Strictly viewers are left 'cringing' over Pete Wicks' performance and slam bosses for treating him as 'the joke act' ngocc

Strictly fans were left 'cringing' after watching Pete Wicks' dance routine on Saturday's instalment

The TOWIE alum, 36, took the glitzy Blackpool ballroom with a Cha Cha Cha performance alongside his pro partner Jowita Przystal

Pete, who wanted to do this dance as a thank you to Jowita, joked it was the 'worst thank-you in the world'.

Their dance gets a total of 27 (4,7,8,8) including a paltry four from Craig, putting them at the end of the leaderboard by the end of the episode.

Sharing their disappointment on X, some fans wrote: 'As much as i can tell pete had fun and pushed himself out of his comfort zone, i feel like he’s being treated as the joke act when he’s actually trying to work on his technique, so all that hard work is being overshadowed by song choices and choreo #strictly'; 

'Pete Wicks has been royally stitched up with this week's song and costume! A bit of a shame to go back to silly after his couple's choice. #Strictly';

'When Tess Daly said we have seen it all tonight was she referring to Pete Wicks #StrictlyComeDancing #strictly'; 

'Scoring Pete 8's for that mess, the best bit was the 30 seconds he did nothing at the beginning...time for new judges #strictly';

Another person said: 'Guys, that Cha Cha by Pete Wicks made me feel a little icky. What in the actual hell did we just witness?! The song, the choreo, the costumes. Jesus!!! #Strictly'

During their act, Pete is seen transforming from a police officer to a glam all-pink look

He rocked tight latex fuchsia trousers, matching shoes and a sheer pink open shirt

Continuing to showcase his bold look, Pete later added an eye-catching fuchsia fur coat and heart-shaped sunglasses

Their dance gets a total of 27 (4,7,8,8) including a paltry four from Craig, putting them at the end of the leaderboard by the end of the episode

While some found it 'funny' and 'iconic', other viewers of the show were left very unimpressed - and slammed bosses for making Pete 'the joke act' of this season as they took to X

And more viewers replied: 'They stitched him up ! Terrible correography and idea'; 'I think they did him dirty'; 'Tacky, wasn’t it'.

This week, the remaining eight couples battled it out in Blackpool's famous Tower Ballroom in a bid to make it one step closer to that coveted glitterball trophy.

And the stars pulled out all the stops to impress both the judges and the audience at home, with an array of dances lighting up the dancefloor including a Paso Doble, a Salsa and a Jive. 

The guest performance act for the Blackpool special were none other than the legendary Pet Shop Boys.

They opened the show with a medley of some of their greatest hits, with the Strictly professional dancers joining them for an opening number.

They'll return for Sunday night's Results Show, where they will perform their brand-new single All The Young Dudes. 

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated professional dancers' performance at Blackpool's prestigious Tower Ballroom featured an Argentine Tango set in a glamorous 1940s hotel.

Choreographed by Matt Flint, Leandro Palou, and Maria Tsiatsiani, the routine showcased the show's talented professional dancers alongside supporting extra dancers. 

The guest performance act for the Blackpool special were none other than the legendary Pet Shop Boys (pictured)

The head judge delivered the casting vote after the judges were left with a split decision with both Craig and Motsi opting to save Shayne and Nancy (pictured) and Anton voting for Wynne and Katya 

Head judge Shirley Ballas made the final decision to send the former X Factor star home - a move which sparked fury from fans at home 

 Set to the sultry sounds of Tango Jalousie, the performance immersed the audience in a world of vintage glamour and intense passion. 

However, one person didn't get to enjoy the Blackpool festivities this year is Shayne Ward, who alongside partner Nancy Xu, was voted out in last week's show in a nail-biting dance-off against Wynne Evans and Katya Jones. 

Head judge Shirley Ballas made the final decision to send the former X Factor star home - a move which sparked fury from fans at home. 

She delivered the casting vote after the judges were left with a split decision with both Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse opting to save Shayne and Nancy  and Anton Du Beke voting for Wynne and Katya. 

While Shirley acknowledged that both couples had made mistakes during their dance off performances, she reasoned that Wynne's performance was more 'joyous' before choosing to save the Welsh opera singer.

However fans were less than impressed with her decision as they criticised her comments after Shayne performed the notoriously hard rumba while Wynne took to the floor with an uplifting American Smooth.