Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu is the first contestant to be voted off this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing.

It was between Akudolu and Good Morning Britain's presenter Charlotte Hawkins, who had stumbled on many of her Cha Cha steps, but viewers opted to save Charlotte from the axe.

Chizzy Akudolu was overwhelmed when she realised that she was eliminated 

A dance-off was arranged for the 43-year-old actress with 56-year-old comedian Brian Conley after the viewers votes were combined with the judges. 

It was hard to see why Brian Conley got through ahead of Chizzy as he appeared to have been wearing a restrictive girdle as he danced. Twitter was alight with disgust.

The Holby City surgeon and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev performed the foxtrot and Conley and his partner Amy Dowden did the Cha Cha once again tonight.

The actress was not unanimously dismissed with her gaining support from Judge Craig Revel Horwood who said he "loved" watching her dance "more".

Fellow contestants bid farewell to the first person to be eliminated

But the other judges Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli opted to save Conley as he "popped more" and for "having more dance content."

The final say went to judge Shirley Ballas who saved the comedian saying that it had "a bit more musicality and content".

Speaking after being voted off Akudolu thanked the judges for their "constructive criticism," called her dance partner a "dude" and said "I have loved every minute dancing with him and it will continue because I will just be going round his house to dance now. But I don't have his address so if anyone could email me I would appreciate it!"

The actress's dance partner Kovalev saidd: "You were so much fun to work with, all the laughs we had together, all the great dancing we did together I absolutely enjoyed every single second of it and fine, come over to my house!"

Strictly returns next Saturday on BBC One with a movie special.