Tag Archives: Strictly

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – WEEK 8

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

A piece of news regarding Blackpool hit social media during this week, it was announced that four finalists will return and join forces with the Strictly Professionals for a spectacular group dance. The four are:

Danny Mac
Ashley Roberts
Layton Williams
Jay McGuiness

During the judge’s dance, Anton went the wrong way and messed up the rest of the routine – not so easy, is it Anton?

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments: Lovely musicality; A safe routine; Neat and tidy; Shoulders raised; Needed a bit more punch in freestyle element; Beautiful storyteller.

Score: 27

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments: Great choreography; Stunning dance; Thrilling to watch; More shaping through torso needed: Full of fire; Danced with purpose;

Score: 38

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance:Waltz

Judge’s comments: More comfortable this week: Feminine; Beautiful footwork – no errors; More float in free arm; Clean footwork; Elegant;

Score: 35

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Jive

Judge’s comments: More retraction needed; A little bit flat-footed; Played character brilliantly; Tiny mistakes made in beginning; More usage of standing leg needed; Good performance and attitude;

Score: 27

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments: A little brittle, needs to be softer; A little spikey; More expression in arms and hands; Makes the dance her own;

Score: 31

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Rumba

Judge’s comments: Beautiful lyrical rumba; Delivered a beautiful message; Sensitivity; Strong musicality; Wasn’t a rumba (Craig); Lovely storytelling;

Score: 29

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Tango

Judge’s comments: Could have tried harder! (Craig- joking); In control; Danced on one level; Sensational; Fantastic footwork; Outstanding self-awareness;

Score: 37

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Couple’s Choice

Judge’s comments: Shirley loved it! Great routine; Haphazard footwork; Basic steps; Creates amazing characters; Entertaining;

Score: 33

The leader board looked like this…

Results Show

Head judge this week is… Craig!

The professionals teamed up with Diversity and it was an amazing performance!

The couple who were in the dance off were:

Balvinder & Julian
and
Vicky & Kai

Judge’s votes:

Motsi – Balvinder & Julian
Shirley – Balvinder & Julian
Anton – Balvinder & Julian

Craig agreed with fellow judges, so Vicky and Kai left the competition.

My Thoughts

It just goes to show that not all dances are suited to everyone. Vicky was top of the leader board last week with her Tango and then this week, she was joint bottom with her jive. After she didn’t do too well with her Charleston earlier on, I think the odds weren’t in her favour with the Jive.

And on a personal note, Vicky was one I tipped to get to the final, so I’m down to two now, Alex and Lewis…

I loved La Voix’s comment to Claudia, “Tess has been awarded an MBE and you’ve had a storm named after you…”

So, next week we’re travelling 200 miles from the Strictly Ballroom to Blackpool Tower, the place where so many of the professionals have danced and have many fond memories. It’s always a fun-packed show, with lots of surprises, so pack your bucket and spade, grab yourself an ice cream and settle down to the Blackpool Spectacular!

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – WEEK 7

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

I must start this blog with an apology – it is a few days later than normal because I had a visit to hospital for an emergency operation – nothing too serious but it needed sorting and today is the first day I’ve felt well enough to sit at my computer and do a review. I was actually being wheeled down to the operating theatre whilst Strictly was on!

Two significant events have taken place this week concerning our two hosts…

Number One is Tess Daly being presented with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the King at Windsor Castle for her services to broadcasting.

And Claudia for the final of the Celebrity Traitors, a show that secured the biggest overnight audience for the BBC since the final episode of Gavin and Stacey.

Well done to both ladies, you’ll be missed when you leave at the end of the series!

