LONDON, November 15, 2026 — Cach Mercer has topped the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 8 leaderboard with 39 out of 40 points, completing a dramatic turnaround just one week after narrowly escaping elimination.

The former Love Island winner, 25, and professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby delivered Saturday’s highest-scoring routine, earning three perfect 10s. Meanwhile, three couples finished joint bottom on 27 points, leaving the competition wide open ahead of Blackpool Week.

The November 14 show also featured Delta Goodrem’s emergency partner change, Jaime Winstone’s injury comeback and criticism of Dani Dyer’s choreography.

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Week 8 Full Leaderboard

Nine couples performed on Saturday. Here are the complete judges’ scores:

Cach Mercer Scores 39 After Dramatic Dance-Off Survival

Mercer and Ingoldsby performed a Charleston to Blame It on the Boogie by The Jacksons, receiving standing ovations from Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse.

Mabuse called it the “dance of the season”. Ballas, Mabuse and Anton Du Beke each awarded 10 points, while Craig Revel Horwood gave nine.

The result marked a 13-point improvement from Week 7, when Mercer scored 26 for his waltz and faced Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu in the dance-off.

Du Beke voted to save Mercer, while Mabuse and Revel Horwood supported Antonia. Head judge Ballas used her deciding vote to keep Mercer in the competition.

The dramatic decision is detailed in the report on Bethany Antonia’s Strictly Come Dancing elimination.

Delta Goodrem Finishes Second After Kai Widdrington Hospitalisation

Australian singer Delta Goodrem, 42, secured second place with 35 points despite changing partners less than 24 hours before the live show.

Kai Widdrington withdrew after falling ill, and Goodrem revealed during Saturday’s broadcast that he had been taken to hospital. No diagnosis was publicly confirmed.

Aljaž Škorjanec stepped in for an Argentine tango to Missing by Everything But The Girl.

Mabuse praised the pair’s connection and musicality, Du Beke called the performance “beautiful to watch”, and Revel Horwood described it as “superb”.

The circumstances surrounding the replacement were previously explained in the report on Kai Widdrington’s illness and Aljaž Škorjanec’s Strictly return.

Jaime Winstone Returns as Dani Dyer Faces Criticism

Jaime Winstone returned after missing Week 7 with an abdominal muscle injury. Her Charleston with Carlos Gu to I Can’t Do It Alone from Chicago earned 33 points.

Host Emma Willis welcomed her back, while Ballas praised the pair’s energetic connection.

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin dropped from first place last week to joint fifth, scoring 30 for their paso doble. Revel Horwood criticised Kuzmin’s choreography for including prohibited lifts.

Olympic skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita also earned 30 for their Viennese waltz. John Nellis and Katya Jones scored 31 for their jive.

Three Couples Tie at Bottom Ahead of Elimination

Graeme Hall, Lacey Turner and Will Best each received 27 points, putting all three under pressure before Sunday’s results.

Hall’s quickstep contained several mistakes, Turner’s foxtrot attracted criticism for resembling a different dance style, and Du Beke described Best’s paso doble as “plonky”.

However, the lowest judges’ scores do not automatically determine elimination. Public votes are combined with the panel’s marks to decide which couples face the dance-off.

Strictly Results Show: Time and Blackpool Week

The Week 8 results show is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, at 7:15 p.m. GMT on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

One couple is due to leave before the remaining contestants compete at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom on November 21.

For further details about Saturday’s performances and judges’ reactions, see the Evening Standard’s Week 8 leaderboard report.

Mercer enters the results show as the highest-scoring contestant, but public support will help determine which couples reach Blackpool.