So that’s Strictly over for another week – thank you as ever for joining in and being brilliant and hilarious. I’ll be back next Saturday at 6.30pm for another spin around the Strictly dancefloor, so I’ll put you all down for the first two dances. Have a brilliant week! Hx
Tameka and Gorka dance their final dance to My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. THERE’S ROOM FOR GORKA ON THAT FLOATING DOOR, TAMEKA. NEVER LET GO.
Crikey, I’m not used to feeling sad this early on in the series.
But no-one cares what I think – what will the judges do? Craig procrastinates for a bit, but saves Laura and Giovanni. Darcey witters on for another week, then saves Tameka and Gorka! TENSION. Bruno saves Laura and Giovanni, so it’s down to Len to decide. He chooses….LAURA AND GIOVANNI!
Which means Tameka and Gorka are going home, which is a real shame.
Oh Gorka, we barely knew you. I’m not even sure you’ve been in long enough to get a calendar.
Time for Tameka and Gorka’s Tango – this is actually a really good dance, and it could be argued that Tameka’s footwork is a bit sharper this evening. Her frame is definitely better – on the basis of those two dances, I’d keep Tameka in.
Up first – Laura and Giovanni. This is still a bit frantic, but nice to see an actual Salsa without disco, bhangra, gymnastics or breakdancing. Still clunky in and out of the lifts, but fun nonetheless.
Time for the dance off – if nothing else, we get to enjoy Gorka’s uniform again. Every cloud and all that.
So by my reckoning, Anastacia, Ed, Lesley, Naga and Judge Rinder all mustered enough votes to overtake Laura and Giovanni on the leader board, which means we should never underestimate the fandom.
Not sure which way this dance-off is going to go, but either way I’ll be sad to see either of these two go, but such is the way of Strictly.
So who is up againstly Laura and Giovanni in the dance off? Ore and Joanne are safely through, along with Greg and Natalie, Daisy and Aljaz, Will and Karen, Anastacia and Brendan (!!) and Lesley and Anton!
Which means TAMEKA AND GORKA are in the dance off! Goodness, that was tense.
Well that was forgettable. It’s time for Len’s Lens! What will we fill this five minutes with when Len has gone? Personally I’d vote for getting this five minutes of my life back, but maybe that’s just me.
Time for a musical interlude! Oh goodness, it’s Michael Ball and Alfie Boe singing together. Throw in Andre Rieu, and we’d have the holy trinity of musical tedium.
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Ooh, this is interesting. Didn’t expect to see Laura in the bottom two at all – she was 8th out of 15 on the leaderboard. Maybe it was the feathery knickers, or the raunchy Salsa? Or maybe they were in the middle of a very busy leaderboard and everyone immediately forgot about them?
Claudia and AJ are safe, along with Judge Rinder and Oksana, Danny and Oti, Ed and Katya (see? He’s now a national treasure), Naga and Pasha (OOOOH, INTERESTING) and Louise and Kevin.
First couple in this week’s dance off: LAURA AND GIOVANNI!
So which couple is the first in the dance-off this week, and who is safely through to next week? Worth noting that if we apply Theresa May’s new world order to the Strictly pros standing on the staircase right now, she’d probably only let Anton, Kevin and Joanne stay. So that’s something to look forward to.
Last night on Strictly: a really good show, with some great dancing, fab costumes and lots of laughs. Highs included Louise’s legs, Claudia’s Charleston, Ore’s American Smooth, Gorka’s uniform, Ed’s yellow suit and Rinder’s bum bongos.
Lows included Naga’s harness, the Ann Widdecombe wig and the man shouting JAI HO like it was a desperate cry for help.
Tess and Claudia dress watch: Tess in a perfectly acceptable black halterneck, Claudia in a white hospital gown. Oh Clauds.
And we’re off! Wish Daisy wouldn’t push Aljaz in the face in the opening credits, it’s annoying. The Louise/Kevin fist bump gets my goat too.