We’re at the halfway point of the contest, hasn’t it gone by quickly…

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Cha Cha

Judge’s comments: Well balanced routine; Brilliant timing and fluidity; A little ‘try hard’; Hips on fire; Softness to the routine;

Score: 35

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Charleston

Judge’s comments: Incredible routine; Goofy, clean and precise; Maybe more swivel; Sticky lifts; Amazing energy; Hit every line; Kept up with Carlos; Fast-paced difficult routine;

Score: 35

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments: Need to get power and confidence back; Kept oval shape; Lacked passion and fire; Perfect student; Looked regal;

Score: 30

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Foxtrot

Judge’s comments: Uplifting foxtrot; Lovely feel and musicality; Raised left shoulder; Free arm needs attention; Lacked togetherness; Exuberant presentation;

Score: 29

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Couple’s Choice

Judge’s comments: Lacked definition; Needed to be cleaner and sharper; Excellent shaping and timing; Keeps bouncing back; Beautiful arms and hands;

Score: 34

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Judge’s comments: More relaxed this week; Beautiful atmosphere; Used entire floor; Lovely shape; Best footwork in a Viennese Waltz; Perfect fleckle;

Score: 34

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Salsa

Judge’s comments: Fluid and flexible; Great chemistry; Amazing; Spectacular routine;

Score: 38

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Tango

Judge’s comments: Absolutely marvellous; Compact; Best line; Perfect apart from left hand (Craig); Contender for the final; Dance of the night for Motsi and Shirley;

Score: 39

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments: Crowd pleaser; Great energy and performance; Brought total carnival; Get the details right;

Score: 30

This week’s leaderboard:

Results Show

Head judge this week is…. Motsi!

In honour of Remembrance Sunday the professional dancers were joined by the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment for a beautiful performance. Lots of people noticed that Amy was dancing in this, so it must have been pre-recorded a few weeks ago as she is in hospital at this time undergoing a mastectomy and I’d just like to wish her well!

The couple who were in the dance off were:

Harry and Karen
and
La Voix and Aljaž

Judge’s Votes

Shirley – La Voix and Aljaž
Anton – La Voix and Aljaž
Craig – La Voix and Aljaž

Motsi’s vote would have been for La Voix and Aljaž.

Harry and Karen to leave the competition…

My Thoughts

I was pleased to see that the couples who were left at the end of voting, are now able to sit on the sofa with Claudia and share their dances and music with the audience.

Harry was a ray of light in this competition, always with a smile and of course, his pecs!

Next week the couple’s will be fighting for their place to go to Blackpool, the home of Strictly Come Dancing! Who will be packing their bucket and spade and who will be packing their suitcase and going home?

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – HALLOWEEN

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

No dramatic announcements this week, but it is Halloween week, probably one of the most anticipated weeks after Blackpool and of course, the final.

The judges didn’t disappoint with their costumes…

I think that Craig and Motsi were the bridge and groom, Shirley was the mother and I think Anton was either Anita Dobson or one of the bridesmaids!

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments: Better ballroom dance than in week two; Gorgeous off-balance lines; Huge improvement; Needed a bit more reach; Smoother transitions; More confident each week;

Score: 31

It seems that this series we are getting more and more little skits in between the dances – maybe it’s time fillers?

Tess performing a ‘magic trick’ on Claudia!

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Tango

Judge’s comments: Calmed herself down by breathing; Good musicality; Great promenade position; Learn how to spot when turning;

Score: 27

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Cha Cha Cha

Judge’s comments: Whole dance was turned-in; Good hip action; No mistakes this week; Doesn’t realise how good he is; Believe in himself;

Score: 29

La Voix, continuing her quest to be the next presenter of Strictly introduced herself.

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments: Neat and tidy routine; More arch in the dance; Power and passion throughout; Best dance so far; Beautiful paso doble;

Score: 35

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Quickstep

Judge’s comments: Spectacular; Out of this world; Brilliant and phenomenal; Good as ever seen on any series;

Score: 40

Lewis and Katya scored the first 40 of the series!

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Rumba

Judge’s comments: Beautiful delivery; Clearer weight transference; Lovely musicality through upper body; Looked hesitant; Straighter leg; Full of character and expression;

Score: 28

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments: Beautiful top line; Mistake in the middle of the dance; Smooth and fluid lifts; Lost elegance; Held his composure; Great balance between holds;

Score: 26

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Argentine Tango

Judge’s comments: Fabulous; Brilliant double spin; Smashed the choreography; Great intensity; Entertaining; Extraordinarily good;

Score: 38

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Salsa

Judge’s comments: Great hip rotation; Amazing: Shoulders were a bit raised; Lovely energy;

Score: 35

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Judge’s comments: Great storytelling and characterisation; Control left shoulder; Good execution; Great fleckle; Mixed it up;

Score: 35

The leaderboard looked like this:

Results Show

Head judge this week is ….. Shirley!

