it's not just about the dancing but also "balancing work life, family life and then all the stuff that you might see online."
With this latest survival, Balvinder edges closer to the Strictly record for surviving the most dance-offs, currently held by Jamelia and Tristan MacManus, who survived five in Series 13 before being eliminated. All eyes will now be on whether she can find her footing as the competition moves to the iconic Tower Ballroom in Blackpool next weekend.
