So that’s it’s for another weekend! I’ll be back next Saturday, and we’ll do this all again. Thank you all for your comment box wisdom, you are all entirely brilliant and hilarious. I’ll see you next week, and in the meantime please come and say hello on Twitter @heidistephens if you’re in the vicinity. Have a good week! Hx
Craig saves Mark and Karen, as does Darcey and Bruno. Len would have done likewise, so it’s a clean sweep for Mark and Karen. Which means it’s time for Tim and Natalie to go home – he says some lovely things about Natalie and the honour of being on Strictly, and it’s all quite moving. Then Tim’s hand wanders off towards Natalie’s bottom and she gently moves it, so he goes for Tess’s instead.
Goodness, Tim’s unchoreographed dancing is really quite special. I’d give that a nine.
I love the way Tim wafts that cape like he’s shaking ladybirds out of it and doesn’t want to harm any of them. This hasn’t improved since last night either, if anything it’s even more stumbly and lacklustre.
Mark and Karen’s Quickstep is no less skippy, and the choice of Mud’s Tiger Feet is no less odd. There’s already a dance for this, I’m not sure this one is going to catch on. Also Mark’s timing appears to have gone to pot, let’s not write Tim and Natalie off just yet.
The good news is we get to watch Natalie doing a fierce Paso again - so glad she’s back, hope she gets a fabulous male celeb next year.
Meanwhile the daughter has gone all weak-kneed at Ian Waite on the It Takes Two trailer.
So who’s up against Mark and Karen in the dance-off? Steve and Ola are safe, along with Jake and Janette, Pixie and Trent, Frankie and Kevin, Alison and Aljaz and Scott and Joanne! Hooray! Scott looks stunned, Joanne almost faints.
Which means Tim and Natalie are in the dance-off, and almost certainly going home.
Darcey, never again wear a purple lace dress with a doily collar. It’s unbecoming to your lovely neck. Just saying.
Oh god, it’s a medley. This is worse than the Robbie Williams swing years. Ooh, the tinfoil dress has a CAPE.
Time for a musical interlude, courtesy of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, who is dressed in a bacofoil nightie and a giant 80s Cher wig. Anything goes, apparently.
Judy and Anton are doing the Charleston next week. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
Is it my TV, or is Claudia’s skin slightly green?
So who is first in this week’s the dance-off? First couple safely through to next week is Thom and Iveta, along with Sunetra and Brendan, Caroline and Pasha, Simon and Kristina and Judy and Anton!
First couple in tonight’s dance-off – Mark and Karen! Ooh, didn’t see that coming.
Recap of last night’s show – a really good show. The standard is fab this year, and they all see rather lovely. Am enjoying very much.
Tonight’s dress action – Tess in matronly white with dodgy sleeves in a really unflattering length, Claudia in shapeless blue sequins. Don’t even get me started on Darcey. No, no and no.
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Right, let’s kick someone else out, shall we? Otherwise this show will continue to be two hours long every week, and my back can’t take it.
In this week’s pro dance, Pasha is rubbing himself up against a door to a plinky-plonky version of One Republic’s ‘Counting Stars’. The female dancers’ makeup appears to have been done by some toddlers with felt tips. Trent is at least two beats behind everyone else. Excellent.
If the BBC continuity guy has just done a massive spoiler, it’s Tim and Scott in the dance-off. But that may be a bluff, or just the only two he could remember. Or the two at the bottom of the leaderboard. Maybe I’m overthinking this?
SUNDAY NIGHT RESULTS SHOW UPDATE!
Evening all, and welcome back for the Strictly Results Show! Tonight our third couple goes home, and I can’t imagine it being anyone other than Tim, Judy or Scott unless the entire voting public are fans of tennis, antiques and Radio 1. Seems unlikely, but you never know.
Talking of which, I noticed the odd grumbling in the comment box (which is entirely brilliant this year, by the way) about my support for Scott, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain myself before getting back in my box.
