Halloween arrived on Strictly Come Dancing 2016 last night and it was the most spectacular show of the series so far.
The remaining couples took to the Ballroom to try and secure their place in eek 7 of the competition. Last weekend Birds of a Feather star Lesley Joseph departed the competition with her partner Anton du Beke after losing the dance-off to Daisy Lowe and Aljaz Skorjanec.
Craig Revel-Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli presided over the action and participated in the opening group number with the celebs and the pros.
Find out who soared and who crashed by reading on….
Louise Redknapp & Kevin Clifton
Singer Louise Redknapp pulled off a great Rumba last weekend but Len said that she was on a plateau. During training Kevin Clifton wanted to make sure that Louise really impressed during her Suicide Squad themed Charleston. Did Louise do enough to move up to the next level?
The dance: Louise showed that she had a more fun side this week and I was impressed with her stamina and ability to keep up with Kevin. She threw herself into the routine and it looked like she had a lot of fun.
The comments: Len said that Louise 100% pushed herself harder and told her he thought the routine was dandy. Bruno said it was unusual and told Louise that he was expecting the routine. Craig said he thought it was too controlled but commended Louise on the detail of the routine. Darcey said it was a dazzling Charleston and told Louise that she pulled out all of the stops.
The score: 35 out of 40
Judge Rinder & Oksana Platero
Judge Rinder said that getting an 8 from Len last week made him feel like he was improving but admitted his dance wasn’t brilliant. During the week Oksana Platero took Judge Rinder to see butterflies to get him into character for his Paso Doble. Could Judge Rinder and Oksana build on last week’s improved scores?
The dance: Some areas of the dance lacked the finesse that you’d expect from a Paso but overall Judge Rinder did a good job. He played it seriously for once, which did benefit the dance.
The comments: Bruno said that Judge Rinder was born to entertain in his own unique way. Craig said it was ‘all very Silence of the Lambs’ but told Judge Rinder that it was his best dance yet. Darcey said that Judge Rinder gave his all and she liked his aggression. Len said that Judge Rinder came out with power and aggression and told him ‘well done’.
The score: 32 out of 40
Claudia Fragapane & AJ Pritchard
Claudia Fragapane had her strongest week yet last week and her partner AJ Pritchard told her that she had improved a lot since week 1. During the week Claudia and AJ tried out some spells to help their dancing. Last night they performed the American Smooth.
The dance: I’m not sure that Little Mix’s Black Magic was the best song to do an American Smooth to, but Claudia and AJ’s routine was pretty cute. Claudia is growing in confidence every week and that’s really beginning to shine through.
The comments: Craig said that Claudia’s footwork was very good and told her it was dynamic. Darcey said ‘beautifully smooth dismounts from every lift’ but told Claudia to keep her eye level up out of hold. Len said it was spell-binding with a lovely flow. Bruno said there is nothing nasty about Claudia and told her it was a wonderful dance.
The score: 36 out of 40
Anastacia & Brendan Cole
Anastacia danced with Gorka Marquez during last weekend’s live show after Brendan Cole fell ill. He was back this week so it was back to normal for the couple. During training Brendan told Anastacia they would smash 30 this weekend and they tried to dance in the dark to get into their bat characters. Last night Anastacia and Brendan danced the Jive.
The dance: Anastacia gave the dance a lot of attack but there were some timing issues particularly during the kicks and flicks. Still it was an entertaining dance and it should be enough to keep Anastacia in the competition.
The comments: Darcey said that Anastacia has turned on the energy thanks to her new confidence following last weekend. Len said it was a bit like a Meat Loaf with tasty bits but moments he wasn’t sure about. Bruno said it was totally batty and a bit bonkers saying Anastacia turned into Tina Turner for a few moments. Craig said it was flat-footed and leaden.
The score: 25 out of 40
Danny Mac & Oti Mabuse
Actor Danny Mac admitted that was nervous about doing the Rumba but said he was pleased with the way it came out. Oti Mabuse told him he did really well and was keen to score highly again with this weekend’s Foxtrot. During the week Oti played tricks on Danny. Did Danny have yet another strong week?
The dance: What another stunning performance from Danny. After the dance Danny said it didn’t go to plan but it looked mighty fine from where I was sat.
The comments: Len said he was ‘bewitched, bothered and bewildered’ but told Danny there were a lot of mistakes. Bruno said that Danny had a few dramas with his footwork but told him the parts he did right were very good. Craig said it could have been a 10 if there weren’t so many mistakes. Darcey said that she thought Danny made mistakes because he really pushed himself.
The score: 30 out of 40
Laura Whitmore & Giovanni Pernice
Laura Whitmore had to sit out last week’s live show after injuring her ankle. This weekend she was back in the ballroom and training harder than ever with Giovanni Pernice. During training Anton du Beke dressed up a ghost to try and get back into the competition but Giovanni unmasked him. This weekend Laura and Giovanni danced the Tango.
The dance: Laura returned stronger and the dance was her most confident yet. She really threw herself into the Tango and it could be her best performance to date.