The couple who were in the dance off were;

Balvinder and Julian
and
Ellie and Vito

Judge’s Votes

Anton- Balvinder and Julian
Craig – Balvinder and Julian
Motsi – Balvinder and Julian

Shirley’s vote would have been for Balvinder and Julian.

Ellie and Vito leave the competition…

My Thoughts

Vito was amazing with how he partnered Ellie, he was always looking out for her, whispering words of comfort/support, hugging her and holding her hand. Ellie did so well on the show and you could see the joy on her face when she performed each dance, you could tell she was living her best life! But, as the dances had to get harder, you could tell she was struggling a little bit, so I think it was the right time for her to leave the show.

Lewis and Katya had the joint earliest 40 in Strictly history! That dance was just spectacular. I feel sorry for Balvinder, I’m not sure why she is repeatedly in the dance off, this was her third time in four weeks. I do get the feeling that George has had enough, he doesn’t seem to have that spark from when he first started…

We’re back to normal next week, with Blackpool in three weeks time.

Until next week, keep dancing!

Best judge’s costume…
Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – ICON WEEK

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

This week we had two major announcements…

The first was Stefan Dennis had to pull out because of an injury to his leg..

…and the second was Tess and Claudia announced that after this series of Strictly, they would both be leaving.

Tess and Claudia addressed the news at the beginning of the programme:

“Just before we get started, Claud and I announced this week that this will be our last series of Strictly Come Dancing.”

“We want to thank you for your beautiful messages, We’ve got another eight weeks on this incredible show and a Strictly champion to crown.”

“We cannot wait to spend the rest of the series with you, with our amazing couples and of course with these four,”

And then they introduced the judges who were dressed as icons…

John Lennon, Grace Jones, Elvis Presley and Claudia’s Aunty Joan at Christmas, AKA David Bowie

So, after these two bombshells, we carried on with the show!

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Quickstep
Icon: Johnny Cash

Judge’s comments: Good connection with dance partner; Understands music; back-weighted, wrong position; Great timing; Tiny bit of gapping; Clean;

Score: 34

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Rumba
Icon: Celine Dion

Judge’s comments: Lovely costume; Executed delayed rumba walk well; More details needed; A bit tense; Line and form exquisite; Lovely performance; Lacked fluidity; Lovely straight legs;

Score: 28

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Salsa
Icon: Spice Girls

Judge’s comments: Great energy: More hip rotation; Smoother transitions needed: Gives her best; Difficulty of choreography growing; Great execution of lifts; Never makes mistakes;

Score: 28

Ellie had a message from Baby Spice!

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Foxtrot
Icon: Dolly Parton

Judge’s comments: Great leg speed; Perfect harmony with Johannes; Immaculate heel turn; Went a little bit wrong; Maintained frame; Musicality is a sensation; Queen of Effortless;

Score: 32

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Jive
Icon: Harry Styles

Judge’s comments: A bit flat-footed; Fantastic presentation: Very watchable as a dancer; Work on consistency; A few mistakes; Good choreography; Great partnership skills;

Score: 27

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Couple’s Choice
Icon: Cheryl Cole

Judge’s comments: Best dance yet; Good coordination; Amazing dance; Match each other’s energy; Clean, tight and precise;

Score: 33

Vicky was sent a message from her icon, Cheryl Cole!

Balvinder’s icon was Beyoncé, so we were treated to the judge’s best Beyoncé impersonation….

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Quickstep
Icon: Beyoncé

Judge’s comments: Footwork needs work; Great personality; Looks a bit hesitant; Needed more elegant top line; Gave a full performance; Improvement in ballroom dancing; Improved performance skills;

Score: 28

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Argentine Tango
Icon: Usher

Judge’s comments: Felt like Harry was walking through it; Focused; Good control; Great growth; Good connection as a couple; Good leading skills; Wasn’t sharp enough; Judges were split on their opinions;

Score: 30

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Cha Cha Cha
Icon: Ariana Grande

Judge’s comments: Better footwork; Need more straight legs; Too balletic; Good hip action; Feels the music beautifully; Smooth;

Score: 33

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley

Dance: American Smooth
Icon: Prince

Judge’s comments: Good frame; Moved across floor beautifully; Timing into lifts were great; Technical aspects need improving; Add to the performance; Flat feet; Lost their way halfway through the dance;

Score: 30

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Salsa
Icon: Cher

Judge’s comments: Much better than last week; On the wrong foot a couple of times; A show salsa number; Immaculate timing; Recovering from double hip replacement(!); Needed more rotation in hips; A comeback queen!