So here’s the thing. Strictly is usually a mix of the really good, effortless dancers (some with dance training, some naturally so), the middle ground of improvers (always ones to watch, and invariably what makes this show brilliant), and the two-left-feet bottom tier. Sometimes these non-dancers don’t really appear to make the effort – I imagine it’s really, really hard to learn to dance if you have no natural rhythm or flair for dancing, and you have to work twice as hard as everyone else. And frankly you’re getting paid anyway, and you’re never going to win, so what does it matter?
But then sometimes the non-dancers come out every week and give it their absolute best, even if their best is technically a bit of a mess and certain judges are really quite rude, and I really admire that.
So that’s why I like Scott. He’s fun to watch, and he really, really wants to get better, so I find myself willing him on every week. For me that’s the spirit of Strictly – of course he won’t win, nor should he. But if he doesn’t go out tonight, I’d love to see him dance a couple more weeks before the show starts to take itself a bit more seriously and we start placing our bets on the potential winners.
And talking of potential winners, Pixie is the complete opposite of Scott. She’s a fantastic dancer, but Trent needs to challenge her more because right now it’s just dancing by numbers, and arguably a bit dull. If you’re terrible, aspire to get your feet in the right order, put on a show, and get a bit better every week. But if you’re already really good, you’ve got to be amazing, right?
And there endeth my Strictly Sunday sermon. See you at 7.20 for the results!
So that’s it for tonight’s dancing – I’ll be back for the results show at 7.20pm tomorrow, when we’ll have to re-live the dances we enjoyed least, because that’s how Strictly rolls. SURELY Judy and Tim for the dance-off? Thank you for joining in and being brilliant as always, I’m off to do some stretches, drink some wine and read your comments. See you tomorrow!
Voting is open! Time for a giant reminder of tonight’s dancing. My favourites tonight – Simon and Kristina, Thom and Iveta and Caroline and Pasha. I fear Scott may be toast if we don’t all vote for him.
Scores: 8,8,9,8 – a total of 33 for Caroline and Pasha.
Len thought it was lovely, and full of energy – the best dance tonight. Bruno loved it too, but she missed the timing a couple of times. Craig thought it was gorgeous, despite a couple of incidents. Darcey thought it was a cheeky, fantastic performance. Aww look at Pasha with the giant teddy bear.
Loving Caroline beady frock, and Pasha looks adorable. Nicely skippy, and a nice top line from Caroline. Good LORD Pasha’s trousers are snug.
Anyway, back to the dancing. Fabulous quicksteppery from Caroline, and my favourite dance of the night. LOVED that.
And FINALLY, it’s time for Caroline and Pasha! This week they’re performing the Quickstep to ‘We Go Together’ from Grease. In my head this is a Jive/Charleston number, but let’s go with it. It’s nearly over, I don’t care any more.
Scores: 8,9,8,8 – a total of 33 for Jake and Janette.
Darcey thought it had great leg action, and Jake has no fear (see? that’s what I said). Len thought his free arm was a bit mess, but a full on, dynamic performance. Bruno thought he was pumped like a prize fighter, but his arm looked a bit odd when his legs were being fantastic. Craig thought there were a few bits that looked a bit awkward, but the energy and performance were fantastic.
Well there are Jake’s hips. He’s such a great dancer to watch – by no means perfect, but a fearless performer. Great kicks and flicks - oops, he almost fell over there. Unfortunately the pace makes it look a bit untidy in places, which is a shame because Jake really goes for it. Great routine.
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It’s time for Jake and Janette! This week they’re dancing the Jive to ‘All Shook Up’ by Elvis Presley. We know Jake loves a full-on routine from their Week 2 Salsa, so I’m expecting something fast, furious and full of fancy footwork.
Scores: 6,8,8.8 – a very decent 30 for Thom and Iveta.
Craig picked a few holes in his hand position, but he enjoyed it. Darcey thought it was a bit improvement, and he held his frame well. Len thought it was blooming lovely. Bruno thought it was totally charming and involving.
Tom is dressed as a hipster barrow boy flower seller, whilst Iveta has fallen into one of his buckets. It’s another one of Thom’s slightly wooden ballroom outings, but a lot better than his Waltz in week one. He warms up a bit towards the end, and it’s actually kind of charming. Quite enjoyed that.
