Anastacia becomes sixth celebrity to leave Strictly

Singer Anastacia has become the sixth celebrity to vanish from the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor after her Halloween-themed jive failed to spirit away the judges.

Anastacia and Brendan Cole with Daisy Lowe and Aljaz Skorjanec before the singer became the latest celebrity to be voted of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing. Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire

She and partner Brendan Cole faced model Daisy Lowe and Aljaz Skorjanec in the Sunday night dance-off, performing their Fright Night routines for a second time.

After watching Anastacia and Cole’s bat-themed jive to Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell and Lowe and Skorjanec resurrect the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition with their paso doble to Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Santa Esmeralda, the judges’ decisions were unanimous.

But Anastacia stayed positive in the face of disappointment and thanked the show for helping her nurture her feminine side.

Speaking to presenter Tess Daly after the result, she said: “I’ve really enjoyed being here. This was a place for me to get to know my ‘female’ and this place allowed me to do that; the hair, the make-up, the production, the judges gave me great comments.

“You (Daly) and Claudia (presenter Claudia Winkleman) have been amazing, the way you run this family, this family is beautiful and you (Cole) are amazing. Thanks for everything.”

Cole also had warm words for his partner, adding: “This programme will miss you. I will miss you.

“Thank you for teaching me so much about everything and for being a fantastic partner. Thank you so much, what a great ride.”

Known for his dramatic compliments and theatrical feedback, judge Bruno Tonioli said: “I’d like to say both girls put up a fierce fight...but overall I would like to choose the couple that satisfied me with content, gave me quality of movement, power of performance - Daisy and Aljaz.”

The BBC One show’s Halloween special was the most watched programme on UK television on Saturday, with an average of 10 million viewers tuning in to watch the remaining contestants pull off their deadliest dances.

It smashed ITV1’s X Factor ratings, which averaged an audience of 5.7 million, for another week running.

Dressed as a mad scientist ex-Labour MP Ed Balls scored his highest place on the judges’ leader board so far with an electrifying cha cha cha packed with crotch-grabs and pelvic thrusts to Hansel Martinez’s version of Love Potion No. 9.

Head judge Len Goodman called it Balls’ “best dance yet”.