Strictly’s Halloween special took an unexpected twist when Tess Daly vanished mid-show, leaving viewers and judges in a whirlwind of surprise and intrigue

Strictly Come Dancing’s Tess Daly was ‘replaced’ this evening. (Image: BBC)

Strictly’s Halloween special served up plenty of drama on Saturday – and not just on the dance floor. Viewers tuning in for the spooky spectacular were left doing a double-take after host Tess Daly appeared to vanish mid-show, sparking a surprise shake-up that nobody saw coming.

The BBC ballroom returned with all its glitter and ghostly glamour, with Tess and Claudia Winkleman kicking off the night as the celebrities took on week six with full Halloween commitment. Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood were locked in and ready as the competition edged toward Sunday’s fifth elimination.

George Clarke and Alexis Warr delivered a neon-charged Cha Cha Cha to Charli XCX’s Apple, earning a mixed bag of comments before Claudia passed things back to Tess for the next intro – except Tess had straight-up disappeared from her post.

Instead, in a moment that had the audience howling, drag icon La Voix suddenly stepped in and began reading the autocue herself and did not hesitate for a second, delivering a full-on pro-level intro before sashaying onto the dance floor with partner Aljaž Škorjanec.

Dressed as the Queen of Hearts, La Voix proudly announced: “Tonight she’s taking on the Queen of Hearts for an Alice in Wonderland-inspired Paso Doble. It’s La Voix and Aljaž!”

She then spun back to the wings and cheekily asked Tess, “How did I do?” before the host confirmed she’d absolutely nailed it — all part of a playful segment poking fun at the pair’s upcoming exit from the series. Tess and Claudia recently confirmed they’ll be bowing out after this year’s run, making every moment feel that bit more emotional.

After her performance, La Voix admitted the Strictly ballroom is “the most petrifying place” she’s ever stood, adding that for the first time, she fully understood the magic the judges talk about each week. She paid a heartfelt thanks to Aljaž, saying: “That was amazing.”

Last weekend’s show set the bar high. Former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope and Katya Jones stormed the leaderboard with a fiery 34 for their Johnny Cash-inspired Quickstep to “Ring of Fire,” while YouTuber George Clarke landed at the bottom with 27 for a Harry Styles-themed Jive.

But leaderboard rankings meant nothing in the end: Amber Davies and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink both slipped into the dance-off, despite solid scores. The judges unanimously saved Amber, sending Jimmy and Lauren Oakley home as the fourth couple to leave the competition.

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