Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 5 delivered a major leaderboard shake-up, with one couple producing the strongest performance of the series so far while another struggled to keep pace. As the competition intensified on Saturday, October 24, the judges’ scores revealed just how quickly fortunes could change on the ballroom floor.
The fifth week also brought an injury comeback, a scoring correction and a tense Results Show in which the public vote helped determine which couples would face elimination. By the end of the weekend, the competition had taken another significant turn, leaving the remaining celebrities preparing for the next themed challenge.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 5 Leaderboard: Tabby Stoecker Takes First Place
Tabby Stoecker and professional partner Mark Karmalita claimed the top position on the Strictly Come Dancing Week 5 leaderboard after earning 37 points out of a possible 40 for their Couple’s Choice routine.
The judges awarded the pair scores of 8, 10, 9 and 10, making their performance the highest-scoring routine of the week. The two 10s were also the first 10s awarded during the 2026 series, giving the couple a standout moment as the competition moved into its fifth week.
Radio Times’ published Week 5 leaderboard confirmed the 37-point total, while The Guardian’s live coverage also identified Stoecker as the week’s highest scorer.
The performance carried a deeply personal meaning for Stoecker. The Winter Olympic champion dedicated her Couple’s Choice to her late father, with the routine reflecting her sporting journey. The performance left her emotional, and judge Shirley Ballas praised her dancing.
The score also marked a striking improvement on the couple’s earlier results. Stoecker and Karmalita began the series with 22 points in Week 1, followed by 28 during Movie Week, 31 in Week 3 and 29 during Icons Week. Their 37-point performance in Week 5 represented their strongest result yet.
The BBC’s published series leaderboard records those earlier scores alongside the latest result, confirming the couple’s progression through the competition.
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Delta Goodrem Returns From Injury With 34 Points
Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington secured second place with 34 points, making an immediate impact on their return to the ballroom.
Goodrem had missed Icons Week because of a rib injury, leaving Week 5 as her first performance since the absence. Her comeback routine was a Rumba to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”, and the couple received scores of 7, 9, 8 and 10.
The final 10 was the first perfect individual score awarded during the evening. It helped Goodrem and Widdrington move straight into the upper section of the leaderboard, only three points behind Stoecker and Karmalita.
Their second-place finish made Goodrem’s return one of the week’s most notable developments, particularly as the competition continued to tighten among the higher-scoring couples.
John Nellis and Katya Jones Reach Third Place
John Nellis and Katya Jones finished third after earning 32 points for their Quickstep.
Their scores of 7, 8, 8 and 9 gave Nellis his highest total of the competition to that point. The result also represented an improvement on the couple’s 29 points during Icons Week.
Behind them, three couples finished level on 31 points, creating a closely packed middle section of the Week 5 leaderboard.
Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, Will Best and Dianne Buswell, and Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin all earned 31 points. Dani’s Salsa with Nikita was particularly notable after she had scored 25 for her Rumba during Icons Week. The Guardian’s live coverage recorded her latest scores as 7, 8, 8 and 8.
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola followed with 28 points, while Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu and Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu both finished on 25.
Bethany and Nancy performed an Argentine Tango, leaving them joint eighth alongside Jaime and Carlos.
Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola’s Week 5 Score Corrected
The final leaderboard also included an important correction involving Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola.
Their Tango was initially shown as receiving 29 points because Shirley Ballas’ score appeared on the on-screen graphic as a 7. However, Ballas had actually awarded the couple 6 points, bringing their correct total to 28.
Presenter Emma Willis addressed the mistake before the final leaderboard was displayed and confirmed the corrected score.
The adjustment did not change Lacey and Vito’s position on the leaderboard. Nevertheless, it meant that the final published standings differed from the version briefly shown earlier in the programme.
Their officially reported Week 5 total was therefore 28 rather than 29.
Full Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 5 Leaderboard
The completed Saturday live show produced the following judges’ scores:
| Position | Couple | Week 5 score |
| 1 | Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita | 37 |
| 2 | Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington | 34 |
| 3 | John Nellis and Katya Jones | 32 |
| 4= | Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley | 31 |
| 4= | Will Best and Dianne Buswell | 31 |
| 4= | Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin | 31 |
| 7 | Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola | 28 |
| 8= | Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu | 25 |
| 8= | Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu | 25 |
| 10 | Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby | 24 |
| 11 | Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystaล | 19 |
| 12 | Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr | 17 |
These figures represent the judges’ scores from the Week 5 live show, rather than the outcome of the subsequent public vote and dance-off.
