Ali Bastian

Ali Bastian

The finalists of Strictly Come Dancing will ultimately be decided by the voting public after the dance-off was scrapped.

The fate of the two couples with the lowest votes and combined judges' scores was previously decided by the experts after a second performance. This time the couple with the lowest scores will leave the competition immediately.

The change are to avoid a repeat of last year's semi-final shambles when all three couples were put through after a tie between two couples meant the third couple Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup - who went on to win the final, could not have been saved by the public vote. .

Judge Bruno Tonioli is said to be in favour of the changes while fellow newcomer Alesha Dixon feels it takes the decision away from the panel.

The news was announced on BBC Two spin-off show It Takes Two.

The three couples in this year's semi-final are actor Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe, actress Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna and sports newsreader Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan.

There are usually four couples in the semi-final but only three remain after athlete Jade Johnson had to withdraw following a knee injury.

Ricky Whittle impressed the judges and scored the highest points but the voting public did not agree and his combined score put him in the bottom two for the second week running and as such may be a loser under the new rules.