Only three couples to go! Next up it’s Thom and Iveta! This week they’re dancing the Foxtrot to ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ by The Foundations. This song poses a number of questions, such as why do you build us up, Thom, with your finely-chiselled jaw and confident swagger, just to let us down with your wooden dancing and dead-eyed stare?
Scores: 6,7,7,7 – a total of 27 for Sunetra and Brendan.
Bruno loved Sunetra’s confident performance, which covered up the number of times she went wrong. Craig thought it lacked a little fluidity, but was most enjoyable. Darcey loved the energy, but she needs to make her steps smaller to be more in control. Len saw Brendan’s bongos – it wasn’t their best, but not their worst either.
Nice lift at the start and Sunetra has great hip action, but she doesn’t look like she’s having any fun. Ooh, wet bongos! A nice effort, but felt a bit sluggish and lacking control in places. Still, enjoyed that.
Brendan’s ripped his trousers. Tess is even more undone than he is.
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It’s time for Sunetra and Brendan! After last week’s lovely American Smooth, this week’s dance is the Salsa to ‘Turn the Beat Around’ by Vicki Sue Robinson. I prefer the Gloria Estefan version, which has excellent bongos.
Scores: 3,6,5,5 – a total of 19. How did THAT get 5 more points than Scott? Is Darcey MAD?
Len thought Tim brought cape-wafting to a new level – “well done Tim, you had a go”. Bruno thought the shapes were there, but Tim couldn’t be bothered. Craig thought it was limp, lame and lacklustre – all very strange. Darcey thought it was an improvement from last week – nice cape work at the beginning, but she missed the shaping and stalking of his lady.
On wanders Tim, waving a cape in a lacklustre fashion. It’s not actually the worst Paso I’ve ever seen, and Natalie is 50 shades of fierce, so it doesn’t really matter what Tim is doing. He’s trying to be angry, but just looks a bit confused.
Who’s next? It’s Tim and Natalie! This week they’re performing the Paso Doble to ‘The Best’ by Tina Turner. Nothing I love more than an Ironic Paso. John Sergeant, anyone?
Scores: 8,8,8,8 – a total of 32 for Pixie and Trent. By their faces, I’m guessing they were expecting more.
Pixie has burst into tears, and now I don’t like her again. Darcey wanted more physicality and tension through Pixie’s body – it had beautiful lines, but it was missing something. Len thought it was a lovely routine, but lacked a bit of fundamental Rumba. Bruno thought it was beautifully romantic and lyrical, but lacked proper hip Rumba hip action. Craig loved the split drag and the performance was exquisite.
Well it’s definitely a Rumba, and actually a pretty good one. Lovely arms from Pixie and her legs are up round her ears again, which is her signature move if not technically a requirement for Rumba. Classy and romantic, but thankfully not Rumba filth.
OK, focus on Pixie’s dress. Purple Quality Street. Purple Quality Street.
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Only six couples left! Next up it’s Pixie and Trent! This week they’re performing the Rumba to ‘Stay With Me’ by Sam Smith.
Look, it’s going to be OK. We knew a Rumba was coming sooner or later, so we’ll just have to think happy thoughts when it all gets a bit Flowers In The Attic.
Scores: 6,7,7,7 – a total of 27 for Steve and Ola.
Craig wanted more hip action in the Salsa basic steps, but good energy and some nice armography. Darcey thought it had great energy and the lifts looked far too easy, but needed more hips. Len thought it had plenty of action in the upper body, and Steve is very watchable. Bruno loved Steve’s positive action, and it’s lovely to watch, but Steve needs to work on his hips.
So what I said, basically.
Steve is shaking his cocktails in Ola’s direction. Nice couple of lifts and a bit of shimmy, but a bit stiff and not nearly enough hips. A few less lifts and a bit more footwork, please.
Great effort on the song as well. Is it me or are the singers MUCH better this year?
Next up it’s Steve and Ola! This week they’re dancing the Salsa to ‘Jump in the Line’ by Harry Belafonte. For me this song will always be Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice.