Score: 28

The leaderboard looked like this:

Results Show

Head Judge this week is…. Anton!

The female professional dancers were outstanding in their interpretation of “Britney Through The Ages”, a really enjoyable dance routine.

The couple who were in the dance off were:

Amber and Nikita
and
Jimmy and Lauren

Judge’s Votes

Craig Revel Horwood – Amber and Nikita
Motsi Mabuse – Amber and Nikita
Shirley Ballas – Amber and Nikita

Anton would have agreed with the judges.

So, Jimmy and Lauren had to leave the show.

My Thoughts

Jimmy was one of my choices for the final, so I’m not a happy bunny, but I still have Vicky, Lewis and Alex left….

I thought the Icons week was a bit hit and miss. George’s music didn’t seem to gel with a jive and as for the outfit he was wearing, it was less Harry Styles and more Children’s TV Style!

With both couples being in the top section of the leaderboard it does show that it is more of a popularity contest than a dance contest…

I have been reading a lot about who should replace Tess and Claudia as presenters of the show, from Fleur and Janette, to Rylan and Alison Hammond, even Wallace and Gromit!

I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a bit of a revamp of the show and I personally would like to see Anton take over as main presenter, I think he would do a great job, much in the same way as Bruce Forsyth used to.

Next week is Halloween week, when the costume, hair and makeup departments come into their own. Cue spooky music, cool graphics and goodness knows what the judges will be wearing!

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – WEEK 4

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

There were no announcements this week and there was no special theme, all the couples were dancing, so we got straight on with the action!

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Quickstep

Judge’s comments: Elegant; Looks more settled; A-Star personality; A bit of gapping; Focused; Great energy; Slightly sickled feet;

Score: 27

We were treated to a spot of karaoke by the judges…

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Rumba

Judge’s comments: Intense; Great choreography; More movement through the hips; Good effort; More fluidity; Great partnering skills; Chemistry!

Score: 26

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments: Improved; Great execution of footwork; Work on her frame; Great choreography; More power; Sharper arms; Great performance;

Score: 29

Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell

Dance: Charleston

Judge’s comments: Find more musicality; Stilted; Played too safe; Great storytelling; Best dance so far; No mistakes this time; A job well done!

Score: 26

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Foxtrot

Judge’s comments: Beautiful movement; Too much energy into some moves; Musicality in abundance; Lovely footwork;

Score: 34

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley

Dance: Couple’s Choice

Judge’s comments: Great combinations and rhythms; A little out of synch; Needed cleaner shapes; Lacked focus; Great energy;

Score: 29

As George and Alexis were dancing to a Coldplay song, Tess said that in honour of Coldplay they should get out their own audience cam…

Oh no! Not another scandal!!

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Tango

Judge’s comments: Great storytelling; Lost it in the middle; Beautiful frame; More of a Y-frame needed; Impressing Craig; Intense way of moving;

Score: 30

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Cha Cha Cha

Judge’s comments: So much went wrong; No hip action; More flexibility in body; Shirley wouldn’t be able to judge it; Didn’t get off to a good start from the beginning; Anton enjoyed it!

Score: 14

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments: Needs consistency; A little bit messy from move to move; Arms and hands telling stories; Good energy; A couple of mishaps; Improvement;

Score: 28

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Rumba

Judge’s comments: Shirley came down from the desk to congratulate Alex; Exaggerate top line; Great partnership;

Score: 36

With a 10 from Shirley!

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova

Dance: Salsa

Judge’s comments: Lacked any rotation; Lacked fluidity; No upper body movement; Extraordinary lifts; Improving every week; Strong in performance; Role model;

Score: 24

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Argentine Tango

Judge’s comments: Great lifts; Super fast steps; Good hand placement; Work on footwork; Beautifully timed; Seemed hard work; Refined execution;

Score: 33

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Couple’s Choice

Judge’s comments: It had energy; Great display in self expression; Strong, powerful; Heart and soul into the dance; Amazing;

Score: 31

The leader board this week…

Results Show

Head judge this week is…. Craig Revel Horwood.