Time for a pro dance! Giovanni in overalls is having a sweep-cum-daydream and manages to steal Joanne off Aljaz, before discovering he’s actually snogging a mop. Stay with me here.
And now it’s a movie set, with Anton as director. Giovanni is still doing the Rumba with a mop, but WAIT! The overalls are gone and now he’s in a suit. There’s much scarf-tugging, and mostly this is entirely crackers. YOU’RE WELCOME!
Have turned over just in time for the Countryfile Casual Weatherman, and it’s the smoking hot Tomasz Schafernaker in a classic check shirt/jeans/brown belt combo. Be still my beating heart.
No Countryfile updates tonight, my daughter has taken control of the remote and is watching something involving Dave Gorman. Anyway I feel like it peaked last week with the wheelbarrow of piglets.
SUNDAY NIGHT RESULTS SHOW UPDATE!
Evening all, and welcome back for tonight’s Strictly Results Show! After last night’s movie-themed epic (one of the best in ages, in my opinion), we’re back for the dreaded dance-off.
So who will be going home? I’ve been inspecting the bottom half of the leaderboard today and wondering who has a big enough fandom to save them from the bottom two (Rinder, Ed, Laura, Lesley?), and who is potentially in trouble (Naga, Tameka, Anastacia?). It’s too early in the series to say really, but all will be revealed before 8pm. In meantime we’ve got a pro dance, a giant recap, some Len’s Lens and a musical interlude to get through. See you at 7.15!
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So that’s IT for this week’s dancing! Thank you all for joining in, I’m off to eat my dinner and read all your comments. I’ll be back here from 7.15pm tomorrow for the results, so join me then – in the meantime don’t forget to come and say hello on Twitter @heidistephens if you’re passing. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday! Hx
Recap time! Daughter is voting for Claudia and AJ, Ore and Joanne and Laura and Giovanni. Good choices.
The dancing has finished! Danny and Oti and Claudia and AJ are at the top of the leaderboard, and Ed and Katya are at the bottom. My money’s on Naga and Pasha and Lesley and Anton in the bottom two tonight, any advances? Maybe Anastacia and Brendan?
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Scores: 7,8,8,8 – a total of 31 for Louise and Kevin.
Bruno loved Louise’s moves and finally seeing what she’s got. Craig loved the rhythm, needed more hip action but he loved the routine. Darcey thought it really suited Louise, and she looked much more confident. Len thought it was sharp, crisp and clean, and he’s had a fantastic night.
Turns out Louise looks all kinds of fabulous in very little clothing, who knew? This is a very decent Cha Cha, with fab timing and footwork from Louise, who finally looks like she’s having a ball. Not so keen on the dodgy spiral perm, but fab dance references from the film. Love it.
And FINALLY, it’s Louise and Kevin! Tonight they’ll be dancing the Cha Cha to the theme from Flashdance, which is clearly an excuse for Louise to rip off her leotard to reveal a set of welding overalls.
Incidentally this was a terrible film, rendered iconic by the soundtrack. Feel free to drink freely anyway.
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Scores: 4,6,7,7 – a total of 24 for Ed. Not gonna lie, the Jim Carrey impressions are getting quite tiresome now.
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Len loves the anticipation of Ed coming out every week – he’s not the best dancer but he’s the most fun. Bruno gave the performance bags of impact, it was complete lunacy but it was wonderful. Craig can’t believe what he just witnessed – it was devoid of any Samba bounce or technique, but he sold it brilliantly.
There’s a café table! DRINK! It’s mostly a terrible Samba with no hip action and very dodgy footwork, but Ed is surprisingly light on his feet and has great timing. He’s dancing the Samba in a banana yellow suit with cheekbones to die for, what’s not to love? I think I’m tripping, but tens all round, I say.
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It’s time for Ed and Katya! Tonight they’re dancing the Samba to ‘Cuban Pete’, from The Mask. Another film I’ve never seen, mostly because I have an aversion to films involving Jim Carrey gurning, which is pretty much all Jim Carrey films.
