This is getting worrying. Ed Balls is actually, physically learning to dance. There’s no telling how far he’ll go. Even if that means other, better, dancers have to leave. As Bruno said directly to the audience at home before the dance-off: “If you didn’t vote, don’t moan.” With Ore in the dance-off this week and a place at Blackpool to play for next week, the competition is reaching crunch point. Laura did a great job of hiding her dodgy ankle, but she didn’t stand a chance. (Kudos to her for not even mentioning that. She must have been in agony, and still did her best dance.)
This is turning into one of the most interesting Strictly seasons to date with the “novelty” dancers (Ed Balls and Judge Rinder) changing the usual narrative: they might have started out as the jokers in the pack but they are working hard and actually improving. It’ll be fascinating to see a) how good they can get in the time allowed and b) whether the audience will vote for them over the excellence of, say, Danny, Ore and Louise.
Danny’s jive this week was so accomplished and wonderful to watch that it’s hard to hate on him for his prior dance training. The producers have done a great job of choosing a mix of people with and without previous experience. Plus, it’s never clear what the advantage is in Strictly. Claudia and Greg have probably the strongest guts and the will to win. Ore has natural talent. Danny has the technique. Ed Balls has some indefinable quality that just makes people like him for trying his best. I have a feeling this series will be won on song choice and choreography. The pros must be having some sleepless nights.
Darcey: woman of a thousand hairstyles
Darcey was so taken with Ed Balls that she made a noise only dogs could hear – a sort of strangled scream of joy. This was second only to the ecstasies she experienced watching Louise and Kevin: “The shaping, the desire, the drama!” Her comment to Natalie about Greg (“What have you done to him?”) got to the heart of what matters this series: who is the best teacher? And which pro knows how far to push their celebrity without breaking them?
Bruno: the jack-in-the-box
On Louise: “I had goosebumps. It was inspired.” I wondered if I was slightly missing something with this dance. Yes, they did a good job, but it didn’t quite hit the level of the Argentine tangos we’ve seen from Karen Hardy and Mark Ramprakash or Kristina Rihanoff and Simon Webbe. Meanwhile Bruno was in full demonstration mode this week, showing the full flow of his arms and nearly sending Len off to early retirement several times. And he was the only one to say the truth about Ed Balls: “I’m not sure about the Lord of the Dance ending ...”
Len: the diamond geezer on a farewell tour
Len’s attitude towards AJ is intriguing. I wonder whether he’s not a fan or whether he’s being avuncular and trying to push the young whippersnapper to better himself. In Len’s usual way, it’s impossible to tell. “A little bit overpowering,” he growled about AJ’s paso with Claudia to Shut Up and Dance With Me, which was, admittedly, the most ridiculously fast track. Poor Dave Arch’s conducting arm! (I do wish they would show more of Dave Arch.)
Craig: the great choreographer trapped inside a pantomime dame
As always Craig was on Thumbwatch, keeping his eyes peeled for stray digits. Poor Greg must have caught his eye at just the wrong moment. “I saw you put your thumb down!” I loved Coach Craig’s (pointless) pep talk to Laura: “Believe in yourself. I know you can do it.” This was sweet but crazed: she was never going to win unless Ore made some terrible mistake. Craig was, of course, right about Danny: he did a fantastic job of “selling” the jive and making it look perfect but the technique wasn’t quite there. “Not enough retraction,” winced Craig. Otherwise it would have been a 10, dahling. Best Craig comment? To Judge Rinder: “Look at you, loving yourself silly with your trout pout.”
This week’s verdict
Judge Rinder may be on borrowed time unless the audience warm to the “my grandparents’ favourite dance is the foxtrot” narrative next week. There’s likely to be a shock dance-off next week, with two faultless dancers going up against each other and the judges getting antsy about the presence of Ed Balls. The Balls has a scary momentum. Who wouldn’t want to see him in Blackpool? We’re on this train now; we might as well ride it to the end of the line.
