STRICTLY Come Dancing 2025 finalists have been revealed but viewers have hit out at the judges for making the “wrong decision”.
Week 12 on the BBC One series saw the four remaining couples compete for the Glitterball trophy as they battled it out in the semi-final.
The celebrities and their pro partners were tasked with performing two dances to secure a place in the grand final.
But only three couples were allowed through to the final – meaning one pair would be facing the chop.
EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal and West End’s Amber Davies found themselves in the bottom two tonight.
After a fierce dance off, it was down to the judges to cast their vote, with Craig Revel Horwood having the deciding vote.
But Balvinder, who has made history as the first celebrity to survive five dance-offs, was out of luck this week.
The judges unanimously voted to save Amber and pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin, meaning Balvider and Julian Caillon’s time was up.
This means that the three finalists are Amber and Nikita, George Clarke and Alexis Warr and Karen Carney and Carlos Gu.
Despite the multiple knockbacks, Balvinder came back fighting each week and impressed the judges over and over again.
Speaking to Tess Daly after being eliminated, Balvinder said: “
Viewers were left heartbroken for the soap star, who continued to battle on each week and said she deserved a place in the final.
One wrote: “Gutted for Balvinder! She’s been fantastic all series. Her resilience after being in the dance off many times is incredible, it would have shaken the confidence of others but she’s come back fighting every time. She should be V proud of herself.”
A second posted: “Big love to our amazing Balvinder Sopal!! All season she has been phenomenal, fighting back against unfair scoring, every dance off and vitriol online. She has been beautiful and has been nothing short of inspirational.”
A third said: “Gutted for Balvinder missing out at the final hurdle, but she should be so incredibly proud of her journey. Beat the odds so many times and inspired others along the way. At least I’ll be able to watch the final unbiased and just enjoy the dancing I guess.”
Another added: “So sad for Balvinder she deserved her place in the final.”
On Saturday’s show impressed the judges with her salsa and waltz, scoring 70 points in total, but she was still bottom of the leaderboard.
Last week, Balvinder, 47, burst into and had to be hugged by a judge after her stunning performance.
She showed her resilience despite the setback, dancing the Vienesse Waltz to The Greatest Showman with dance partner Julian, and took judges and viewers by surprise with the “stunning routine”.
Balvinder’s powerful performance received a huge ovation from the audience, while judges echoed that reception with glowing feedback to the star.
Following her dance, Anton Du Beke told Balvinder: “I think I love you now – more than ever now.
“Firstly, congratulations – because this was epic. This was an epic performance.”
He told the star that she looked “absolutely stunning” as she made her entrance onto the stage, and praised Balvinder for keeping her position and showcasing a “magnificent” performance.
Motsi Mabuse was in awe of the routine, after what she described as a “demoralising” few weeks in the competition.
Before she could finish giving her feedback to Balvinder, she broke down in tears, being consoled by pro Julian, before Motsi quickly left the judges podium to give her a hug.
During their embrace, she was picked up on her mic saying: “You did amazing – I’m so proud of you.”
Last week, Balvinder managed to escape the dance off – which saw Lewis Cope eliminated as he went up against Amber Davies.
