Fleur East allowed to restart Strictly dance-off routine after prop incident

Fleur East was allowed to start her Strictly Come Dancing dance-off performance again, following an “incident with a prop”.

Despite briefly halting the show, the broadcaster and her professional dance partner Vito Coppola went on to be voted through by judges.

The BBC said the restart had been permitted because the pair had “not begun to dance” before the incident occurred.

East and Coppola performed a salsa routine to Beyonce’s Break My Soul, triumphing over EastEnders actor James Bye and his partner Amy Dowden, who became the fifth couple to leave the show.

In a statement shared with the PA news agency, a BBC spokesperson said the show had been stopped “as a matter of urgency”.

“After an incident with a prop at the beginning of Fleur and Vito’s dance-off performance, the decision was made to halt proceedings to check they were not injured, as a matter of urgency,” the spokesperson said.

“As they had not begun to dance before the incident occurred, it was decided they could start the performance again, once it was confirmed they were fit to do so.”

Following the final performances, judge Craig Revel Horwood said it was his “responsibility” as a judge to “save the better dancer”, meanwhile Motsi Mabuse said there were “different levels of dancing on the dance floor.”

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday November 5 at 7pm, with the results show on Sunday November 6 at 7:15pm on BBC One.