Scores: 2, 5, 4, 4 – a dreadful 15 for Scott and Joanne. Scott CAN’T go, I love him. And on a more selfish note, I’m going to Strictly in a few weeks and want to meet him. VOTE SCOTT.
Bruno thought it was bizarre, and he lost count of how many times it went wrong. He has all the pieces, but nothing fits together. Craig sees Scott as an exception to the rule that anyone can learn to dance – aww poor Scott, he looks bereft. Darcey had an out-of-body experience, but she saw moments of improvement. Len thought it was painting by numbers, it lacked naturalness and flair.
No Bonnie, but Scott goes for uber-cute points instead with his niece Emily. Get your points any way you can, Scott.
Scott looks like a waiter at a wedding, and his mouth is doing very odd things. But there is a lift, and there is definitely something that is identifiably dancing, even if it’s done by a drunk uncle at a wedding with hunched shoulders and his feet on backwards. Oooh, I feared for Joanne in that spin.
So bad it was brilliant. VOTE SCOTT.
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It’s time for Scott and Joanne! Tonight they’re dancing the American Smooth to ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ by Bonnie Tyler. Scott and Bonnie have a special Eurovision connection, will she be this week’s Celebrity on Speed Dial?
Scores: 6,7,7,7 – a total of 27 for Alison and Aljaz.
Len thought it was full of fun, rhythm and energy, but her footwork is a bit suspect at times. Bruno thought there was plenty of “funky town”, she’s got plenty of booty to work with and works it well, But her feet need to be sorted. Craig agrees, and Darcey loved Alison’s rhythm and hips. Don’t ever say “cool”, Darcey, it’s just wrong.
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Alison is taking no prisoners this week. She doesn’t need Aljaz, give her a bit of Destiny’s Child and a dancefloor and she’s off. Her hip action is great, and there are few Samba rolls. Unfortunately it’s Alison’s footwork that lets her down, it’s just not sharp enough. Boo.
Who’s next? It’s Alison and Aljaz! Tonight they’re dancing the Samba to ‘Bootylicious’ by Destiny’s Child. Alison’s had a couple of dodgy weeks with the Foxtrot and Jive, so will be good to see her back in her Latin happy place.
Scores: 7,8,8,8 – a total of 31 for Simon and Kristina.
Darcey thought it had plenty of swivel and energy – such a different performance from last week. Len will pickle his walnuts if Simon is in the bottom two again. Bruno thought Simon was back on track, and his performance was really focussed. Craig says thank goodness, finally some personality – it was quirky and a great routine.
So it’s a London theme, and Simon is dressed as a pearly king. Meanwhile Kristina is dressed as a stripper dressed as a pearly queen, so par for the course.
Well this is more like it – some great footwork from Simon and bags of personality, even though his arms go awry in places. The lift at the end goes to pot a bit, but it was great fun. HOORAY!
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Who’s next? It’s Simon and Kristina! This week they’re performing the Charleston to ‘My Old Man (Said Follow The Van)’. After last week’s bottom-two rigor mortis Rumba, Simon has clearly spent this week digging his personality out of a dusty trunk. I really want Simon to be better, partly because he’s clearly a pretty decent dancer, and also because I bought his solo album so I feel like he owes me.
Scores: 4,6,6,6 – a total of 22 for Judy and Anton, their best score so far.
Craig was grateful for the illegal lifts, but didn’t love the vacant look on Judy’s face (no need to be so rude, Craig). But her natural stiffness came in handy, although it needed more aggression. “Is that wise?”, asks Anton. Darcey loved the beginning and the end and it had lots of attack, but her upper body needs to open up to create the shape of “the top of a vase”. Okaaay then. Len thought it had “plenty of punch, Judy” – it was strong and had aggression. Were Len and I watching a different dance? Bruno thought Judy took a risk, and it paid off.
Hang on, there are extra men and women on the dancefloor, what’s going on? Oh I see, it’s a jealousy theme. You have to hand it to Judy, she IS trying. But it’s like her body is encased in concrete – she just can’t move unless Anton is carting her around. A good effort, but still a no from me.
