Strictly fans share their delight as Delta Goodrem makes a triumphant return to the dancefloor after missing last week's show due to rib injury

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Strictly Come Dancing fans shared their delight as Delta Goodrem made a triumphant return to the dancefloor on Saturday night. 

The singer, 41, was ordered to rest by doctors and received a pass through to the next round after the injury left her unable to train last week.

But as week five kicked off, the Australian star and partner Kai Widdrington, 31, joined their fellow contestants as they prepared to perform a Rumba to It's All Coming Back To Me by Celine Dion.

Delta flashed a radiant smile as host Johannes Radebe gave a 'warm welcome back' to the couple following their absence.

Taking to X, viewers expressed their joy at the singer's return as she seemingly recovered from her painful injury.

They penned: 'WELCOME BACK DELTA GOODREM!'

Strictly Come Dancing fans shared their delight as Delta Goodrem made a triumphant return to the dancefloor on Saturday night

The singer, 41, was ordered to rest by doctors and received a pass through to the next round after the injury left her unable to train last week

'It's great to see Delta back'; 'Delta is back and gorgeous as ever.'

'Good to have Delta back. Hope she's okay.'

'Delta being back is the best news ever. Strictly would loose a diamond'

'So thrilled Delta’s back on that floor this week, I’m hoping she knocks her dance out.' of the park.'

The Sydney-born star managed to perform a Salsa during week three of the competition, keeping her top of the leaderboard for the second consecutive week.

But it was only hours after the live broadcast that she was brought to hospital as she struggled to sleep through her pain.

Doctors ordered Delta to rest, as well as sleep upright to aid her recovery.

Long-established Strictly rules state that a contestant is allowed one free pass before they have to withdraw from the competition. 

As week five kicked off, the Australian star and partner Kai Widdrington, 31, joined their fellow contestants as they prepared to perform a Rumba to It's All Coming Back To Me by Celine Dion

Taking to X, viewers expressed their joy at the singer's return as she seemingly recovered from her painful injury

Earlier in the day the singer detailed the extent of her injury in an emotional video posted on Instagram

Earlier in the day the singer detailed the extent of her injury in an emotional video posted on Instagram.

Recording herself daily, the video began with Delta in hospital the Sunday following her injury.

'This is very painful, praying that this is OK. Feeling a little nauseous from the pain,' she said.

The video then jumped to Monday, where Delta held back tears as she explained: 'They explained that it is fracturing my rib, which I feel very, very gutted about. 

'Hopefully I'll get back next week, that's the plan. Thanks everyone for the support, I'm just super disappointed.'

Tuesday's clip then saw the singer breaking down in tears to the camera, with the star holding her head in her hands.

After the emotional clip, Delta appeared happier the following days as she began to walk and catch up with pro partner Kai Widdrington.

Clips then showed the duo back in training, with her telling fans she's 'so happy to be back'.

Captioning the post, Delta wrote: 'I filmed little moments over the past two weeks to remind myself that even on the frustrating days, there would be progress.

'I was gutted when the injury happened as I've been truly loving this experience so much. It's hard to be patient when you want to be full force again but I've been listening, taking things carefully and learning to appreciate the small steps!

Kicking off week five's show, Jaime Winstone and her pro partner Carlos Gu did the Foxtrot to Man I Need by Olivia Dean

After jointly topping the leaderboard last week, the pair were determined to impress the judges again and while Anton Du Beke praised it as 'a lovely proper foxtrot', the judges feedback was a far cry from last week's

Next up, Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał performed an energetic Jive to The Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim

Craig shared: 'it wasn’t for me' as he slated the Emmerdale star's flat-footedness, poor timing, and turned in feet, while Shirley remarked there were 'too many mistakes' that 'let you down'

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley took on the Tango to Hernando's Hideaway by The Johnston Brothers

Anton gushed that it was the 'best ballroom dance of the series so far.' Graeme and Lauren scored a decent 31 points, with an excited Anton getting out his nine paddle

New dad Will Best and Dianne Buswell did the Cha Cha to Daddy by Della Reese, after his partner welcomed their first child together last week

Baby Sonny even made his Strictly debut in the VT, before his father and Dianne then performed with prams and fake babies

Shirley noticed that Will missed his Cuban break at the beginning of the dance, however she said he was 'going to be a force to be reckoned with', while Motsi echoed that Will is 'the one to watch'

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu, meanwhile, danced an Argentine Tango to All The Things She Said by Harrison after being saved by the judges following a dance off against Dame Sarah Stoney last week

The women received a mixed bag of feedback for their efforts, with Craig remarking that it was 'off-balance' and 'needed more intention and attack'

'Heading into show day feeling grateful to be able to take a few more tonight with all the incredible help from everyone around me.

'To all my warriors out there in your own battles i see you and am with you – we are fighters! #Teamdeltakai will see you tonight.'

Kicking off week five's show, Jaime Winstone and her pro partner Carlos Gu did the Foxtrot to Man I Need by Olivia Dean.

After jointly topping the leaderboard last week, the pair were determined to impress the judges again and while Anton Du Beke praised it as 'a lovely proper foxtrot', the judges feedback was a far cry from last week's. 

Craig Revel Horwood noticed a 'a little misstep' and a 'misjudged turn', while Shirley Ballas also observed 'a few mistakes'. Their total score was 25 points.

Next up, Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał performed an energetic Jive to The Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim.

And while the pair gave it their all on the dancefloor, the routine did not go down well at all with the judges, who were rather harsh in their criticism. 

Craig shared: 'it wasn’t for me' as he slated the Emmerdale star's flat-footedness, poor timing, and turned in feet, while Shirley remarked there were 'too many mistakes' that 'let you down.'

