Furious Strictly viewers claim fan favourite is being ‘set up’ to fail

Strictly Come Dancing viewers are furious following the 2025 Halloween special, declaring that one fan-favourite star has been ‘set up’.

George Clarke is a TikTok sensation, boasting 2.4million followers on that platform alone, having built up a solid, supportive fanbase.

And it’s safe to say those fans are in his corner as he tries his hand at ballroom dancing, even if the scores are not.

Tonight, George, 25, and his pro partner, Alexis Warr, also 25, danced a spooky cha cha to viral hit Apple by Charli XCX.

Unfortunately, after falling to the bottom of the leaderboard last week with his Harry Styles-esque jive for Icons Week, George failed to make a strong comeback on fright night.

As a result, viewers are accusing the show of making him into a ‘joke’ act by failing to provide his routines with ‘themes’ that showcase his ability.

Meanwhile, tonight, the panel criticised his footwork, with Craig Revel Horwood calling it ‘clunky’ and Motsi Mabuse urging him to work on the ‘force’ he has in ballroom dances for his Latin numbers.

Thankfully, Shirley Ballas was on hand with some reassurance, telling the influencer that he ‘doesn’t realise how good [he] is’ and reminding him that he is a ‘competitor’.

‘We all like what you do,’ added fourth judge Anton Du Beke. ‘The only person who doesn’t really believe in what you do is you! And we don’t understand why.

‘We’re getting to the halfway stage in the competition now. You can be in the next level, easy as pie … I want more. Can I have more, please? More drive, more competitiveness, more, more, more, because you can do it.’

‘Sure, I’ll give it a go,’ George replied timidly to the feedback, going on to tell host Claudia Winkleman that after a ‘setback’ last week, he was keen to prove that he is ‘putting in the effort and not plateauing’.

‘He is constantly trying, and you can see the effort, and it makes me emotional how much he cares,’ added partner Alexis sweetly.

George and Alexis scored a six, a seven, and two eights for their routine, giving them a total of 29 and putting them in a risky seventh place on the leaderboard.

Taking to social media after his dance, viewers commented on how George appears to be regressing, calling for him to be given better songs and choreography.

‘I fear George has been let down with a very loose concept forced by that song choice’, wrote X user @scddevereaux.

‘Same! He started so well and seemed like he could win but these last few weeks it feels like the songs and themes have messed him up so much’, agreed @smallstepforsam.

‘Shame George is saddled with such static choreography because when he has been allowed to dance, he was sharp and on it. They’re wasting his potential’, wrote @MatthewRimmer.

‘I fear George is being let down by songs that don’t really match the dances’, noted @WriterofQueen.

@GATSBYCHALAMET also picked up on the song choices, with George having danced to a KPop Demon Hunters tune two weeks ago: ‘I need george to dance to a song that hasn’t been trending in the last year. I feel like strictly is trying to appeal to his audience but I think we all want him to do something different for once’.

‘dear strictly producers, george clarke is a person, not just an “influencer”,’ tweeted @blhtrixya.

Indeed, George has had a tough few weeks, having started off near the top of the scoreboard in week 1 with 24 points and scoring 30, 31, and 30 in weeks 2, 3, and 4, respectively, before sinking to 27 in week 5.

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While his devout fans have been able to keep him out of the dance-off thus far, it remains to be seen whether his Snow White cha cha will finish on a sour note in the results show.

Speaking ahead of the launch show after his name was confirmed for this series, podcaster George joked: ‘Never thought I’d say this… but I’m doing Strictly!

‘Honestly, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing, but I’m excited to get stuck in… and potentially fall over a fair bit.’

George was also keen to shut down any potential Strictly curse speculation ahead of the series, as he went public with his girlfriend, model Yasmin Bennett.

Speaking on The Useless Hotline, he said of revealing his relationship: ‘That’s part of the reason why we wanted to say something.

‘Because the two options were, say something. You have full control over how it comes out.’

He then praised his other half in a new interview with The Sun, saying this week: ‘She’s the most supportive girlfriend I could ever ask for.

‘She’s amazing. I think she believed in me more than I did.’

Elsewhere tonight, West End star Lewis Cope triumphed by scoring a perfect 40 for his couple’s choice, which many have branded the ‘dance of the series’.

Also flying high is Karen Carney, who scored two 10s for her Peaky Blinders-themed Argentine tango, while drag queen La Voix had a fierce comeback with her paso doble.

The Strictly Halloween results air tomorrow night on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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