Strictly Come Dancing's Jamie Borthwick suffers crushing blow days before live show

Strictly Come Dancing's Jamie Borthwick has been dealt a significant setback just days before he is due to hit the dance floor. The EastEnders actor, best known for his portrayal of Jay Brown, and his professional dance partner Michelle Tsiakkas have consistently improved each week.

Last week, the pair wowed with their playful American smooth to The Addams Family theme while dressed as sibling duo Wednesday and Pugsley Addams. They scored an impressive 38 points out of a possible 40 and have topped the leaderboard for several weeks.

However, data suggests that the duo could be the next to face elimination this weekend as they tackle the dreaded Samba to Faith by George Michael.

Research indicates that the Samba has a notoriously poor track record and is the routine most likely to result in a celebrity's exit from the show.

MyBettingSites.co.uk analysed all the past 21 seasons as well as the 6 episodes of the current series to determine which dance styles have led to the most eliminations. It discovered that the Brazilian dance has resulted in the most eliminations, with 33 couples sent home after attempting the routine.

Meanwhile, the Quickstep is the dance style that has saved the most couples. Following the Samba, the Cha-Cha-Cha is the riskiest style, contributing to 23 exits, while the Tango is also a dangerous choice, accounting for 23 eliminations, reports the Express.

However, the Samba is not a guarantee of failure, as this series has already seen Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and pro partner Aljaz Skorjanec tackle the genre and keep their places in the competition.

Last weekend, the duo made history with the highest scoring Halloween Samba to Reel 2 Real's 'I Like to Move It'. They were flooded with praise from the judges and earned an impressive 37 points.

Taking on the tricky dance also gives a celebrity the chance to show off their talent and skills if they are able to master it. In 2016, Danny Mac and his partner Oti Mabuse also made history when they scored the first perfect 40 for the Samba.

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One