Strictly fans blast the judges' 'crazy' scoring and the 'messy' leaderboard as they fear a huge 'shock' in the dance off - as hosts address Delta Goodrem's absence

Strictly Come Dancing fans have blasted the judges' 'crazy' scoring on Saturday night as they took aim at the 'mess' of a leaderboard.

Week four of the BBC show saw the remaining couples take to the dancefloor for Icons Week, where they performed routines to songs by musical greats including Elton John, Shania Twain, ABBA and Adele. 

After giving it their all on the dancefloor, Cach and Maddie and Jaime and Carlos were joint top of the leaderboard with 34 points, while languishing at the bottom was Sarah and Julian with 21 points, followed by Dani and Nikita with 25.

The middle of the leaderboard saw more ties amid the closely contested week, with three celebrities scoring 29 points (Lacey, Tabby and John), while Graeme and Shaun bagged 28 points.

However, watching at home, viewers were far from impressed with Shirley, Craig, Anton and Motsi's erratic scoring, noting their marks were 'all over the shop' and heightening fears that there'll be a huge 'shock' for Sunday night's dance off. 

Taking to X, viewers were quick to share their thoughts as they hit out at the judges' scoring decisions on the night. 

Strictly Come Dancing fans have blasted the judges' 'crazy' scoring on Saturday night as they took aim at the 'mess' of a leaderboard

Watching at home, viewers were far from impressed with Shirley, Craig, Anton and Motsi's erratic scoring, heightening fears that there'll be a huge 'shock' for Sunday night's dance off

They penned: 'leaderboard in shambles this is going to be a mess'

'The leaderboard has ties! This is going to be a shock dance off'

'scoring tonight has been really crazy'; 'The scoring is allllll over the shop tonight.'

'the leaderboard is such a mess. i fear we're in for a shock dance off this week'

'I am so mad about the leaderboard. No way was Jaime as good as Cach, and Dani should not be that low.'

'The scoring tonight is CRAZY. Scoring Graeme the same as Lacey' 

'leaderboard is dodgy af tonight…. Wonder what the dance off will be like'

'I have never been more confused by the scoring than tonight. How did Graeme blag 7s there?! 6s would have been generous.'

After giving it their all on the dancefloor, Cach and Maddie and Jaime and Carlos were joint top of the leaderboard with 34 points, while languishing at the bottom was Sarah and Julian with 21

The middle of the leaderboard saw more ties amid the closely contested week, with three celebrities scoring 29 points (Lacey, Tabby and John), while Graeme and Shaun bagged 28 points

Strictly's week four leaderboard left fans very divided, with many calling out the judges for overmarking and undermarking various contestants

Taking to X, viewers were quick to share their thoughts as they hit out at the judges' scoring decisions on the night

Strictly Week 4 leaderboard 

 Celebrity and dance partner 

Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby

Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu 

Will Best and Dianne Buswell 

Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał 

John Nellis and Katya Jones 

Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita 

Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola 

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley 

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu 

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin 

Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon 

 Score

34

34

31

30

29

29

29

28

28

27

25

21 

Despite the scoring drama, fans have generally loved the episode, as they praised the dances and improvement by the hosts - after some intense backlash in the first few weeks.

They remarked: 'A much more enjoyable episode of #Strictly tonight, the dances were fun, and of a higher standard from more couples. I thought the Judges looked ridiculous though, especially Craig & Anton.'

'Enjoying this series of Strictly. The 3 new presenters all improving & Craig is almost nice at times! However, Graham is a likable chap, but am not quite sure he is quite as good as the judges seem to think.'

'This is the best week so far this series. Couples doing some of their best dancing, judges shining and entertaining, good song choices and the hosts finally feel like they are hitting their stride.'

While another defended the judges scoring, adding: 'In relation to the judges scores and comments, don't people realise it doesn't really matter what they say or score because it's just down to the public and its suppose to be fun, it's not that deep.'

Elsewhere, hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe shared their well wishes to Delta Goodrem as she was forced to miss Saturday's show due to injury.

It was confirmed on Monday that the singer, 41, had been forced to stop training after injuring her rib and will be given a bye until next week.

And addressing the Australian star's absence, Emma told how it was 'such a shame' for her to be missing out on Icon's Week, as she explained to viewers what happened and reiterated that the rules meant she'd be able to dance again next week. 

