Phil Tufnell has been voted off 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The former cricketer and his professional partner Katya Virshilas had finished fourth on the leader board, scoring 31 points for their American smooth, but failed to impress viewers and ended up in the bottom two with actor Ricky Groves and his partner Erin Boag.
The dance-off saw a tense vote, with Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli opting to save the sportsman, while Craig Revel Horwood saved his rival.
As head judge, Len Goodman had the deciding vote and opted to save Ricky, sending Phil out of the competition.
The show had been marred by injury, with Jade Johnson having to pull out of performing due to a knee problem, later admitting she was worried it would affect her sporting commitments in the coming months.
Laila Rouass had to be carried off stage by partner Anton Du Beke halfway through their performance due to an ankle injury, but still scored 22 with their half-finished dance.
Host Bruce Forsythe missed the show for the first time ever after suffering from a bout of flu.
Tess Daly - who usually speaks to the contestants after their performances - took over his duties, joined by diminutive comic Ronnie Corbett, with Claudia Winkleman taking on the backstage hosting.
Bruce is expected to be fit for next week's show.
15 November 2009, 12:00pm
