Sunday Service: Week 11

It was the end of another eventful week on Strictly Mountain. But thankfully, it was a very entertaining show.

I loved Chris & Ola's Charleston. The dance totally suited their partnership. It was cheeky and fun, just like Chris & Ola. That swimming move at the end will go down in Strictly legend. A few times I've questioned if Chris should still be in the competition, but it's performances like that that remind me why he is. And deservedly so. Brilliant.

I don't think Rock n Roll favours the tall. Ricky & Natalie did not look as slick as usual. There were mistakes here and there. Anyone would think they lost some rehearsal time this week... The dance was far from Ricky & Natalie's usual standard. Ricky took his eye off the glitterball, distracted by other things. And it showed. A rare off-week.

Ali & Brian were very good. Ali doesn't do sexy very well, but cheeky and goofy seems to come naturally. In a good way. The Charleston was lots of fun. I did raise an eyebrow at that 10, but Ali did do a very good job.

Natalie & Vincent had their usual energy and enthusiasm for the Rock n Roll. Some of the lifts were a bit laboured, and I agreed with Bruno that Natalie needs to finish her moves properly. Natalie would look so much more elegant if her dancing was a bit neater. It was nice to finally hear someone (Alesha) telling her to keep her feet together. But as usual, her enthusiasm was infectious.

Laila & Anton were good this week. The Charleston was totally Anton's dance, and I can't believe he hasn't done it before. Laila's timing was a teeny weeny bit off in places, but I think it was one of their best performances. I feel that I have to mention that all Anton's wittering about not going this far is a little misguided. He actually got to the semi-final with Lesley Garrett. And they should have made the final, as they were much better than Christopher & Hanna. I admit that the show was much shorter in those days, but still. Don't fall for it, people!

The group Viennese waltz was a nice idea. Took me back to Series 1 (albeit, that one wasn't scored). It was much harder for Chris and Ricky, as they probably have no practice of leading an unchoreographed dance. In fact, I did wonder if Chris was simply dancing his Viennese waltz from last week, and was just lucky no-one got in his way. Although he did do a fleckurl which wasn't in last week's routine, so perhaps not. Ricky's performance would have been improved if someone had taught him to drop his arm in traffic. Instead he lifted it up, which didn't look right. There's not much to say about the girls, as they all managed to follow their experienced pros with no trouble at all.

I wish they'd have been clearer about the scoring for the Viennese waltz. Were the scores an average of the four judges? Or was it all up to Len?

I must admit that the right two couples were in the bottom two. All of the Charlestons were brilliant. However, I was really surprised to see Natalie & Vincent there. I expected to see Laila in their place.

It was right that Natalie should leave based on this week's dances, but I was convinced that with Jade out of the competition, Natalie could have made the final (assuming three go through). I thought she had more public support than Laila.

Hopefully, being in the bottom two will give Ricky a kick up the backside, and it proves that everyone is vulnerable.

Next week Darcey joins the judging panel. I'll be interested to see what she will bring to the panel. I expect she'll sit between Craig and Len, much to Len's relief no doubt.

Here are the videos...

Chris & Ola



Ricky & Natalie



Ali & Brian



Natalie & Vincent



Laila & Anton



Group Viennese waltz

Ricky Rushes Back

Ricky Whittle was rushing back to London this afternoon after being held by police.

Ricky was leaving a Hollyoaks shindig in Liverpool last night, when he reportedly knocked into a photographer while at the wheel of his Dodge Ram. He turned himself into police at 5.30 this morning, and was released on bail sometime later.

The Daily Mail reports that he was expected to be back at rehearsals this afternoon.

BBC Strictly on Twitter tweeted at 6.13 tonight: "LATEST STRICTLY NEWS: The show will continue as normal tomorrow. Don't forget to watch at 6:50pm, BBC1".

Camilla On GMTV

Camilla spoke about her I'm A Celebrity... experience, and Katie Price, on GMTV this week.

Ballgowns And Bathmats

Find out what living fashion doll Clementine made of this week's outfits in her video blog.

I love how Clem subtly continues to keep the memory of Rav Wilding alive...

Ali Awaiting Advice

Ali Bastian is awaiting medical advice on whether she'll be fit to compete on Saturday.

