Strictly’s JB Gill and his dance partner Lauren Oakley secured joint top of the leaderboard with the Couple’s Choice routine set to the sound of a Bruno Mars medley while Amy Dowden watched on from the sidelines.
The Welsh-born dancer, 34, was left in tears as she watched JB and Lauren receive their series-high score of 39, with the dancer admitting: “I wish I was down there with you.”
The JLS singer, 37, received his highest score in the series despite only working with Lauren for a matter of days.
Strictly viewers have addressed their concerns for Amy, with many suggesting she returned to the show “too soon”.
One commented: “I feel Amy should have stayed home this week, it was always going to upset her and you could see both JB and Lauren felt bad. She didn’t need to be there and should have been resting. They smashed it though and Lauren raised JB’s game. Lauren doesnt deserve to be benched.”
Another wrote: “So sad for Amy. I think she realised in that moment that she came back too early and maybe Lauren should have been JB’s partner all along.”
A third penned: “Seeing @amy_dowden crying during the scores had me crying my eyes out with her! Loved this dance!”
Another commented: “Just hope jb is given Lauren as his partner for the rest of the series. No disrespect to amy but he now needs consistency and he will get that from Lauren. They were great together.”
Others rushed to Amy’s defence, with one writing: “Amy you looked so proud and so you should. JB and Lauren were amazing. You truly are a dream team. Hope to see you back next week! Sending you so much love.”
Another shared: “I hope you’re okay. I could see the mixed emotions. Just know how bloody fabulous you are, and how much we all care about you.”
“Love this dance , very powerful and amazing that lauren and jb danced seamlessly together , my heart went out to Amy you could really see her pain of wanting to be on that dance floor , it shows how much passion these dancers have,” another said.
It comes after Amy collapsed backstage and was taken to hospital during Halloween week, with Lauren stepping up to replace the dancer for Icons week.
The Welsh dancer, who has overcome her recent battle with cancer, will return to the dancefloor on Saturday.