Meanwhile, Johannes added: 'Delta my darling, I know you're watching at home, we're all sending you so much love!'

Doctors have advised Delta to get as much rest as possible and have told her to sleep upright to aid the recovery.  

On Monday Delta will sit down with bosses and medics to decide if she is fit to return to the show. Strictly rules dictate that contestants are only allowed one free pass before they have to withdraw from the competition.

Despite the scoring drama, fans have generally loved the episode, as they praised the dances and improvement by the hots - after some intense backlash in the first few weeks

Elsewhere, hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe shared their well wishes to Delta Goodrem as she was forced to miss Saturday's show due to injury 

It was confirmed on Monday that the singer, 41, had been forced to stop training after injuring her rib and will be given a bye until next week

And addressing the Australian star's absence, Emma told how it was 'such a shame' for her to be missing out on Icon's Week

On Monday Delta will sit down with bosses and medics to decide if she is fit to return to the show. Strictly rules dictate that contestants are only allowed one free pass before they have to withdraw

Week four of the BBC show saw the remaining couples take to the dancefloor for Icons Week, where they performed routines to songs by musical greats including Elton John, Shania Twain, ABBA and Adele

The judges got into the spirit of icons week! L-R Craig as Liam Gallagher, Motsi as Beyonce, Shirley as Lady Gaga and Anton as Noel Gallagher

Insiders have revealed that Delta injured herself during training last week but managed to perform her Salsa, which involved some complicated lifts, on last Saturday's live show.

The singer and Kai went on to top the leaderboard for a second week as they performed to Always There/Ain't Nobody by Jocelyn Brown/Chaka Khan. 

Hours later though and Delta was taken to A&E after she struggled to sleep through the pain. 

Meanwhile it's been confirmed that Amy Dowden, who was voted out of the competition with her celeb partner Chris Appleton in week one, is set to return this Saturday, teaming up with Kai for a performance to Dolly Parton's Jolene. 

Week four saw the couples dress as their favourite icons, and they certainly pulled out the stops with their costumes as well as their routines. 

Taking on the challenge first was John Nellis and Katya Jones performing a Paso Doble to It’s My Life by Bon Jovi.

An excited Motsi gushed; 'I love your spine!' adding that she 'loved the shaping and your spine, you weren’t a little raisin, you were a big grape, but I wanted a little more flow.'

Taking on the challenge first was John Nellis and Katya Jones performing a Paso Doble to It’s My Life by Bon Jovi

An excited Motsi gushed; 'I love your spine!' while Shirley noted that she loved John's 'continuous movement'. The pair received a decent 29 points by the judges

Next up were Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who slowed things down with a Rumba to Hero by Mariah Carey

Dani was visibly nervous during the routine, admitting afterward that she'd had a tough time this week as she struggled with her confidence

Her confidence no doubt got a boost as she was supported in the audience by her actor father Danny Dyer, who was sitting alongside fellow hard man actor Ray Winstone

The third couple taking to the floor was Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał, who took on a Salsa to La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin

The Emmerdale star put his all into his performance with knee slides and lifts, leaving the judges very impressed, with Anton remarking: 'Heavens above, that was spectacular!'

Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita then danced a Samba to Where is My Husband! by RAYE

Impressed by what he saw, Craig quipped: 'Not too shabby, Tabby!' and while Motsi loved the attitude, she warned that the sports star needed to 'work on your upstairs'

Shirley noted that she loved John's 'continuous movement', while Anton made reference to John's recent diminishing scores as he said: 'welcome back from week one.'

John and Katya's efforts paid off as they received a decent 29 points by the judges. 

Next up were Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, who slowed things down with a Rumba to Hero by Mariah Carey.

Dani was visibly nervous during the routine, admitting afterward that she'd had a tough time this week as she struggled with her confidence. 

Her confidence no doubt got a boost as she was supported in the audience by her actor father Danny Dyer, who was sitting alongside fellow hard man actor Ray Winstone.  

Anton remarked that he 'enjoyed it a lot, you were a bit reserved but underneath was a lot of good stuff', Shirley noted she 'handled' the nerves while Motsi pointed out that her relationship with Nikita had grown.

The former Love Island star and Nikita were awarded 25 points in total. 

The third couple taking to the floor was Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał, who took on a Salsa to La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin.

