Strictly sends home second star: "You showed me what hard work really means"

Strictly Come Dancing has revealed the latest elimination, as Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec faced off against Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr. Ultimately, it was actor Melanie who became the second celebrity to the leave the competition.

After combining the public votes with the judges' scores, the two couples found themselves in the Bottom Two during tonight's result show. As always, they had to take part in the dance-off, performing their routines again.

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Shaun and Alexis performed their Quickstep to 'I'm a Believer' by The Monkees, before Melanie and Aljaž danced their Charleston to 'Ooh Ahh... Just A Little Bit' by Gina G.

The judges then delivered their verdicts, with Craig Revel Horwood and Head Judge Shirley Ballas choosing to save Shaun and Alexis. However, Motsi Mabuse chose to save Melanie and Aljaž, leaving Anton Du Beke to cast his deciding vote.

Anton decided to save Shaun and Alexis, ending Melanie and Aljaž's time in the competition.

Speaking about her Strictly experience, Melanie admitted she "thought [she] was going to be out last week" and was glad to have had "an extra week" with Aljaž. She described the pro dancer as a "beautiful soul" and gave him a hug.

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Meanwhile, Aljaž also praised his partner, calling the Gavin and Stacey star "an ultimate professional in what [she does]."

"That's why you're so successful at what you do. You showed me what hard work really is and what hard work really means," he continued. "I wanna finish this for us with a hug, and thank you for every single bit in rehearsals and every single step on that floor."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.

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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.