The couple who were in the dance off were:

Balvinder and Julian

and

Chris and Nadiya

Judge’s votes:

Motsi Mabuse – Balvinder and Julian
Shirley Ballas – Chris and Nadiya
Anton Du Beke – Chris and Nadiya

Craig’s casting vote came into play and he voted for…

Balvinder and Julian

So this week, we say goodbye to Chris and Nadiya and we head to Week 5 which is Icon Week!

My Thoughts

With the new style of giving us the results we didn’t get to hear which icons Jimmy and Amber were going to be, as they didn’t get to sit on the sofa and chat to Claudia.

With La Voix being on the bottom of the leader board by 10 points and not being in the dance off, it does highlight the fact that popularity is a major factor.

But a plus, we did get to see Gorka, as he was in the dance routine with Leigh-Anne…

I will take this time to remind everyone of my picks for this season and you’ll have to admit, I’m doing pretty well!

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones
AND MY DARK HORSE:
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – MOVIE WEEK

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

We were one couple down this week as Stefan Dennis was ill and him and Dianne received a bye into the next round…

BUT we were one judge up: there was a special judge who gave each of the couple’s a mentoring session… Academy Award-nominated Hollywood superstar, Cynthia Erivo.

Cynthia did contribute to the judging panel in terms of feedback, but she didn’t score the couples.

So, roll out the red carpet and let’s go to the movies!

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: American Smooth
Film: The Sound of Music

Judge’s comments: Clean with fluidity. Lovely lift. Gave Motsi goosebumps. Beautiful footwork. American Smooth danced at its very best. Musicality and characterisation were good.

Score: 35

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova

Dance: Paso Doble
Film: Thor

Judge’s comments: Improvement. Better posture. Listen more to music. Strong heel. Little bit ploddy. Too placed. Putting character into dance.

Score: 22

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Couple’s Choice
Film: KPop Demon Hunters

Judge’s comments: Came out of his shell. Started off reserved. Lacked edge. Needed to be sharper. Out of synch. Coped with the challenge. Flexible.

Score: 31

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: Waltz
Film: Mary Poppins

Judge’s comments: Beautiful. More shape to upper body. Lovely harmony and partnership. Joyous. Wonderful to see the realness. Superb musicality.

Score: 28

Ross King and Jowita Przystal

Dance: Paso Doble
Film: Thunderbirds

Judge’s comments: Improved since last week. Should be proud of what he’s achieved. A mistake in front of judge’s desk. Stiff all the way through. Intense shapes.

Score: 19

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Foxtrot
Film: Classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Judge’s comments: Sophisticated. Tense. Lovely dancing. Elegant, class and grace. Finish at the ends of the arms and hands. Not very good footwork.

Score: 26

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Cha Cha
Film: Miss Congeniality

Judge’s comments: Power-packed choreography. Refinement needed. Dance more on the diagonal. More hip action needed. Fantastic potential.

Score: 25

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley

Dance: Rumba
Film: James Bond

Judge’s comments: Good job. Lovely body and hip action. Great theme and story. Beautiful choreography. More change of speed or pace needed. Craig was pleasantly surprised.

Score:

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Charleston
Film: The Great Gatsby

Judge’s comments: No swivel. No double bounce, made it look flat-footed and heavy. Brilliant lifts. Showed personality. Overcome her nerves. More tone.

Scores: 25

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Samba
Film: Barbie

Judge’s comments: Otsi’s most improved. Lots of control. Awareness of teacher was stunning. Timing was a little bit iffy. Skipping through it a little bit. Sells everything she dances.

Score: 27

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Quickstep
Film: The Devil Wears Prada

Judge’s comments: Sensational characterisation. A bit of gapping. Potential to have best frame in competition. Perfect promenade position. Command control and power.

Score: 30

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Salsa
Film: The Lion King

Judge’s comments: Needed more fluidity in the transitions. Clean, fresh, new and different. Lot of rhythm. Lifts were off the chart. Started to learn how to lead.