The Emmerdale star put his all into his performance with knee slides and lifts, leaving the judges very impressed, with Anton remarking: 'Heavens above, that was spectacular!'

Craig noted that it was his 'your strongest dance yet', while Shirley caused a stir as she told the actor: 'You did some lovely things with your body!'

The comments were indeed reflected in the scores as they scored an impressive 30 points - 10 up from last week. 

Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon were up next, doing a Tango to That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain

Sarah channelled the singer by donning an orange wig and a leopard print ensemble, but the efforts didn't impress the judges much, with Shirly stating there was 'not enough heel and too much bounce'

Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby were the next pair to take to the floor, dancing a Foxtrot to Theme from New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

The sleek performance had the audience on their feet and Anton had nothing but good words to say, declaring: 'From one ballroom boy to a new ballroom boy, welcome to the club!'

Bagging two 9's, Cach and Maddie scored a whopping 34 points - the highest score of the series so far

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu then did the Cha Cha to Respect by Aretha Franklin. The duo received mixed reviews from the judges

Shirley noted Bethany needed to work on her 'posture' and 'arms', while Craig said her 'footwork and fluidity were lacking.' The pair scored 27 points

After landing in the dance-off last week, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr were hoping to make a positive impact with their Couple’s Choice to Medley by James Brown

Despite making some mistakes, which the judges did pick up on, the pair scored a respectable 28 points, his best score so far

Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita then danced a Samba to Where is My Husband! by RAYE.

Impressed by what he saw, Craig quipped: 'Not too shabby, Tabby!' and while Motsi loved the attitude, she warned that the sports star needed to 'work on your upstairs'.

The pair's efforts saw them awarded 29 points, with Craig scoring the highest out of the judges. 

Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon were up next, doing a Tango to That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain.

Sarah channelled the singer by donning an orange wig and a leopard print ensemble, but the efforts didn't impress the judges much, with Shirly stating there was 'not enough heel and too much bounce.'

Craig also noted there was 'too bouncy', and while he said it was 'not right downstairs', Anton encouraged the star to 'believe in yourself'. 

After being left stunned by a supportive video message by Shania herself, Sarah and Julien received a score of 21 points out of a possible 40.

Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby were the next pair to take to the floor, dancing a Foxtrot to Theme from New York, New York by Frank Sinatra.

After previously putting a street dance flair to his routines, this week the Love Island star stuck to the brief and transformed into a 'ballroom boy'. 

The sleek performance had the audience on their feet and 'King of Ballroom' Anton had nothing but good words to say, declaring: 'From one ballroom boy to a new ballroom boy, welcome to the club!'

Anton went in to praise the reality star's 'immaculate footwork and timing' while Craig said: 'Thank you to committing to one genre' adding that it was 'absolutely fantastic!' 

Bagging two 9's, Cach and Maddie scored a whopping 34 points - the highest score of the series so far. 

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu then did the Cha Cha to Respect by Aretha Franklin.

Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola performed an American Smooth to Hometown Glory by Adele, with the EastEnders star receiving lots of constructive feedback

Shirley said there were 'highlights were worthy of the final but posture needs work', and while Craig chastised her 'free arm', he said praised her 'flow and connection'. The pair scored 29

Channeling his inner Bjorn, Graeme gave it some welly on the dancefloor, causing Craig to brand it 'the weirdest salsa I’ve seen in 22 years', before swiftly adding it was 'genius!'

The other judges echoed his sentiments as the pair scored a commendable 28 points for their Salsa

Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu were hoping to impress next with their Paso Doble to Let’s Dance by David Bowie and they certainly did just that

The judges were in raptures, as Anton gushed: 'That’s the best thing you’ve done', Motsi likened the dance to 'a piece of art' and Craig quipped they 'totally smashed that!'

The final couple to perform were new dad Will Best and his partner Dianne Buswell, dancing the Jive to Crocodile Rock by Elton John

With a great score of 31 points, it has topped what has no doubt been a memorable week for the Big Brother host

The duo received mixed reviews from the judges, with Shirley noting Bethany needed to work on her 'posture' and 'arms', while Craig said her 'footwork and fluidity were lacking.' The pair scored 27 points.

After landing in the dance-off last week, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr were hoping to make a positive impact with their Couple’s Choice to Medley by James Brown.

