Strictly Week 8: Cach Mercer Tops Leaderboard With a Near-Perfect 39

Cach Mercer and his professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby topped the leaderboard in week eight of Strictly Come Dancing 2026 with a near-perfect 39 for a Charleston danced to “Blame It on the Boogie” by The Jacksons. At the other end of the table, three couples tied on 27, which leaves the public vote with a lot of work to do before Sunday's results show.

Nine couples danced on Saturday. After the public vote, two of them will face the judges in a dance-off on Sunday, Nov. 15, and the judges will pick who leaves. Craig Revel Horwood holds the deciding vote this week, according to the regional news sites that carried the scores.

The week 8 scores at a glance

39: Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, the highest score of the night. Radio Times lists their marks as 9, 10, 10 and 10.
35: Delta Goodrem and Aljaž Škorjanec, who danced together because Kai Widdrington was out ill.
33: Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, back after missing the previous week.
31: John Nellis and Katya Jones.
30: Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin, level with Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita.
27: Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, and Will Best and Dianne Buswell, tied at the bottom.

How the full week 8 leaderboard looks

After Mercer and Ingoldsby and Goodrem and Škorjanec, Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu took third place with 33, according to Radio Times, which also lists the judges' individual marks. Winstone's four scores were 8, 8, 8 and 9. John Nellis and Katya Jones finished fourth with 31, on 7, 8, 8 and 8.

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin and Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita both reached 30. Dyer and Kuzmin earned 6, 8, 8 and 8, while Stoecker and Karmalita earned 7, 8, 7 and 8. The three couples on 27 each had a first score of 6 followed by three 7s.

The totals match across all five reports. The regional news sites and Radio Times list some tied couples in a different order, but every score is the same.

Mercer's top mark of 39 compares with the 34 that earned him a share of first place in Icons Week, and with the 26 he and Ingoldsby scored in week seven.

What changed from the week before

Several couples moved sharply compared with week seven. Mercer and Ingoldsby scored 26 then, and a Charleston has now taken them to the top of the table. Radio Times reported that Dyer and Kuzmin had led week seven with 36, but they scored 30 this time and drew criticism from the judges for “illegal lifts.”

Jaime Winstone returned this week with Carlos Gu after sitting out week seven on medical advice. Radio Times described her as back in action. Goodrem, who had danced every earlier week with Widdrington, took to the floor with Škorjanec because Widdrington was forced to miss the show through illness.

Radio Times also reported a tense exchange between Lacey Turner and the judges, with Vito Coppola coming to his partner's defence. Turner and Coppola finished on 27, down from 36 in week six, when they topped the leaderboard.

Others slipped too. Will Best and Dianne Buswell scored 29 in week seven and Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley scored 28, and both pairs now sit on 27. John Nellis and Katya Jones moved up from 26 to 31.

Who has already left the competition

Six couples have been eliminated so far, according to the regional reports. There was no elimination in week one.

Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden left in week 2.
Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec left in week 3.
Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon left in week 4.
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr left in week 5.
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał left in week 6.
Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu left in week 7.

The pattern across the series so far

The top score has changed hands often. John Nellis and Katya Jones led week 1 with 31. Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington led week 3 with 33. In week 4, Icons Week, Mercer and Ingoldsby shared first place on 34 with Winstone and Gu. Stoecker and Karmalita led week 5 with 37, Turner and Coppola led week 6 with 36, and Dyer and Kuzmin led week 7 with 36. Radio Times also listed Goodrem and Widdrington as the top couple for weeks 1 and 2 combined, on 59.

The lowest scores in the series so far belong to the earliest weeks. Radio Times lists the series low as 15, shared in week 1 by Dame Sarah Storey and Julian Caillon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr, and Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec.

Why it matters for viewers who vote

Scores alone do not decide who goes home. The public vote is added before the dance-off, and the judges then choose between the two couples who land there. That is why a three-way tie on 27 does not mean all three couples are equally at risk: viewers decide which couples fall to the bottom two.

Anyone who wants to vote can do so after the Saturday show through the BBC website. Viewers can also scan a QR code shown on screen during the broadcast, which takes them to the vote page. Votes can be cast on a mobile, a tablet or a computer, but viewers must be signed in with a BBC account.

The panel and the presenters

Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe host the show. The judging panel is made up of Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, according to Radio Times. Revel Horwood has the deciding vote in this week's dance-off.

What happens next

The results show airs on Sunday, Nov. 15. Following the public vote, two couples will compete in the dance-off. The judges will then choose which couple is eliminated, and Revel Horwood has the deciding vote this week.

Frequently asked questions

Who scored highest on Strictly Come Dancing in week 8?

Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby scored 39 for their Charleston to “Blame It on the Boogie” by The Jacksons. Delta Goodrem and Aljaž Škorjanec were second with 35.

Who finished bottom of the week 8 leaderboard?

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, and Will Best and Dianne Buswell all scored 27 and tied for last.

Why did Delta Goodrem dance with Aljaž Škorjanec?

Her usual partner, Kai Widdrington, had to miss week 8 because of illness. Škorjanec filled in for him.

How do I vote on Strictly Come Dancing?

Vote through the BBC website after the Saturday show, or scan the QR code on screen. You can use a mobile, tablet or computer, and you must be signed in with a BBC account.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Somerset County Gazette, The Bury Times, Northwich Guardian, Brentwood Live, Radio Times

Cover photo: JaceMerlyn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

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