Strictly Come Dancing fans have hit out at their fellow voters and the show's judges after former JLS star Aston Merrygold and professional partner Janette Manrara were eliminated in the weekend's results programme. 

In one of the biggest shocks in Strictly history, Merrygold and Manrara lost out to The Saturdays singer Mollie King and her professional partner AJ Pritchard in the dreaded dance-off.

After finishing in the bottom two places after the public vote, Merrygold and Manrara - who had been tipped as possible winners - performed their Foxtrot for a second time to Connie Francis' Call Me Irresponsible, while King and Pritchard took to the dancefloor again to perform a Viennese Waltz to The Jackson 5's Who's Loving You.

Aston Merrygold and Janette Manrana eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing

After both couples danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts with Darcey Bussell and Bruno Tonioli choosing to save Merrygold and Manrara, while Craig Revel Horwood voted for King and Pritchard.

Head judge Shirley Ballas, who had the casting vote, sided with Revel Horwood in saving King and Pritchard, describing it as "a very difficult choice".

The Saturdays star Mollie King survived the dreaded dance-off on Strictly Come Dancing

In a post on Instagram, Merrygold said he was "gutted" to be leaving the show but added: "I'm not sad that it's over, I'm happy that it got to happen!"

Fans took to Twitter to show their support for Merrygold and to express their dismay:

The remaining nine couples will take to the dancefloor again on Saturday evening when Strictly Come Dancing returns on BBC One.