06 October 2023 , 18:23
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Strictly Come Dancing's Gorka Marquez has been dealt a devastating blow before the next live show. The latest bookies' odds suggest that he and his celebrity partner Nikita Kanda could be the next pair to leave the competition.
The journey for the duo has been challenging so far this series. After a tough fortnight in the training room, 28-year-old Nikita and 33-year-old Gorka found themselves in the bottom two on the leaderboard. Following the viewers' votes, they were unfortunately pitted against gameshow host and comedian Les Dennis, 69, in the dance-off.
The judges unanimously saved Nikita and Gorka from elimination during last week's show, stating that the pair demonstrated superior performance skill and technical ability and deserved to continue in the competition.
The judges unanimously saved Nikita and Gorka (BBC)However, despite their relief at progressing to movie week, it appears likely that the pair will be the next to exit the competition. With odds of 4/5, Nikita and Gorka are most likely to end up in the bottom two and be sent home, with Paralympic athlete Jody Cundy following closely with odds at 3/1.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes exclusively told OK!: "Nikita Kanda has already faced one dance off this series, and the latest odds suggest she'll be set for another on Sunday night... We wouldn't be surprised to see her sent packing."
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Gorka Marquez, a father of two, will likely be disheartened to hear about his and Nikita's odds, especially after reaching the final with the highly skilled dancer Helen Skelton, 40, last year. Many fans still argue that the pair should have clinched the Glitterball trophy following their stirring performance of Cabaret's Mein Herr.
Jody, 44, and his professional dance partner Jovita Przysta, 29, who triumphed in last year's competition with BBC One wildlife photographer Hamza Yassin, 33, are also in a precarious position after finishing third from bottom on the leaderboard last week.
The remaining odds for those potentially facing elimination this weekend place Jody as the next most likely to exit the competition, followed by Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas at 6/1.
Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, dancing with Lauren Oakley, is a popular choice to end up in the dance-off at 6/1, and Love Island star Zara McDermott, partnered with Graziano Di Prima, shares the same odds.
Eddie Kadi and Karen Hauer have odds of 10/1 to be the next to leave the competition, while tennis champion Annabel Croft, dancing with Johannes Radebe, is also a possibility at 12/1.
On the flip side, EastEnders and Casualty actor Nigel Harman remains a fan favourite to win the competition, despite head judge Shirley Ballas' harsh critique of his technique during last week's show.
Sex Education star Layton Williams, and Coronation Street's Ellie Leach also continue to top the leaderboard.
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6.20pm on BBC One
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.You can report any errors to [email protected]