Viewers' backlash against the Strictly siren: Dancer Kristina Rihanoff nearly voted off after public punish her for raunchy rumba

PUBLISHED: 01:53, 13 October 2014 | UPDATED: 12:42, 13 October 2014

From a technical point of view, she rarely puts a foot wrong. But when it comes to matters of taste, it seems Kristina Rihanoff’s latest Strictly Come Dancing performance was a step too far for viewers.

The ‘Siberian siren’ and her celebrity dance partner Simon Webbe narrowly avoided elimination from the BBC1 show last night after the voting public punished her for a routine – and an outfit – that left very little to the imagination.

A pre-watershed audience of 8.6million had watched Miss Rihanoff, 37, perform a very raunchy rumba on Saturday night, wearing a revealing tasselled leotard and striking a series of lewd poses.

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Daring display: Kristina Rihanoff's outfit left little to the imagination as she performed on Saturday night's show

Not convinced: After the public vote, the couple, pictured on Saturday's show, were placed in the bottom two

Moments before the routine – to Take My Breath Away from the film Top Gun – judge Darcey Bussell urged Mr Webbe to ‘ooze passion’, adding:

‘There has to be a sensual feeling all the way through [a rumba].’ But it seems the pair took the instruction a little too literally.

At one point, Miss Rihanoff spread her legs while Mr Webbe, 36, grabbed her thighs from behind.

Raunchy rumba: The 'Sirbian siren' gets close with partner Simon Webbe on the dancefloor

Suggestive: The judges seemed impressed and handed the couple a score of 30, putting them above six rivals

Intimate: The pair's routine was full of raunchy moves as they took to the floor

Ready to hear it: Kristina had a smile fixed firmly on her face as she listened to the judge's comments

Oh dear: But she soon put her head in her hands as she heard the comments

Later, she bent over backwards, allowing her oversized white shirt – a nod to the one worn by Kelly McGillis in the film – to fall away and expose her body.

The performance, which was aired at 7pm, clearly surprised host Tess Daly, 45, who gasped:

‘I didn’t know where to look.’

‘I didn’t know where to look': Host Tess Daly found the performance very sexy

Cover up: Kristina wore a man-style shirt over her glitzy leotard

Really? Simon didn't look too impressed as he received a fairly mediocre score

Save us! The couple waited anxiously to hear whether or not they were to be booted off the show

The judges seemed impressed and handed the couple a score of 30, putting them above six rivals, and guest judge Donny Osmond, 56, praised them for a ‘great job’.

But the public were less convinced, and placed the couple in the bottom two – ahead of weaker acts such as Judy Murray, whose posture was likened to ‘rigor mortis’ by the judges.

On Twitter, one viewer said the routine was ‘totally inappropriate’, while another added: ‘Kristina’s forgotten to get dressed.’

Their unpopularity forced them into a dance-off against Mrs Brown’s Boys star Jennifer Gibney and her partner Tristan MacManus last night.

It was Miss Gibney’s second consecutive dance-off and the judges decided she was the one who should be sent home.

But it was a close call for Miss Rihanoff, who has become known for dalliances with her Strictly co-stars in the past.

Ofcom and the BBC said they will not be able to confirm whether they have received any complaints about the performance until later today.

Strictly's Kristina Rihanoff and Simon Webbe's raunchy rumba

Band mate: Duncan James showed his support as he watched on from the audience

Not happy: The singer didn't look too pleased as he was interviewed by co-host Claudia Winkleman

... AND A FROSTY RECEPTION FOR GUEST JUDGE DONNY OSMOND

He might have won the US version of Strictly, but BBC viewers didn’t seem to think Donny Osmond was qualified to appear as a guest judge on Saturday’s show.

Fans criticised his remarks as banal and accused him of skewing the results with his scores. One Twitter user wrote: ‘How annoying is Donny Osmond? Inconsistent scoring and stupid comments.’

He handed out the first perfect ten of the series and awarded a total of 102 points – while Craig Revel Horwood gave out just 75.