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr Finish Bottom
At the bottom of the leaderboard were Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, who earned 17 points for their Jive.
The couple received scores of 3, 5, 3 and 6 for their performance to “Faith” by Stevie Wonder featuring Ariana Grande.
The judging panel identified several problems with the routine. Anton Du Beke pointed out that Shaun and Alexis appeared not to be dancing the same routine together, while Shaun accepted responsibility for the mistakes.
Craig Revel Horwood delivered particularly critical feedback, describing the performance as a “disaster, darling” and criticising its timing and kicks. Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas also identified mistakes while recognising areas of potential and improvement.
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystaล were the other couple among the lowest scorers, earning 19 points for their Jive.
However, the Saturday leaderboard did not automatically determine which celebrities would be eliminated. The public vote was combined with the judges’ scores, meaning couples with stronger performances on the night could still find themselves in danger.
Strictly Come Dancing Week 5 Dance-Off: Shaun Wright-Phillips Is Eliminated
The Week 5 Results Show confirmed that Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr would face Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in the dance-off.
The pairing was notable because Jaime and Carlos had finished joint eighth with 25 points, considerably ahead of Shaun and Alexis’ 17. Their appearance in the bottom two demonstrated why the judges’ leaderboard alone could not predict the final result.
Both couples performed again before the judges made their decision.
Shirley Ballas voted to save Shaun and Alexis, while Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse chose to save Jaime and Carlos. Anton Du Beke then used his casting vote to save Jaime and Carlos, settling the result.
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr were eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing 2026 in Week 5, becoming the fourth celebrity-professional partnership to leave the competition.
The departure came after Shaun had already survived a dance-off in Week 3, when he and Alexis faced Melanie Walters and Aljaลพ ล korjanec. The judges saved Shaun and Alexis on that occasion.
The pair subsequently improved their score during Icons Week, reaching 28 points, before falling to the bottom of the leaderboard again in Week 5.
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Eliminations: Four Celebrities Have Left
Shaun and Alexis’ elimination leaves 11 celebrity contestants remaining as the series moves towards its Halloween Special.
The three celebrities previously eliminated were Chris Appleton, Melanie Walters and Dame Sarah Storey. Sarah and Julian Caillon left during Icons Week after losing their dance-off against Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu.
With another partnership now out of the competition, the remaining couples will prepare for the show’s annual Halloween Special, which follows the Week 5 Results Show in the series schedule.
Another Dramatic Dancing Elimination
Dance-off outcomes can surprise viewers when the judges’ scores and final result tell different stories. Read our Dancing With the Stars Season 35 elimination recap for more on Ciara Miller’s departure.
Conclusion: Week 5 Changes the Competition’s Momentum
Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 5 produced a clear high point for Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita, whose 37-point Couple’s Choice topped the leaderboard and delivered the first 10s of the series. Delta Goodrem also made an impressive return from injury, while John Nellis, Graeme Hall, Will Best and Dani Dyer secured strong positions.
At the other end, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr finished last with 17 points before losing the dance-off to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. The show also featured the correction to Lacey Turner’s score, ensuring the final leaderboard reflected the judges’ actual marks.
With 11 celebrities left and the Halloween Special next on the schedule, the fifth week has set up the next stage of the competition.
Source and Research Disclaimer
This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided below, including BBC Strictly Come Dancing information, Radio Times coverage and The Guardian’s live reporting. It reflects the information available from those sources concerning the Week 5 live show and Results Show. The article does not imply independent verification beyond the supplied material, and details may be updated if the broadcaster subsequently issues a correction or clarification.
Sources
- BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 5 information and series leaderboard
- Radio Times: Strictly Come Dancing 2026 leaderboard
- The Guardian: Strictly Come Dancing Week Five live coverage
- Radio Times: Lacey Turnerโs Week 5 score correction
- Radio Times: Shaun Wright-Phillipsโ Week 5 judgesโ scores
Featured Image Credit: BBC
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