Strictly viewers catch Anton's 'too much' comment as he thinks mic is off

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke was caught off guard during Saturday night's live show on BBC One (October 11) when he didn't realise cameras were rolling.

Week three of the competition witnessed 13 celebrities performing after Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner departed the show the previous Saturday (October 4) with professional partner Amy Dowden.

Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis has been forced to pull out of this week's live broadcast due to illness, resulting in one fewer performance than anticipated.

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After Gladiators competitor Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and professional dancer Karen Hauer delivered their Lion King-inspired routine to 'I Always Wanted A Brother', from the film Mufasa, the pair chatted with presenter Claudia Winkleman in the studio about their dance.

But when the cameras returned to the judging panel for their scores, co-presenter Tess Daly was forced to alert Anton that they were live on air as the judge continued his conversation, oblivious to being filmed, reports Wales Online.

What Anton was discussing with Tess remains unknown, though the dancer could be heard remarking: "Is that too much? I can't help myself."

Tess swiftly intervened by placing her hand on Anton and declaring, "We're on," whilst gesturing towards the camera.

"Sorry," Anton replied as he suddenly spun round to face the camera, with both of them erupting into laughter.

"We were chatting," Anton admitted as Tess kept smiling whilst introducing Lewis Cope. Strictly viewers were quick to spot the gaffe, with one fan tweeting: "Oh Anton #strictly #StrictlyComeDancing", accompanied by a crying emoji.

Another quipped: "'Poppy why are you an Anton fan?' Here's your answer x #strictly."

A third also joined in: "Anton's mouth scares me #Strictly."

Saturday night saw a fierce contest in the ballroom, with former Emmerdale actor Lewis and Katya topping the leaderboard with 37 points after their electrifying Paso Doble.

Amber and Nikita were hot on their heels with 35 points, while Harry and Karen secured third place.

Meanwhile, Ross and Jowita found themselves at the bottom of the pack following their Thunderbirds-themed Paso Doble, earning a mere 19 points from the judges.