As the glitz and glamour of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing ramp up for one of its most anticipated events—Movie Week—fans are buzzing with excitement and controversy. This week, set to air on October 11, 2025, promises a cinematic spectacle, with the professional dancers kicking things off with a vibrant group performance inspired by the Minecraft video game and its upcoming movie. Meanwhile, the contestants will take to the dance floor, channeling iconic films from The Sound of Music to The Devil Wears Prada and even the blockbuster Barbie. But amidst the sparkle, a storm is brewing in the Strictly fandom, with social media influencer George Clarke at the center of a heated debate.
The drama erupted during the results show on October 5, when George’s dance partner, Alexis Warr, revealed their Movie Week performance would be a Couple’s Choice to the song Soda Pop from the Netflix film K-Pop Demon Hunters. George, 25, appeared visibly baffled, responding with a hesitant, “Yes… That’s fantastic news,” sparking laughter from his co-stars. His bewildered reaction, however, has ignited a firestorm among fans, who are now accusing the Strictly producers of bias and unfair song choices.
On the Useless Hotline podcast, co-hosted with fellow influencer Max Balegde, George and Alexis addressed the eyebrow-raising decision. Alexis chuckled, “His reaction was hilarious,” while George admitted, “It’s very accurate to me.” He went on to express his bemusement, saying, “It’s just crazy, you know… I get the producers’ vibe with this. Get internet man to do the thing that’s like broken all records on the internet. But I don’t know if they’ve chosen the correct internet man!” He humorously added, “This is the third week in a row where we’ve gone, what the hell is George going to do with this one?”
George’s lack of familiarity with Soda Pop or K-Pop Demon Hunters has only fueled fans’ frustration. Many took to X to voice their outrage, arguing that a Couple’s Choice dance is meant to reflect a personal connection to the contestant. One fan fumed, “Need to have a word with the Strictly producers because WHYY are you giving George a COUPLES CHOICE to a song that HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW? A couples choice is meant to be a song and dance close to them where they have the chance to tell their story.” Another added, “Actually so annoyed that their ‘couples choice’ is a song that George doesn’t even know. Like, I know they could probably do more with it being a Couple’s Choice, but a salsa would’ve been fine for it.” A third lamented, “NOOOOOOOO we wanted couples choice to be George’s choice so he could pick Arthur.”
The controversy took a darker turn when George Clarke faced a shocking elimination, leaving fans convinced that the producers’ song choice set him up for failure. Many believe the unfamiliar track hindered his ability to connect with the performance, leading to his unexpected exit from the competition. The decision has sparked accusations of bias, with some fans speculating that the producers deliberately chose a song to undermine George’s chances.
Despite the backlash, not all fans are up in arms. Some are embracing the quirky choice and eagerly awaiting George’s performance before his elimination. One supporter wrote on X, “It’s Strictly, it’s gonna be corny at some point. Embrace it.” Another declared, “Soda Pop is a banger, I don’t care,” while a third enthused, “Actually can’t wait to see George dancing to Soda Pop.” Alexis, too, praised George’s resilience, noting that he’s “taking everything on the chin” and “embracing everything.”