Ali slipped over during Charleston training on Monday and has not rehearsed since.

A BBC spokesperson told the Press Association that Ali is being assessed this afternoon to see if she is strong enough to dance.

See Ya Later!

Perhaps Len's pep talk about complacency should have been directed at Laila rather than Ricky.

The Mirror reports that Laila has left the country, opting to do a photoshoot for Moroccan GQ.

A source told the paper: "Anton is furious. For Laila to go now is just madness. This is the week that she could really prove herself as a serious contender but she's done a disappearing act. The place is in uproar. People think that at this late stage of the show it really should be her main priority."

A BBC spokesperson said: "All the celebrities have to train a minimum number of hours a week. Laila has arranged her training around her short trip to Morocco and has been working extra hard. She and Anton have made up the hours by practising hard over the weekend. Laila admits she was not really ready for the waltz last week."

In Laila's defence, many of the Strictly participants have 'day jobs' while training - Natalie and Ricky are filming soaps, Chris is on the BBC each day, it's nothing new.

Perhaps it's the fact that Laila has left the country, making it difficult to catch up during spare moments. Although Anton went on a cruise with Esther, so why he couldn't go with Laila I don't know.

Alesha & Co On Children In Need

If, like me, you missed Alesha Dixon and the Strictly pro dancers performing on Children In Need last Friday, here is the video.

Monday Musings: Week 10

I was so sad to see Jade & Ian leave the competition. As Len commented, Jade was there challenging Ricky Whittle for that top slot. She had really found her stride, and was improving with every dance she did. It’s such a terrible shame.

Onto the competition, and I really enjoyed Ali & Brian’s foxtrot routine. I couldn’t find fault with it. The choreography was lovely, and they performed it very well. Ali is so beautiful with ballroom.

Natalie & Vincent had a number of errors, particularly in the first half of the routine. The whole thing lacked bounce and hip action. I appreciate Natalie’s passion. It’s something I always cry out for. And I’ve said many times that enthusiasm and performance can mask a lack of ability. However, a lack of ability cannot be overcome by heart alone. For me, Natalie just doesn’t have it. And I so desperately wish she did because I have so much adoration and respect for her. She has improved. She’s amazing. She’s a role model for anyone wanting to learn to dance. But she’s not a contender.

Chris & Ola’s Viennese waltz was lovely and romantic, but again it’s Ola’s clever choreography that has kept them in the competition. Just like with Kenny, Ola neglected to put a flecurl in the routine. Something about the performance just didn’t gel. I’m starting to think that perhaps Chris has gone as far as her can.

Ricky performed the American smooth brilliantly. The lift demonstrated how much Natalie trusts him. I really liked the routine, but I didn’t like it as an American smooth. I prefer a more Hollywood, glamorous interpretation. That said, it was excellent, and very well performed. I don’t think there is any fear of Ricky becoming complacent.

Laila & Anton’s waltz was riddled with mistakes. The waltz was a bit stumbly. It lacked her usual ballroom style and grace. Laila seems to be making little improvement and is on a plateau. She really has to step up if she wants any hope of making the final stages.

Ricky Groves had the attitude of the tango, but was let down by errors. I think he tried too hard. It’s such a shame, especially when he and Erin were so excited about the dance earlier in the week. I did think it was an odd song choice, especially for Erin who usually sides with more traditional music. However, it was the mistakes that killed him.

I was very surprised that all four judges decided to save Laila & Anton. Both couples put in a better performance in the dance-off, and I know it’s the dance-off that they are supposed to be judged on. Personally however, I feel that Ricky is a better all-rounder, while Laila is a ballroom specialist who’s latin really let’s her down. A one-sided competitor won’t win Strictly Come Dancing. You have to be an all-rounder.

So next week brings new dances – Rock n Roll or Charleston. I’m pretty excited by this prospect, especially Charleston which I really like. I think the Charleston will be the bigger stretch for the couples. Rock n Roll is more similar to jive than Charleston is to anything. And Charleston requires cheekiness, especially from the girls, which they haven’t really had to perform so far.

