Strictly 2023: Quarter-Final Curse to Strike Again?

As the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing continues to grace our screens, a curious pattern has emerged over the years, casting a shadow of uncertainty on contestants who dominate the quarter-final leaderboard.

In a surprising turn of events, research from William Hill Vegas has revealed that none of the previous nine contestants who claimed the top score in the quarter-finals have gone on to secure the coveted Glitterball Trophy, giving rise to what we now dub as the “Quarter-Final Curse”:

The last person to top the leaderboard in the 11th week and win the series was singer Jay McGuiness all the way back in 2015. Since then, seven seasons have passed where the contestants to receive the biggest or joint-biggest score in this crucial stage of the competition have failed to go all the way.

Most recently in Series 20, the charismatic duo of Will Mellor and Helen Skelton secured an impressive score of 39 in the quarter-finals, only to find themselves exiting the competition in the subsequent semi-finals. The Quarter-Final Curse likewise struck in Series 19 when Rhys Stephenson’s stellar performance earned him a score of 39, yet he too bowed out in the semi-finals.

Even contestants who record a coveted Perfect 40 at this stage are far from guaranteed to win the Glitterball Trophy. Series 17 saw the talented Karim Zeroual amass an elusive score of 40 in the quarter-finals, leading him to the final two weeks later but falling at the last hurdle, eventually losing out to Kelvin Fletcher. The Quarter-Final Curse was also evident in Series 16 where Faye Tozer also wowed the judges with a score of 40 in the quarter-finals, only to likewise land as a finalist.

With current William Hill favourite Ellie Leach (1/4) amassing the highest score in last week’s episode – receiving 38 points from the judges for her Argentine Tango – the Coronation Street actress may prefer some respite from the top of the leaderboard this weekend to avoid falling into the unforeseen pitfall of the subtle yet persistent Quarter-Final Curse.