But that’s by the by, because it’s time to watch ED BALLS DANCE A PARTY SAMBA WITH A GREEN FACE. Who could have dreamed we’d see such a thing?
Scores: 6,7,7,8 – a total of 28 for Tameka and Gorka.
Darcey loved the intent and attack, but she would have liked the transitions to be crisper. Len loved the focus, but Tameka’s posture needs lifting. Bruno thought it was a good job done well – great commitment from Tameka despite the posture issues. Craig though Tameka’s hand position was variable but she covered the floor brilliantly.
Gorka as a police officer has got me all a dither. There’s a bit of stalking at the start, and then it kicks into a fast and fierce Tango from Tameka. Not sure about the music choice, but it’s got plenty of pace and attitude. Very hunchy top line, but as always Tameka’s character shines through. Nice work.
Only three to go! It’s time for Tameka and Gorka! Tonight they’re dancing the Tango to ‘The Heat Is On’ from Beverly Hills Cop, which was one of my favourite films of the 1980s, but probably hasn’t aged terribly well.
Their Charleston last week was fabulous, and their Paso in week one had plenty of attitude. I feel like Tameka is putting off all the wafty ballroom numbers in favour of the character-driven dances, which could be risky when she has to do them all later on.
Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 – a brilliant 36 for Claudia and AJ.
Craig thought it was technically brilliant, and Darcey agrees - the dance was made for Claudia. Len thought it was a marvellous combination of clever choreography and slick tricks, and Bruno agrees – amazing to see Claudia acting and she’s a great dancer.
It’s a café table! DRINK! Claudia looks stunning, and this is fun and fabulous Charleston with incredible footwork and great swivel from Claudia. Lots of great slapstick and energy right to the end. My favourite dance of the night, loved that. Bonus custard pie in AJ’s face right at the end.
Next up it’s Claudia and AJ! This week they’re dancing the Charleston to ‘You Give a Little Love’ from Bugsy Malone. This was possibly Jodie Foster’s finest film, put your drinks away.
Last week Claudia and AJ danced a gorgeous Whitney Waltz, which was one of my favourite dances of the night. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they can do with a Charleston – you’d like to think she’ll have lovely swivel and co-ordination being a gymnast and all, but let’s see.
Scores: 8.8,8,8 – a total of 32 for Greg and Natalie.
Bruno thought Greg was Prince Charming, and he led Natalie really well. Craig thought it lacked swing and sway, but the storytelling was gorgeous. Darcey loved the impressive lifts, but they didn’t have the quality of the rest of the dancing. Len loved the chemistry, and there was just the right balance of in and out of hold. Hmm, bit lifty for my liking.
Greg fires the slowest burning arrow of all time, but makes a very handsome merry man all the same. Either the coat brilliantly disguises his sticky out bum, or it’s much better than last week. Nice lifts and lots of great storytelling, but I’d quite like to see a bit more actual dancing in hold. I love this coupling but my flame is not burning, alas.
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Are we there yet? Only five to go.
Time for Greg and Natalie! This week they’re dancing the American Smooth to ‘Everything I Do (I Do It For You)‘ from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. This soft-rock yawnfest was number one for so long in 1991 it probably contributed to the outbreak of the Gulf War. But I’ll accept that the film was brilliant (RIP Alan Rickman).
Scores: 7,7,7,9 – a total of 30 for Laura and Giovanni. Oh Bruno.
It was a bit on the raunchy side for Len, but Laura is a terrific dancer and she really went for it. It lacked finesse in places, however. Bruno loved Laura’s showgirl side, and it was one of the hottest and sexiest Salsas he’s ever seen. Craig thought it had too much of everything and it lost control, but he loved the spins, they were amazing. Darcey thought Laura meant business – she totally sold it, but there were moments where it looked a bit ungainly.
