Who Left Strictly Come Dancing Tonight?
Ellie Goldstein and her professional partner, Vito Coppola, packed their bags and waved a bittersweet goodbye to the dancefloor tonight. The news might not come as a complete shock if you’ve followed the week’s leaderboard chatter, but fans always hope for a last-minute twist, even more so during Halloween week, when the costumes are wild and nearly anything feels possible.
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Their Tango to Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra" put up a real fight. The audience gave them a standing ovation, cheers, applause, a few misty eyes in the crowd, and if you squinted, it almost felt like the kind of rousing classic Strictly moment that wins new viewers over. The judges noticed Ellie’s nervous opening but praised the way she “keeps fighting back.” Still, sometimes “fighting” isn’t quite enough when the leaderboard is stacked and the competition’s tight.
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Why Ellie and Vito Departed
Halloween Week’s dance-off was a nail-biter a “battle royale,” Anton du Beke quipped, which probably only sounds dramatic until you’re one of the couples stuck in the bottom two. Ellie and Vito faced off against Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon, with just a single point separating them on the leaderboard, which meant a lot of clenched jaws and quiet backstage pacing. Both duos repeated their dances (a Tango for Ellie and Vito, a Rumba for Balvinder and Julian), each fighting for survival with that stubborn Strictly energy you only get from months of glitter and graft.
The judges deliberated but were unanimous: Balvinder and Julian scraped through, and Ellie’s turn to take the final bow had come. Shirley Ballas called her “outstanding throughout the whole competition,” and Vito’s sendoff was a bit of a tearjerker he told Ellie he “never had a little sister before” but now considers her family.
What’s Next for Strictly
For Ellie and Vito, it’s the end of their 2025 campaign, but this is one reality show where a departure often gets a standing ovation and a “see you next time.” They leave with hearts a bit fuller and family a bit bigger. For the others? The glitterball dream rolls on, and Halloween week stories will echo through future seasons, the spooky costumes, the perfect 40 from Lewis Cope, the kind of Saturday night tension you feel in your stomach long after the credits roll.
Strictly never stays the same for long. Each exit changes the energy; every goodbye leaves a gap in the line-up that the ballroom takes a week or two to get used to. But as the music swells and confetti settles, it’s time for a fresh start and one more spin under the lights—because that’s what keeps everyone coming back.
Disclaimer:
All results and voting details are based on the officially aired Strictly Come Dancing episode on BBC One. Viewer voting outcomes and judge decisions are final as per the show’s broadcast.