And they certainly did that as their lifts, flips and tricks left everyone excited, with Crag noting it was 'my favourite of your dances', while Anton shared: 'You’re on a rollercoaster ride and are back up top.'

Despite making some mistakes, which the judges did pick up on, the pair scored a respectable 28 points, his best score so far. 

Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola performed an American Smooth to Hometown Glory by Adele, with the EastEnders star receiving lots of constructive feedback.

Shirley said there were 'highlights were worthy of the final but posture needs work', and while Craig chastised her 'free arm', he said praised her 'flow and connection'. The pair then bagged 29 points, their highest so far.

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley were up next, dancing a Salsa to a Medley by ABBA. 

Channeling his inner Bjorn, Graeme gave it some welly on the dancefloor, causing Craig to brand it 'the weirdest salsa I’ve seen in 22 years', before swiftly adding it was 'genius!'

The other judges echoed his sentiments as the pair scored a commendable 28 points. 

Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu were hoping to impress next with their Paso Doble to Let’s Dance by David Bowie and they certainly did just that.

The judges were in raptures, as Anton gushed: 'That’s the best thing you’ve done', Motsi likened the dance to 'a piece of art' and Craig quipped they 'totally smashed that!'

The praise was certainly reflected in the scores as they earned an amazing 34 points - their highest and joint top of the leaderboard with Cach and Maddie. 

The final couple to perform were new dad Will Best and his partner Dianne Buswell, dancing the Jive to Crocodile Rock by Elton John.

Despite his tiredness, Will bagged some pretty impressive feedback, with Shirley noting that he should be 'proud of yourself' as it was his 'best dance so far', while Craig observed they did a 'fantastic job'.

With a great score of 31 points, it has topped what has no doubt been a memorable week for the Big Brother host. 

Last week's live show saw judge Motsi Mabuse seemingly hit back at rumours of tensions between herself and Josh Widdicombe as she made a cheeky remark.

During week two viewers started to notice a simmering 'tension' between Motsi and Josh, as they suggested the judge had 'had enough of the comedian interrupting her with his jokes'. 

However, as week three kicked off, Motsi attempted to dispel the speculation as she insisted that Josh was her 'friend'.

Following Cach Mercer's routine, Josh quipped that he and Emma Willis were 'dancers' and as he directed his joke towards Motsi, she responded by remarking: 'Yes Josh, my FRIEND!'

Her not-so-subtle comment saw Josh roar with laughter as the rest of the audience giggled along, causing fans to pick up on the moment on X.

Meanwhile, the latest instalment of Strictly saw fans note that Johannes Radebe is really 'settling' into his role as they finally begin to warm to the hosting trio.

The former show professional dancer, as well as his co-hosts Emma Willis and Josh have come under fire since the first live show's presenting format was panned by fans – with Josh branded a 'spare part.'

Viewers noted that the South African dancer, 39, began talking when the couples were making their way up the stairs to the 'Clauditorium' amid the audience applause, meaning fans were unable to hear what was being said. 

And while week two saw many complain that the format was not switched up, week three finally saw viewers begin to thaw to the trio, particularly Johannes. 

Week three's results show saw Gavin and Stacey favourite Melanie Walters and her partner Aljaz Skorjanec leave the competition after losing out in the dance off against former footballer Shaun Wright- Phillips and Alexis Warr.

They were the second couple to be given the boot from the show following the first elimination which saw celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden depart. 

Strictly Come Dancing results will air on Sunday at 7.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. 

STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS

LACEY TURNER 

AGE: 38

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC's EastEnders 

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I'm so excited and terrified at the same time but I've had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.'

DELTA GOODREM

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career - from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor!'

CACH MERCER

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!'

DAME SARAH STOREY

AGE: 48

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain's most successful Paralympian 

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.'

BETHANY ANTONIA 

AGE: 28

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.'

GRAEME 'THE DOGFATHER' HALL

AGE: 59

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!'

TABBY STOECKER 

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!'

MELANIE WALTERS 

AGE: 64

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.'

DANI DYER

AGE: 30

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!'

CHRIS APPLETON

AGE: 43

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars - including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.'

WILL BEST

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!'

JAIME WINSTONE

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.'

SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS 

AGE: 44

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!'

LAWRENCE ROBB

AGE: 34

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV's Emmerdale

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!'

JOHN NELLIS 

AGE: 33

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!'