'The Strictly winner is decided before show even starts, and I know who it is'

It's no secret that Strictly Come Dancing goes beyond the dancing. It allows viewers at home to connect with the celebrities and their dance partners, see beneath the facade, and unpack a deeper human connection that can ultimately determine how they cast their votes each weekend.

Popularity has long played a role in the Strictly results - whether viewers vote for their favourite soap star or their preferred pro dancer who has that bubbly personality. While their dancing skills come into play, many will vote for their overall favourite couple, regardless of whether their rhythm was out of sync during the Samba or they stumbled in a Salsa.

Just last weekend, formerApprentice star Thomas Skinner and his Strictly professional dancer, Amy Dowden, became the first couple to be eliminated from the show following a public vote. While many fans were in agreement over Thomas' early exit, having scored a mere 13 points out of a possible 40 from the judges on Saturday night, viewers were left furious by Amy's early exit, especially as she is known as "one of the most universally loved professionals".

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Amy missed the 2023 series of Strictly due to a breast cancer diagnosis, and was forced to bow out midway through last year after suffering an injury. It was hoped by many that this would be her comeback year, and fans were quick to accuse the show of 'doing her dirty' by pairing her with the arguably unpopular Skinner. Indeed, in the run-up to the show it emerged that he had had an affair just weeks after he married the love of his life" Sinead.

The former Apprentice hopeful, 34, said he had a "fling" with an "attractive" single mum who gave him a free cosmetic treatment after they met in a pub - describing his indiscretion as a "moment of madness". But the woman in question, Amy-Lucy O'Rourke, insisted it was a three-month-long affairand Thomas acted like a boyfriend with her by doing errands like fixing her car and teasing a possible marriage.

The scandal no doubt did little to endear fans of the family-friendly show to him, and when it emerged that he had two left feet, they were far from forgiving. Addressing why fans sacrificed Amy for Thomas, Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley, a Consultant Psychologist told The Mirror:

"Thomas was always going to be a divisive contestant. Loud, affable, and relentlessly upbeat, he came in carrying the archetype of the showman; the confident extrovert who fills every silence. But Strictly isn’t built for bravado; it rewards sincerity and self-awareness. The qualities that make Thomas entertaining elsewhere… his hustle, his catchphrases, his high energy… don’t easily convert into emotional connection on the dance floor.

"Producers seemed to know this, pairing him with Amy Dowden, who is one of the most universally loved professionals, in what felt like an attempt to soften his public image. Amy’s warmth, patience, and emotional intelligence gave the partnership a gentle sincerity, but it never quite sparked.

"In many ways, Thomas symbolised everything Strictly isn’t: noise over nuance, performance over feeling. Viewers want transformation; a glimpse of humility or self-discovery and that never really came through. His early exit wasn’t surprising; it simply reflected a mismatch between personality and format."

Another couple who may have fallen victim to the popularity trap is England rugby star Chris Robshaw and his Strictly partner Nadiya Bychkova, who despite their obvious skill also found themselves in the bottom two last weekend. The expert believes Chris' quietness may be to blame but suggests that with time, all that will change.

Dr Louise shared: "Viewers warm to contestants like Chris when they begin to lower the armour and let humour and tenderness replace stoicism. He’s likeable and steady, but perhaps too understated? His journey will depend on whether he can turn competence into connection and allow emotion to replace precision."

When it comes who will win and why, the expert believes the outcome is already written. "In the end, Strictly isn’t about dancing. It is about what happens when people risk being seen and are met with warmth instead of judgment. We watch because it stirs something primitive, that being the need to witness courage played out safely, to see others stumble, recover, and rise again," she says.

"Beneath the glitter, it remains a modern ritual of vulnerability and repair; a reminder that we are, at our core, social creatures who long to see courage met with care", Dr Louise added.

So who will life the 2025 Glitterball? "Ellie Goldstein brings something profoundly human to this year’s Strictly; an unfiltered joy that reconnects people with what dancing is really about: expression, belonging, and play," says Dr Louise.

"She’s the embodiment of lightness, not just in her movement but in her spirit. Watching her feels restorative, like being reminded of the part of ourselves that still delights in life without self-consciousness.

"Her partnership with Vito Coppola amplifies that energy. He is instinctively protective, emotionally fluent, and endlessly kind… qualities that make him one of the show’s most intuitive professionals. Together, they radiate warmth and sincerity. Their connection feels safe and joyful in equal measure, and that balance cuts through the noise of competition."

The expert added: "Ellie also carries the mantle of representation with a grace that never feels performative. She’s expanding what audiences understand as ability, but she does it by simply being herself; open, funny, and alive to the moment. In a year where Strictly has needed to recover its heart after stories of tension and conflict, Ellie and Vito restore it effortlessly."

She concluded that Ellie is "a likely finalist, and possibly the emotional winner of the series". Dr Louise explained: "She represents everything viewers come to Strictly to feel; authenticity, kindness, and joy that asks nothing in return."