The pair scored a lowly 19 points and looked rather disappointed by the result, causing Johannes and their fellow dancers to give them a supportive hug. 

Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley took on the Tango to Hernando's Hideaway by The Johnston Brothers.

Meanwhile, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr also did the Jive to Faith by Stevie Wonder ft. Ariana Grande

The judges didn't hold back with their criticism, with acid-tongued Craig branding it a 'a complete jive dis-ah-ster' that couldn't be 'saved'

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin took on the Salsa, dancing to DESPECHÁ by ROSALÍA. And after being disappointed with her own performance last week, the Love Island star was determined to make a 'comeback'

The lift-packed Salsa garnered favourable feedback from the judges, with Motsi hailing it as a 'a powerful comeback salsa', while Shirley said it was 'cheeky' and 'full of self-belief'

Motsi Mabuse noted that the dance was 'fun to watch' but warned the dog expert about his slumping, but while Shirley and Craig spotted the mistake at the end, Anton gushed that it was the 'best ballroom dance of the series so far.'

Graeme and Lauren scored a decent 31 points, with an excited Anton getting out his nine paddle. 

New dad Will Best and Dianne Buswell did the Cha Cha to Daddy by Della Reese, after his partner welcomed their first child together last week.

Baby Sonny even made his Strictly debut in the VT, before his father and Dianne then performed with prams and fake babies. 

Shirley noticed that Will missed his Cuban break at the beginning of the dance, however she said he was 'going to be a force to be reckoned with', while Motsi echoed that Will is 'the one to watch.'

The duo bagged an impressive 31 points, which is the highest-scoring cha cha of the series so far. 

Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu, meanwhile, danced an Argentine Tango to All The Things She Said by Harrison after being saved by the judges following a dance off against Dame Sarah Stoney last week. 

The women received a mixed bag of feedback for their efforts, with Craig remarking that it was 'off-balance' and 'needed more intention and attack', while Anton praised them for creating 'a great atmosphere and story' but warned it was 'a little too considered and hesitant.'

Bethany and Nancy scored 25 points for their routine. 

Meanwhile, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr also did the Jive to Faith by Stevie Wonder ft. Ariana Grande. 

While last week saw the footballer improve, week five saw the pair struggle with the performance, with the two out of time throughout. 

The judges didn't hold back with their criticism, with acid-tongued Craig branding it a 'a complete jive dis-ah-ster' that couldn't be 'saved'.

The rest of the judges noted Shaun's mistakes but attempted to give more positive feedback as they observed how dejected he looked. The total score was just 17 points. 

Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin took on the Salsa, dancing to DESPECHÁ by ROSALÍA.

And after being disappointed with her own performance last week, the Love Island star was determined to make a 'comeback' with her energetic routine - and boy did she deliver. 

The lift-packed Salsa garnered favourable feedback from the judges, with Motsi hailing it as a 'a powerful comeback salsa', while Shirley said it was 'cheeky' and 'full of self-belief.'

It turned out to be a good week for Dani as she bagged 31 points, her highest of the series. 

Up next was EastEnders actress Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola, dancing the Tango to Atomic by Blondie.

STRICTLY COME DANCING 2026: MEET THE CONTESTANTS

LACEY TURNER 

AGE: 38

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Stacey Slater on BBC's EastEnders 

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I'm so excited and terrified at the same time but I've had so many friends do Strictly and I thought it was about time that I plunked up the courage and made my way onto that dance floor.'

DELTA GOODREM

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Played Nina Tucker in Neighbours and has released eight music albums

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career - from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world, there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor!'

CACH MERCER

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Won Love Island 2025 and is a TikTok influencer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast. Dancing is a huge passion of mine and I can’t wait to learn Ballroom and do the Foxtrot for the first time!'

DAME SARAH STOREY

AGE: 48

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Britain's most successful Paralympian 

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.'

BETHANY ANTONIA 

AGE: 28

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill.'

GRAEME 'THE DOGFATHER' HALL

AGE: 59

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Channel 5 series Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I have watched the show for years, so to be a part of it feels like a very exciting challenge, albeit more than a bit nerve-wracking!'

TABBY STOECKER 

AGE: 25

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Olympic champion skeleton racer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve had the wildest year of my life so far, so to be rounding it off with a childhood dream of dancing in the Strictly ballroom is surreal and I can’t wait to get stuck in!'

MELANIE WALTERS 

AGE: 64

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Playing Gwen West in BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Performing in Pantomime for the last 15 years, my Strictly ‘fix’ has always been watching in a dressing room rather than my front room.'

DANI DYER

AGE: 30

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Winning Love Island and being the daughter of actor Danny Dyer

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am so excited to be back in the ballroom this September! I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!'

CHRIS APPLETON

AGE: 43

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hairdresser to the stars - including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new.'

WILL BEST

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Hosts Big Brother and previously TV

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait!'

JAIME WINSTONE

AGE: 41

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Starring in films such as Kidulthood and Tomb Raider

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I am no stranger to a dance floor, but the ballroom is a whole new world for me.'

SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS 

AGE: 44

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Footballer who played for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City

WHY STRICTLY?: 'Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!'

LAWRENCE ROBB

AGE: 34

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Plays Mackenzie Boyd on ITV's Emmerdale

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't quite believe that I am going to be getting my dancing shoes on this September on one of my favourite shows of all time!'

JOHN NELLIS 

AGE: 33

BEST KNOWN FOR?: Face of a popular football-focused YouTube channel

WHY STRICTLY?: 'I can't wait to meet everyone, learn a new skill and, hopefully, be much better at family parties by the end of it!'

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