Score: 32

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Paso Doble
Film: Zorro

Judge’s comments: Passion, tension, commitment. Extraordinarily great. Great storytelling. Amazing. Dance of the night for Motsi.

Score: 37

The leader board for this week was:

RESULTS SHOW

Head judge this week is… Shirley Ballas.

The couple who had to dance off were:

Balvinder and Julian

and

Ross and Jowita.

Again, no sofa talk for Vicky and Kai and Karen and Carlos….

Judge’s votes:
Anton – Balvinder and Julian
Craig – Balvinder and Julian
Motsi – Balvinder and Julian
Shirley – Balvinder and Julian

So it’s goodbye to Ross and Jowita and we dance on into Week Four, that really has gone by quickly!

My Thoughts

Ross gave a very impassioned speech about how much he’s grateful to everyone for supporting him.

Perhaps Ross was a bit short-changed with his Thunderbirds theme, it must have been difficult to choreograph a Paso to that music and together with the costumes, they had a disadvantage from the start.

The costumes seemed a bit safe, the best in my opinion was Alex as Miranda Priestly. I think that Dianne and Stefan were doing Shrek, so that would have been interesting. Roll on Halloween, when they bring out the big guns in the makeup and hair department!

No theme next week, so until then, keep dancing!

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – WEEK 2

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it will contain spoilers!

It’s time to start the competition as one of the celebrities and their professional partner will be leaving the show…

The points from last week and the points this week will be combined and the public will be able to vote online for their favourite dancers! The link to vote is: www.bbc.co.uk/strictly

This week the Head Judge will be…. Oti Mabuse.

So, let’s kick off this week with–

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: The Jive

Judge’s comments: Good knee bounce; Immaculate timing; Dance looked a bit flat; Keep legs together!

Score: 19

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Tango

Judge’s comments: Nervousness showed; Good precision; Good spins; Hit some strong lines;

Score: 20

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley

Dance: Cha Cha Cha

Judge’s comments: A little bit heavy; Good hip swing; Great chemistry;

Score: 25

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Judge’s comments: Powerful; Needs to be smoother; Refinement needed; destined for greatness;

Score: 27

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments: Loved the fluidity; Brilliant timing; Perfect Samba walk; Best samba Shirley has seen; Brilliant; More tone and resistance; More hip rotation;

Score: 31

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Waltz

Judge’s comments: Lovely placement of hands; Great spins; Smoother runs; Not enough rise and fall; Huge improvement:

Score: 23

Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden

Dance: Salsa

Judge’s comments: Timing completely off; Lacked any hip rotation or fluidity; Loved that he ‘went for it’; Good effort;

Score: 13

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Quickstep

Judge’s comments: Excellent; Wonderful natural hold; Good posture; Gapping; Splayed hands; Amazing musicality; Tiny mistake;

Score: 26

Ross King and Jowita Przystal

Dance: Waltz

Judge’s comments: Work on musicality; Better than last week; Work on posture; More rise and fall; Most improved; Be more confident; Too cautious; Very square;

Score: 15

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments: Work on foot placement; Amazing body rhythm; Good synchronization; Great dance;

Score: 29

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Foxtrot

Judge’s comments: Lovely heel turns; Gentle frame; Too close to Kai – lean back; Gapping; Lumps and bumps; Dance with realness; Charming; Too dependant on dance partner;

Score: 24

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Judge’s comments: Better than last week; More promise with posture and arms; Improve on footwork; Dance your height; Magnificent frame for ballroom;

Score: 16

Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell

Dance: Cha Cha Cha

Judge’s comments: Brilliant partnership; Lots of mistakes; Very nervous; Great potential; Overall performance was stiff; Stompy; Full of content;

Score: 17

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments: Outstanding performance; Good narrative; Potential front runner? Tell the story through the face – which he did; Power and passion. More fluidity.

Score: 30

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Charleston

Judge’s comments: Pick feet up a little bit; More energy in the arms; Fantastic lifts; Gorgeous swivel; Fantastic; Outstanding; Wonderful choreography;

Score: 30

The leaderboard looks like this after combining last week’s scores;

RESULTS SHOW

The two pairs which had to dance in the dance off were:

Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden

and

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova

Chris and Nadiya had a clean sweep of votes from Shirley, Anton and Craig, which meant that Tom and Amy were the first to leave. Motsi, as the Head Judge, would have also voted for Chris and Nadiya.