Laura flies in on a swing (DRINK), in full sequins and a flamingo poking out of her knickers. It’s a high-energy Salsa, with plenty of shimmy and hip action from Laura.Bit scruffy in places, but I care not.
It’s hard to watch Laura and Giovanni dance without secretly hoping they’re at it like rabbits, because they look amazing together. The tabloids currently lack evidence, other than them both being single and smoking hot. Not, however, as smoking hot as this Salsa. LOVED that.
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Next up it’s Laura and Giovanni! This week they’re dancing the Salsa to ‘Rhythm of the Night’ from Moulin Rouge. If you’re going to dance to a song from Moulin Rouge, you do Lady Marmalade, SURELY?
Also, to avoid disappointment, please note this is a cover of the original 80s Latin banger by DeBarge, rather than the 90s dance banger by Corona. Either way I suspect this is going to be a Salsa of filth, so bring it on.
Scores: 8,9,9,9 – a total of 35 for Ore and Joanne.
Darcey though it captured the sophistication, and had incredible control – Ore’s best dance so far. Len loved the routine too, and Ore’s interpretation was great – Len is astounded how good that was. Bruno loved how Ore gave it his own personality, right down to the twinkle in his eye. Craig wanted Ore to be up on his toes more, but he thought the routine was outstanding, and Ore was a proper showman. Ore’s in tears, and we have a new contender.
Umbrellas galore! DRINK! LAMPOST! DRINK! Ore looks entirely gorgeous, and this is charming and delightful from start to finish. Great footwork and bags of style, Ore needs to sort his free arm out but I don’t care. It’s full of joy and I love it.
It’s time for Ore and Joanne! Tonight they’re dancing the American Smooth to ‘Singin’ In the Rain’ by Gene Kelly. I’m thinking lamppost, umbrellas, possibly the café tables AND the gazebo. We could be unconscious by the end of this.
I love Ore, and really need him to stay in the competition until at least Week 6, because that’s when I’m off on my annual jaunt to Strictly and would quite like to meet him. Basically it’s all about me.
WE’RE HALF WAY THROUGH, EVERYONE. Stay strong, those who make it to the finish line get to see Ed Balls dance the Samba.
Scores: 7,8,6,6 – a total of 27 for Judge Rinder and Oksana.
Craig thought the ghastly gaping mouth came into its own and his swivel was a bit weak on one side, but he loved the energy and the handspring at the end. Darcey loved the crazy caveman, but she would have liked to see more swivel. Len thought it was entertaining, but there were a few mistakes. Bruno thought Rinder hammered the Charleston, but the timing was extinct.
Rinder appears to have nicked Anton’s wig, and this is the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. His mouth gapes throughout, but his Charleston footwork is actually pretty good, with plenty of swivel and some nice bum bongos. His footwork loses energy towards the end, but he flings in a handspring just for the hell of it. Bags of fun and entirely ridiculous. LOVED THAT.
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Next up it’s Judge Rinder and Oksana! Tonight they’re dancing the Charleston to ‘Meet The Flintstones’, from the movie The Flintstones. I would strongly argue that this film was pretty much the opposite of iconic, so DRINK. Apparently Rinder is Fred and Oksana is Wilma, so if you’ve ever wondered what Fred Flintstone’s sex face looks like, hold on to your hats, it’s definitely coming.
Scores: 5,6,7,7 – a total of 25 for Naga and Pasha.
Bruno thought Naga looked the part, but she stumbled and lost focus and confidence in places. Craig thought the footwork was sloppy in places and Naga lost balance, but he loved the mood. Darcey loved the intent and drama, but agrees with Bruno about Naga’s loss of focus. Len thought it was Naga’s best dance to date, but it needed to be sharper and more crisp, and she needs to be less nervous.
More flying! DRINK. Pasha can’t get Naga’s harness off at the start, so it’s all a bit fumbly. Once they get into the Tango there’s some nice footwork from Naga, but her top line is a bit hunchy and there’s just no…oomph. All a bit tentative for a Tango, which is a real shame.