One last thing to mention is the fact that we are now a couple short yet again. After last year’s controversy, the producers really need to decide how to handle it. I would hate to see a two-handed final, as it tends to be a little dull – although it’s highly likely to be Ali and Ricky left, so would it matter? Whatever happens, it needs to be something more ‘official’ and thought out than last year’s ‘you’re all in the final’ mess.

TV Ad

I caught this TV ad just before the premiere of I'm A Celebrity... on Sunday.

I would have thought that any remaining seats would be a bit rubbish, but I guess they can keep advertising if it's not a sellout.

Mistletoe Moment

ITN asked Ali & Brian who they'd like to kiss under the mistletoe. Without even watching the clip, you can guess who answered and how...

Get Me Out Of Here!

Camilla Dallerup's excit from the jungle means I don't have to watch I'm A Celebrity... Get Me out Of Here! any more (although I still found myself doing so last night, and learned more about Gino D'Acampo than I needed to know).

Camilla may not be queen of the jungle, but at least she gave it a go. I couldn't live in the jungle, that's for sure.

It's just a shame that pretty much the only screen time she got was being very ill.

Interview With Jade

The Mirror has the first interview with Jade since her injury on Saturday afternoon.

She tells of that awful moment: “It was all going well on Saturday. We’d done the dress run and I was loving the dance. I was really excited. Then as we finished, Ian went to pick me up and I heard a noise I don’t ever want to hear again. I don’t think Ian knew what had happened and I was in shock. I heard it, then I felt pain and more pain. I didn’t know what, but I knew it was bad.”

Jade has to be careful, as her whole athletics career is at stake, not just the glitterball. But she's still willing to get back to the floor if she possibly can: “My physio has been with me for 10 years. He knows me better than I know myself when it comes to these things. So I’ll trust him to make the right decision. If I can dance on Saturday, I will. I’ve had some really nice messages. It makes me want to get out there even more.”

Jade & Ian will be appearing on It Takes Two tonight. Tune in for the latest injury update.

Splitly Come Dancing

Strictly is to return to a 2-part format.

The Mirror reports that the show will return to having a separate results show later on a Saturday evening from the quarter finals onwards, to allow a longer voting window.

The format was ditched after the 2006 series, when the results show moved to the unpopular Sunday slot.

A BBC spokesperson told the paper: "The current 15-minute window doesn't give enough time for the calls to get through as the contest hots up."

Of course, ultimately it's about ratings and phone revenues, but I think it's a brilliant move. I always preferred Strictly that way. And I missed out on voting this week because I missed the numbers and they don't scroll them on screen enough.

Clementine Update

I missed Clementine while I was away, so I've just caught up on her thoughts about Strictly's frocks and shocks.

Check out her Week 7, Week 8 and brand new Week 9 video blogs. This week, poor Clem has caught Brucie's flu. Get well soon, Clementine!

Lynda: " I Watched Myself After The Shows And Cringed"

Lyndia Bellingham enjoyed her time on Strictly Come Dancing, but says it did nothing for her body image.

The Daily Telegraph quotes an interview she gave to Yours magazine, in which she said: "I had not really taken on board how I would feel dressed in a flimsy dress in front of millions of people. I hate my upper arms. The costume designer was lovely and seduced me with long gloves and little capped sleeves, but I never forgot they were there. I watched myself after the shows and cringed... I am 61 and some of those gorgeous dancers are in their early 20s."

I think Lynda looked great. I'm a lot younger than Lynda and have the most disgusting upper arms, but you can't let these things get you down. Just love what you're doing and don't worry what other people think. Life is so much easier that way. Of course, I'm not a celebrity. But I never heard any derogatory comments about Lynda, the way she looks or her upper arms during her time on the competition. She did good.

Joe: Strictly Is Fixed

Joe Calzaghe believes that Strictly Come Dancing is fixed.

That's what he told Daily Mail in an interview.

He says: "Don't you think it's odd we went out when we were in the bottom for four weeks and the public kept voting for us? We had the highest votes every week, the producers told us. Then all of a sudden we lost out in the judges' vote. Something was up."

He did admit that he upset producers before he was thrown out, but doesn't elaborate too much, saying: "I know it's down to something I said about Craig Kelly. It was worse than a swear word. They were really angry with me. So you can say it - Strictly Come Dancing is a fix. I don't care, we shouldn't have gone out so early."