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Who’s next? It’s Judy and Anton! Tonight they’re performing the Tango to ‘Jealousy’ by Billy Fury. This is a great song for a Tango, but can Judy do fierce? Or passionate? Or indeed, anything vaguely resembling a Tango?
Judy is talking to Andy on Skype. He’s using Judy’s dance from last week to help him nod off. Love it.
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Scores: 7,7,7,8 – a total of 29 for Mark and Karen.
Bruno thought it was a Quickstep at full gallop – it was intricate and full of flourish, but he needs to be careful not to lean in. Craig loved the little arabesque in the middle, but he lost his top line after that. Darcey thought it was an improvement on last week, and he kept in synch all the way through. Len thought it was a bit trotty at the start and a bit “mincified”, but there was plenty of energy, and overall a good job.
Mark is skipping about in a white suit, his frame a bit loose and his feet a bit clumpy. But his timing is nice, and he’s clearly enjoying himself. Not sure this song works as a Quickstep, but probably Mark’s best effort to date. Not bad at all.
Next up it’s time for Mark and Karen! After last week’s super-camp Superman Paso, this week they’re dancing the Quickstep to ‘Tiger Feet’ by Mud. I really want Mark to dance this in a pair of giant tiger slippers, but I suspect I may be disappointed.
Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8 – a very decent 32 for Frankie and Kevin. Claudia calls Donny’s ten last week “half a normal ten”. I love her.
Judges’ verdict: Len thought it was full on, but her footwork was a bit loose in places. Bruno liked the detail, but she needs sharper legwork. Craig didn’t like Frankie’s right arm and she needs a straighter leg, but he loved her expressive arms. Darcey (massive hair helmet) thought it was sleek and clean – fast, fun and cheeky.
Crikey, Kevin has got some MOVES. It’s a super-fast Cha-cha that’s a bit Essex nightclub in places, and I’m so distracted by Frankie’s Tango tan that I can’t really focus. I feel like it was probably pretty good, but I didn’t like it. Maybe it needed more of a theme?
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First up it’s Frankie and Kevin! Tonight they’re dancing the Cha Cha to ‘Call Me Maybe’ by Carly Rae Jepsen. We haven’t seen Frankie do an upbeat Latin number yet, but after last week’s kick-ass Paso, I have high hopes.
Tess just tried to do a Bruce joke about training and replacement bus services. It was horrible, and she was the only one that laughed. Please don’t ever do that again, Tess.
Our come the celebs! Janette’s stripy dress is already giving me a headache. Otherwise it’s just a mess of colour and tassels and Simon and Kristina dressed as pearly kings and queens. NO.
It’s the 4th week in a row the judges have danced on, so it’s clearly officially a thing. Meanwhile Darcey’s silver dress gets ALL the points, I want it.
Out come Tess and Clauds! Tess’s dress appears to have a built-in Santa chest wig, whilst Clauds is wearing some kind of purple camo lampshade. I’m deducting 3 points from both of them.
And we’re off! Last week: Movie theme and Donny Osmond. Ha, even the recap is pretending it never happened. Let’s never speak of this again.
Oh come on, go for 1980s films. Oh, they went for sporting winners. Disappointing.
Cyril in Summer Holiday was Melvyn Hayes. #pointless
I know all the Cliff Richard answers on Pointless. Make of this what you will.
Good evening, and welcome to tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing liveblog! We’ve made it to Week 4, which means 13 couples remain and the Saturday night show has finally dipped below two hours, hooray!
After last week’s 9th Circle of Osmond Hell theme (OH YEAH BABY), tonight’s show is blessedly free from overblown themes AND egotistical, paddle-happy guest judges. However I’ve had a quick look through tonight’s song choices and there appears to be plenty of scope for Dave Arch ear-bleeders. Also Judy and Anton are attempting the Tango and Tim and Natalie the Paso, so maybe tonight is some kind of warm-up for Halloween?
I’ll be here from 6.30pm, keeping a beady eye on every wonky Waltz and rigid Rumba. Your wit and wisdom in the comment box below is pretty much mandatory, so bring snacks, booze and your internet browsing weapon of choice.
See you at 6.30!