The comments: Bruno said that Laura and Giovanni were the sexiest ghouls he’s ever seen and told them they were winners. Craig said it was an amazing Tango. Darcey said Laura had focus and determination and commended the feminine quality of her dance. Len said there was plenty of zip and hardly any doo-dah before telling Laura it was sharp.
The score: 36 out of 40
Ore Oduba & Joanne Clifton
TV presenter Ore Odbua has quickly established himself as the one to beat in the competition. Every week he’s getting better and better, and this week Ore and his partner Joanne Clifton were dancing the Charleston. During training they took a break to visit a pumpkin farm and do a spot of pumpkin carving. Did Ore top the leaderboard again?
The dance: The characterisation was great from Ore and Joanne this week. The whole performance was fun and colourful. Ore really is a versatile dancer and I think he’ll be in the final.
The comments: Craig said that Ore had an issue with his supporting leg and told him that the lack of swivel meant he didn’t really perform a Charleston. Darcey told Ore not to listen to Craig and told him he did a great routine. Len said there were plenty of tricks and treats in the routine for him. Bruno told Ore not to worry calling him the cuddliest monster he’s ever seen.
The score: 32 out of 40
Greg Rutherford & Natalie Lowe
Olympian Greg Rutherford had a terrible weekend last week with his dodgy Cha Cha. He was disappointed with his scores and his performance. Putting that behind him, Greg threw himself into training with Natalie Lowe and he tried being a ghost during the week. Last night Greg and Natalie performed the Rumba.
The dance: Greg’s performance was a huge improvement over last week. He can dance but sometimes his movement is a little wooden. This weekend he got into character and his chemistry with Natalie is great.
The comments: Darcey said that Greg gained some confidence after last week and told him it was quite different to what she was expecting. Len said there’s no doubting Greg’s commitment and told him he can see he’s been working hard on his footwork. Bruno said Greg embraced his dramatic persona telling him he went all Cumberbatch on him. Craig said he felt that Natalie was protecting Greg with ‘wild show-stopping positions’ and told her he didn’t feel it could judge it as a Rumba.
The score: 26 out of 40
Daisy Lowe & Aljaz Skorjanec
In a bizarre twist last weekend Daisy Lowe ended up in the bottom two, which was pretty ridiculous. Being in the bottom two hit her confidence and in training she struggled not to dwell on almost leaving the competition. During the week Daisy took Aljaz Skorjanec to her little sister’s Halloween party. Daisy and Aljaz danced the Paso Doble.
The dance: Daisy came back fighting this week. She shouldn’t have been in the bottom two last week and she shouldn’t be in that position again this week. Her Paso was furious, feisty and hugely entertaining.
The comments: Len said that Daisy brought the dance alive but told her it was a little hit and miss. Bruno said that Daisy had plenty of life left in her after this week’s performance and told her he loved the detail. Craig said he loved the amount of detail in Daisy’s arms and hands and told her he loved the dance. Darcey said that Daisy is bringing drama to her performances now but told her to exaggerate a little more.
The score: 33 out of 40
Ed Balls & Katya Jones
Last weekend Ed Balls almost dropped Katya Jones on her face during a daring lift. Thankfully he managed to salvage it and avoided the bottom two, despite being at the bottom of the leaderboard again. During the week Ed built a Frankenstein’s monster version of Craig to get better comments and scores. Did Ed and Katya get through their Cha Cha without any issues?
The dance: There are some things in life you just can’t unsee and Ed doing a Cha Cha is one of them. You can’t fault his energy and he remembered his steps this week. It was very entertaining!
The comments: Bruno said it was ‘horribly fabulous’ and told Ed he went for the hip thrusts like a jack hammer. Craig said that Ed’s bottom was moving spasmodically throughout the routine and couldn’t stop laughing. Darcey said she was pleased that Ed was still in the competition and told him she loved his performance. Len said it wasn’t super or natural but told Ed it was ‘so much fun’.
The score: 26 out of 40
The overall leaderboard for the evening was:
Claudia Fragapane & AJ Pritchard – 36
Laura Whitmore & Giovanni Pernice – 36
Louise Redknapp & Kevin Clifton – 35
Daisy Lowe & Aljaz Skorjanec – 33
Judge Rinder & Oksana Platero – 32
Ore Oduba & Joanne Clifton – 32
Danny Mac & Oti Mabuse – 30
Ed Balls & Katya Jones – 26
Greg Rutherford & Natalie Lowe – 26
Anastacia & Brendan Cole – 25
Strictly Come Dancing 2016 continues at 7.15pm tomorrow night when the next couple leaves the competition. See all of the action from today’s dress rehearsal in our gallery below:
[gss carousel=”fx=carousel” ids=”983023,983024,983025,983026,983027,983028,983029,983030,983031,983032,983033,983034,983035,983036,983037,983038,983039,983040,983041,983042,983043,983044,983045,983046,983047,983048,983049,983050,983051,983052,983053,983054″]