So, we say goodbye to Tom and Amy and head onto Week Three which is Movie Week! Time for our professionals and celebrities to encapsulate that movie magic!

My Thoughts

I thought Amy gave a lovely speech at the end of the show, explaining that she had lost all confidence as a dancer and that Tom’s smile in the training room, has brought her back and she thanked him.

I did feel sorry for Stefan, Diane and Harry and Karen as they didn’t get to sit on the sofa with Claudia as the other contestants did. And talking of Stefan, what was going on with that wig?

Reviews, Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY COME DANCING – WEEK 1

Leave a comment

Before you read this blog, please be aware that it may contain spoilers!

It’s week one and already we have had a celebrity leave the competition…

Amber Davies was revealed as Dani’s replacement, she is a Welsh actor, podcaster, TV personality and West End star and she will be partnering Nikita Kuzmin.

As the well known opening sequence starts denoting the start of the series, I will get my usual gripe out of the way and say that why isn’t the professional dancer’s names included? To be honest, some of them are more famous than their celebrity counterpart!

And I just want to add that I am deeply saddened that Gorka “The Corker” Marquez hasn’t a partner this year, but I understand that he is a judge on Bailando con las Estrellas, the Spanish version of Strictly. So, here’s an image of him to keep us going until we spot him in the group dances….

Now, I’ve got all that of my chest, here we go for the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2025!

We kick off the series proper with a dance through the decades showcasing the judge’s dance moves, from Anton quickstepping to the iconic I’m In The Mood For Dancing, Shirley showing us why she is the Queen of Latin and Motsi performing a rumba to Alone by Heart. It’s good to see the judges on the dancefloor, that’s all you need to reaffirm that they know what they’re talking about!!

After Tess and Claudia are introduced, we are told that no-one will be going home tonight and their scores from this week and next week will be combined.

Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments:
Frame of a ballroom dancer; Timing issues; Good focus; Lacked fluidity; Lacked hip action; Score: 14

Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Judge’s comments:
Beautiful movement across the floor; Not enough in hold; Full of intent; Score: 21

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer

Dance: Cha Cha

Judge’s comments:
Too Boogie Nights and all strut; Push ups not in the Cha Cha Cha; Concentrate on foundation of dance; Good energy; Entertaining; Picked up quickly when on wrong foot; Score: 19

Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell

Dance: Foxtrot

Judge’s comments:
Lovely top line; Littered with mistakes; Flair for musical theatre performance; Ballroom King in the making; Score: 22

Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola

Dance: Cha Cha

Judge’s comments:
Keep feet onto the floor, so stronger and more dynamic; Didn’t miss a beat with timing; Joyful to watch; Flat-footed; Score: 17

Lewis Cope and Katya Jones

Dance: Jive

Judge’s comments:
Very good; Very courageous; Overloaded with choreography; Footwork got lost; Containment needed; Score: 28

Ross King and Jowita Przystal

Dance: Cha Cha

Judge’s comments:
Feet were turned in; Balance was off; Uplifting performance; Awkward; Score: 10

George Clarke and Alexis Warr

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments:
Brilliant lifting; Amazing potential; Remember posture; Dynamic partnership; Score: 24

Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington

Dance: Cha Cha

Judge’s comments:
Lacked hip action; Work on leg action; Good footwork; Good flexibility; Spectacular arms; Score: 23

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley

Dance: Quickstep

Judge’s comments:
Great control; Beautiful footwork; Great frame; Confident; Work on selling the dance; Score: 27

Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon

Dance: Samba

Judge’s comments:
Straighten legs; Waist up, amazing; Flat-footed; No bounce; Pigeon-toed; Synchronised and co-ordinated arms; Score: 17

La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec

Dance: American Smooth

Judge’s comments:
Beautiful posture; More dynamic; Listen to Aljaz; New level of camp; Score: 24

Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden

Dance: Paso Doble

Judge’s comments:
Good job but need more next week; Square, flat and stompy; A* in oval shape in Paso Doble; No foot mistakes; Score: 16

Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin

Dance: Waltz

Judge’s comments:
Outstanding; Concentrate on footwork; Good musicality; Frame needs a bit of work; Blessed with the neck of a flamingo, long elegant lines; Score: 27

Karen Carney and Carlos Gu

Dance: Jive

Judge’s comments:
High energy; Sensational, best dance of the night; Softer edges needed; Score: 31

So, after all the performances, the leader board looks like this:

We were informed that the Head Judge position will be changing each week with all four judges sharing this responsibility.

