Dancing With The Stars has lost a fan favorite after two beloved contestants got into a thrilling battle.
Chef Hayden Quinn was ousted from the show after losing a dance competition to comedienne Nikki Osborne.
Despite finishing in the middle of the pack, Hayden and Nikki both finished in the bottom two as the studio audience backed Nova Peris and Shane Crawford.
Nikki kicked off the show with her Poison Ivy-inspired tango, building tension and passion, earning 26 points.
Hayden also danced significantly better than his last dance with his sensual and rhythmic performance, good for 27 points.
Singer Samantha Jade topped the rankings and received 34 points for her cheerful Samba.
Judge Mark Wilson told Shane to watch out for the rest of the competition after he showed his refined side with a Viennese waltz, scoring 26 points.
Olympian Nova let her nerves get the better of her as she performed her Jive.
Dancing With The Stars has lost a fan favorite. Chef Hayden Quinn (pictured) was ousted from the show after losing a dance-off to comedian Nikki Osborne
Judge Sharna Burgess said she had “the vibe of the Jive but not the technique,” before awarding Nova 19 points.
The funny thing was that the studio audience voted for Nova and Shane.
In combination with the judges’ points, it was Nikki and Hayden who competed in the elimination dance.
After Hayden’s Waltz and Nikki’s Charleston, the jury voted to save Nikki and send Hayden home.
Hayden, 37, accepted the loss and thanked his dance partner Lily Cornish for her guidance.
Hayden took the loss in his stride and thanked his dance partner Lily Cornish (pictured) for her guidance and mentorship
Nikki (pictured) gave it her all in the elimination dance competition
“It was an amazing night. This whole experience, I was incredibly lucky to be standing next to Lily,” he said.
“She’s a great teacher. She’s incredible, powerful. So, big applause for her.”
Viewers were not happy with the result and many shared their opinions about X.
“If the judging is this stupid I’ll stop watching,” one person wrote.
“That result was a mess,” said another, while someone else wrote: “Hayden out?! That’s bullshit!”
“Hayden and Lilly don’t deserve to be sent home. It should have been Nova,” wrote another.
‘Happy for Nikki but so incredibly sad for Hayden, he could have won this! Others don’t deserve to be there anymore,’ someone else said.
Next week, the stars will face a double elimination, with two dancers dropping out.