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It’s time for Naga and Pasha! This week they’re dancing the Tango to the theme from Mission Impossible. If one of them isn’t dressed as the squirrel from the Carling advert, I’ll be complaining to Ofcom.
Last week’s wiggy Cha Cha was a bit tentative, and right now Naga is definitely in the dance-off danger zone. A Tango with bags of attitude would do her no harm whatsoever. Just saying.
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Scores: 8,8,7,8 – a total of 31 for Will and Karen.
Len loved the Bollywood theme, but he wanted more Salsa (DRINK). Will points out exactly how much Salsa is in there, and it all starts to get a bit tense. Bruno loved how joyful it was, he thought it was wonderful. Craig thought there was plenty of Salsa and he adored the mix. Darcey thought the lifts were strong and effortless, and she loved the mix of the two styles.
This is all quite Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, and that outfit does nothing for Will. Lovely Bollywood feel to the whole thing, and actually the Salsa weaves in really well, with bags of energy and some really nice shaping from Will. I’m worried about the guy singing “JAI HO”, however, can someone check he’s OK?
Next up it’s Will and Karen! This week they’re dancing the Salsa to ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire. They’ve gone for a Bollywood theme, which I’m hoping is going is going to be amazing. High likelihood that it will put Grumpy Len in a bad mood because there isn’t enough traditional Salsa, mind.
Bonus drinks if any of the judges describe their dance as “spicy”.
Four down, ten to go. Send help.
Scores: 6,7,7,7 – a very respectable 27 for Lesley and Anton.
Darcey loved how spirited and cheeky it was, with plenty of dance content, but she was struggling to keep up. Len loved the proper Quickstep content, and calls Lesley a “golden oldie from the silver screen”, which is nice. Bruno loved the quirky character but she lost it on the corner. Craig thought some of the footwork wasn’t compact enough, but it had amazing energy. Good work, Lesley.
Well this is fun – Lesley has no top line to speak of and is wearing her shoulders as earmuffs again, but her timing is good and it’s all quite fun despite the lack of pointy toes. Bonus points for the Anne Widdecombe wig.
Who’s next? It’s Lesley and Anton! Tonight they’re dancing the Quickstep to ‘A Couple of Swells’ from Easter Parade. They are dressed as tramps, and pretending to be Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. Every time the VT tempts us with a sneak peak at some training footage, and then stick in something random – this time it’s bloody yoga.
Scores: 9,9,9,9 - a fantastic 36 for Danny and Oti. It’s only week 3, I’d rein it in if I were you. The public needs a journey.
Craig thought the timing, shaping and lines were excellent – absolutely wonderful. Darcey loved the body shaping, and Len loved Danny being the “gay blade” with all his swashbuckling moves. Bruno thought it was everything a Paso should be, with fantastic Flamenco moves woven in.
Danny flies in (DRINK), and waves a cape about. Oti looks like she’s just finished a stint at the Moulin Rouge, but this is nevertheless quite a commanding Paso, with some nice side-by-side moves from Danny and lovely arms throughout. Plenty of passion and energy, which we like.
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It’s time for Danny and Oti! Tonight they’re dancing the Paso Doble to ‘The Train’/’El Sombero Blanco’ from The Mask of Zorro. I’ve never seen this film, but let’s assume it was a weapons-grade pile of garbage and drink anyway, just because I suspect Danny’s Paso is going to be quite thrusty and we may need alcohol to get through it.
sCORES: 6,7,7,7 - total of 27 for Anastacia and Brendan.
Also forgot to mention the appearance of the gazebo! DRINK!
Bruno thought it was sweet and simple, but Anastacia needs to be careful not to lose balance when she comes out the turns. Craig thought her shoulders were up and she was losing balance, but Anastacia has come back with an enormous sense of confidence. Darcey thought it had a beautiful style from start to finish, and Len agrees it was quiet and understated, with real class.
