Strictly Come Dancing 2023 fans slam 'horrific' song choice!

(Image credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 viewers reckon a bad choice of song was responsible for landing one contestant in the first dance off of this year's competition.

Nikita Kanda, with her partner Gorka Marquez, had to dance off against Les Dennis and Nancy Xu to stay in Strictly Come Dancing for another week.

And while viewers were in agreement that veteran entertainer Les deserved to be in the bottom two, despite his enthusiasm, some fans were quick to point the finger at what was the blame for Nikita landing in the dance off.

The music!

Gorka and Nikita speak to the judges before the dance off — Gorka and Nikita had to dance off (Image credit: BBC)

Nikita and Gorka danced a charleston to an, ahem, interesting version of the iconic Beyonce track Single Ladies.

And the viewers did not like it one bit!

In fact they disliked it so intently that they reckoned it was the music that was to blame for Nikita ending up in the bottom two.

Harsh? Perhaps, but the fans were convinced!

Nikita and Gorka dance a charleston — Was the music to blame for Nikita ending up in the dance off? (Image credit: BBC)

"One of the things that let Nikita K down this week was definitely the music," one disgruntled fan wrote, while another shared a comedy gif of Beyonce looking shocked!

Another viewer said the version of the song was "horrid" and another called it "shocking". Another pulled no punches, saying the song was "horrific".

One of the things that let Nikita K down this week was definitely the music. A Charlestonized version of Single Ladies doesn't work at all. 😬 #StrictlyOctober 1, 2023

Beyoncé hearing this version of single ladies. #strictly pic.twitter.com/tPSvAkW6MROctober 1, 2023

I reckon they play this sped up #Strictly band version of Beyoncé’s Single Ladies as you descend down into hell. Horrific. 💀🥴October 1, 2023

This single ladies version is HORRID #StrictlyOctober 1, 2023

This version of single ladies is truly shocking #StrictlyOctober 1, 2023

One fan pointed out that Beyonce's song has an iconic dance, which was totally lacking in Nikita and Gorka's performance!

Tough gig, to ask a competitor to dance to a piece of music that already has probably the most famous modern dance routine on earth, and NOT do THAT dance. #Strictly #BeyonceOctober 1, 2023

And one fan said bluntly that the couple were in the dance off "purely because of the music they danced to".

Firmly believe Gorka and Nikita are in the dance off purely because of the music they danced to #StrictlyOctober 1, 2023

Bad music or not, Nikita and Gorka managed to avoid being sent home when they were saved by the judges.

Meaning their dance-off rivals Les and Nancy are out of the competition.

Les and Nikita in the dance off — The judges voted to save Nikita and Gorka (Image credit: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing 2023 continues next Saturday on BBC One. Check our TV Guide for more information.

Kerry is a writer, author and editor with a lifelong love of the soaps, a passion for TV drama of all kinds, and an obsessive devotion to Strictly Come Dancing.

She was features editor of All About Soap magazine for more than a decade, covering every bit of excitement from all the UK soaps and the Aussies and still writes about all the juiciest gossip from the Street, the Square and the Dales whenever she can.

Kerry’s also an author of historical fiction, and her two jobs collided when she got the chance to write two novels based on Emmerdale, and the Sugden, Tate and Dingle families, during WW2.