My Thoughts

An enjoyable episode, but I felt it went on a bit too long, I was beginning to lose interest about three quarters of the way through and kept switching over to see how Tottenham Hotspur were doing (not very well!).

I felt some of the costumes weren’t up to the usual standard, especially Ross King’s and Karen Carney’s, I thought it would have been nice to make Karen’s costume a bit more feminine.

I did have Dani Dyer as one of my predictions to make top four, but as she’s now gone and based on tonight’s performances I’m going to go for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink!

Dancing through the Decades

Strictly Come Dancing

STRICTLY – WEEK SIX – HALLOWEEN WEEK

Leave a comment

Please note there is spoilers in this blog – so if you don’t want to know who left the show, click away now!

Saturday’s Show

This week we received the news that Will and Janette would not be able to perform as Will hurt his knee whilst jumping of a table during dress rehearsals for the show. So I wish Will a speedy recovery and hopefully we can see him perform next week. Also, a pro dancer sustained an injury, Neil hurt himself an hour before the show was due to start, so Kevin gallently stepped in to dance with Alex, only having 45 minutes to learn the routine.

Although I do gather there was a debate on social media as to whether it should have been Gorka who danced with Alex as Kevin had already danced and had been voted out. But we don’t know what happens behind the scenes, Kevin and Neil are good friends so maybe Neil asked for Kevin, maybe the Ghostbusters suit fitted Kevin better, who knows?

So we were down to ten couples this week, Will and Janette have a bye into the next round, so here’s my one word sum up:

  • Emma and Anton: Tango – Posture – 28 points (2 point increase)
  • Emma and Aljaz: Charleston – Poised – 30 points (6 point decrease)
  • Chris and Karen: Samba – Fun – 23 points (2 point decrease)
  • Saffron and AJ: Jive – Magic – 33 points (5 point decrease)
  • Mike and Katya: Tango – Stompy – 26 points (5 point increase)
  • Karim and Amy: Paso Doble – Rushed – 29 points (6 point decrease)
  • Catherine and Johannes: Cha Cha Cha – Mistakes – 24 points (4 point decrease)
  • Michelle and Giovanni: Foxtrot – Phenomenal – 39 points (10 point increase)
  • Kelvin and Oti: Tango – Incredible – 36 points (3 point increase)
  • Kevin and Alex: Street Commercial – On-point – 34 points (1 point increase)

wig
Karen picking up her wig at the end of the dance.

Highlights this week was Karen’s wig causing problems during their Tango, resulting in Karen pulling it off at the end of the dance. Kevin freestyling during Alex’s routine and admitting that his mind went blank during the routine.

I don’t know if it’s me, but this year’s Halloween seemed to miss the mark, if I was Vicountess Emma, I’d be a bit peeved that on Halloween week, I was dressed like I would normally be dressed and not made up as a monster, etc.

So the score boards were as follows:

leaderboard-topleaderboard-bottom

Sunday’s Show

catherineThis week the dance off was between Catherine and Mike. Craig voted for Catherine to be sent home, Motsi and Bruno voted for Mike to go, so the final verdict was left for Shirley who voted against Catherine and Johannes, so unfortunately they had to leave.

This is another shock exit; I thought that Catherine would be at Blackpool at least. Maybe when the votes are tied, it should be put to the public vote? Whoever got the least amount of votes should leave…

I am hearing rumours that the show will be shown in its entirity on a Saturday next year, I think this is a step in the right direction, they could cut down on how long the VTs are before each couple dances and therefore end this farce of the Sunday show. Plus, it will stop spoilers leaking out and spoiling  the results show for some.

Next week, back to normal, phew, and remember, nobody is safe!