Good to see Kristina’s old corset frocks getting another outing. This is all rather charming, with some real care from Brendan, which is kind of what we needed to see, I think. A few mistakes and not enough extension in Anastacia’s neck, but sweet all the same.
Next up it’s Anastacia and Brendan! Tonight they’re dancing the Viennese Waltz to ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri, which is apparently from the Twilight Saga. These were films so bad they can’t even be bothered to pick one from the entire saga. DRINK.
Last week Anastacia has a horrible injury and caused the first controversy of the series by not being able to take part in the dance-off, which she clearly would have won anyway by virtue of being a much better dancer than Melvin, who was lovely and great fun but not all that on the dancefloor.
It’s great to see her back this week, and I hope very much she’s feeling better. Jog on, haters.
Scores: 7,8,8,8 – 31 for Daisy and Aljaz, so a good start.
Len thought Daisy pulled out all the stops – it had hold, posture and movement. Bruno thought Daisy was light on her feet, and the dance had real elegance. Craig wanted more precision and it was a bit heavy in places, and her left shoulder kept rising. Darcey loved the neatness of Daisy’s footwork, but her upper body needed to be more taut.
Not sure what’s going on with Daisy’s makeup, but she looks mostly like the corpse of Mary Poppins. Most of this dance is spent unpacking Mary’s bag, but when they finally get into Quickstep it’s got plenty of bounce and charm. Daisy’s footwork is lovely, but her shoulders keep rising so her top line is all over the shop. Plenty of sugar, but I remain un-stirred.
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Right, let’s get on with some dancing. First up tonight it’s Daisy and Aljaz! This week they’re dancing the Quickstep to ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ from Mary Poppins. I will accept that this is an iconic film, and also that Aljaz as Bert the smutty chimney sweep has a certain rogue-ish charm.
I’ve just written a comment featuring the phrase “my flue” twice and deleted it both times, LEAVE IT HEIDI.
First umbrella of the night! DRINK!
Out come the celebs! Louise has clearly had enough of frumping it up every week and has gone full stripper. Gorka is dressed as police officer (HELLO), and Will is channelling his inner MC Hammer. Why has Laura got feathery hips?
Darcey’s outfit = all kinds of fabulous.
Tess and Claudia Dress Watch: Tess in an asymmetric penguin costume, Claudia in a black toga. Stop it.
Bonus theme night pro dance with a Sound of Music theme. Natalie is Maria, and the celebs are either children or nuns, which mostly involves marching. Oh hang on, we’ve moved into Oklahoma, The King and I and Carousel.
Is this Movie Week, or Musicals Week? I’M SO CONFUSED.
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And we’re off! Last week there were successes and setbacks, and Melvin went home. This week is Movie week - we know this because of the opening VT features an easel with a sign saying “Strictly The Movie”. No budget spared here.
According to the BBC blurb, tonight will involve “songs and dances from some of the most iconic films ever to grace the big screen”. I’ll wager there will also be a whole bunch of terrible/obscure films that happen to feature a good song, so let’s pop that in this week’s Bingo, shall we?
This week’s Strictly Come Bingo – a swig of whatever will get you through this evening for any occurrence of the following:
- The return of the Strictly lamppost/gazebo/café tables
- Flying celebrities
- Great songs from terrible films
- Too much messin’ abaaaht
- Umbrellas
Evening all, and welcome to this week’s Strictly Come Dancing Liveblog! It’s Movie Week, so gird your glittery loins for an evening of insane costumes, bonkers choreography and the entire contents of the BBC prop store. It’s also another 125 minute dance marathon, which could theoretically be spent on an alternative movie night at your local Cineplex watching Bridget Jones’ Baby or something. But since we’re already in our jimjams and have got comfy now, let’s push on through together.
As usual I’ll be following all the footwork and fancy outfits up here, while you are invited to add your delight, amusement, despair, horror and outrage in the comment box below. The lights, cameras and action kicks off from 6.45pm, so grab a pair of ruby slippers and a bucket of popcorn, and I’ll see you then!
