Ed Balls gets voted off Strictly Come Dancing

He had repeatedly defied the judges poor scores after winning over the public with his dance routines, but Ed Balls was finally voted off Strictly Come Dancing this week.

The former shadow chancellor became the 10th contestant to be given the boot from the show after a dance-off with Judge Rinder.

All the judges, Len Goodman, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood had scored the 49-year-old lowest in the Cha Cha Challenge and this week's public vote was not enough to save him.

But the unlikely Strictly star remained upbeat after his defeat, saying he had gone out on a high after a journey of self discovery.

Balls, who has entertained viewers with his routines to Gangnam Style and Great Balls of Fire, said afterwards: ""It has been much more than I ever thought it would be.

"The warmth and generosity of the family and fans and the amount I've learnt about myself and performing and what I can actually do is way beyond anything I would ever have imagined."

The 49-year-old vowed to "keep dancing", saying that wife "Yvette (Cooper) is absolutely clear that she wants to learn the Charleston, Foxtrot and Jive".

The remaining five couples will return to the dance floor in the quarter final of the competition on Saturday December 3.