Sounds like sour grapes to me. I can't believe after all the contraversy over the split vote last year that the BBC would risk any fixing. Joe is just put out that the public got bored with sympathy voting - they moved on to Jo for a week instead. It's not like Joe had a hope of winning. He needs to get over himself.

Karen's View On Saturday

Karen Hardy has given her thoughts on Saturday's very strange Strictly to What's On TV magazine.

Karen thinks that perhaps the wrong couple was sent home: "I think Phil was of a higher quality of dancer, but Ricky had the most amazing aura and he connects with the audience. I think viewers like what they see with Ricky and he brings an excitement to the dance floor. Maybe that's what swayed the judges as well at the end because technically Phil was the better dancer, but Ricky had that appeal. A technically great dancer is not always the champion."

There's lots more good stuff in the article, so do have a read if you get the chance.

Next! Kirstie Allsopp...

Kirstie Allsopp has revealed that she was forced to turn down Strictly Come Dancing due to contractual reasons.

She told The Mirror: “I was approached to be on the third series but there was no way that I could do it because of the exclusive deal that I have with Channel 4. It was such a shame because I’m a big fan of the show although I do think it has got so tough now. Denise Lewis is a friend of mine and she said it was hard going."

I think Kirstie would make a good Strictly contestant, as she seems to be fun and friendly. Maybe she'll get a chance one day.

Strictly Come Dancing: Brought To You By...

The promoters of the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour and the Pro tour, Stage Entertainment, are looking for a sponsor for the two tours.

According to Marketing, they are seeking a brand looking to align itself with family entertainment.

I hope they attract something yummy and not a mobile phone or something. When a Take That tour was sponsored by Kelloggs Corn Pops in the mid-1990s, I seem to recall I went home with a stack of Variety-sized boxes. Brilliant!

Sunday Service: Week 9

Strictly Come Dancing seemed to have been hit by a Friday 13th style curse last night. The whole thing just seemed totally bizarre.

It was odd having Tess as lead presenter, although Claudia did a brilliant job in the red room (or 'Tesspit' as it's affectionately known). But Ronnie Corbett just looked odd next to tall Tess, and I could have lived without the stupid 'Bruce on the phone' gags.

Anyway, onto the dancing.

Poor, poor Jade. I really hope everything is OK for her. Not only is her place in Strictly in the balance, but her fitness is her whole life, and she was looking forward to the 2012 Olympics. I wish her a speedy recovery, and hope everything works out. My thoughts are with her. I also hope that we get to see the dress rehearsal footage of her tango with Ian, because it really sounds as if it could have been the dance of the series. They were both so excited about it.

I thought there was little to fault about Phil & Katya's American smooth. It was truly smooth. Len criticised the choreography, but I thought it was pleasant enough. I thought it was a really solid performance. Phil looked relaxed and in control.

I enjoyed Ricky & Natalie's jive. I thought it had great choreography and great attitude. Len reminded Ricky not to be complacent, although I don't think they was anything complacent about their jive routine. I smiled throughout while watching it. The only thing Ricky needs to watch is his pigeon toes. Perhaps a ballet class would help.

Ricky & Erin's Viennese waltz was very nice. I thought the pivots looked a little laboured. But it was great to see Ricky keep his shoulders down at last! I thought it was understated, but perhaps a little too understated. But I think the Viennese waltz is quite hard to sell at times, because there are so few steps to it.

Chris showed a proper lead of Ola in the paso. It had bags of attitude and was very well presented. Although I think Bruno may have had a point when he said it was more like a child's tantrum than masculine. Chris is the most hit and miss participant in my opinion. Some week's he displays genius, other weeks he looks out of his depth.

Firstly, I have to mention Laila's bandage. Do bandages not come in a flesh colour? If not, then why wasn't it plastered with fake tan or foundation by make-up? It just looked wrong. Anyway, onto the rumba. It was a little tentative, naturally, but actually could have been Laila's best latin dance. Anton's choreography was actually pretty good, and Laila seemed to be doing OK. She looked awkward, but was that because of her ankle, or just her constant latin headache? It's a shame we'll never know.

Natalie & Vincent did a good job, although personally I think the foxtrot routine was a bit dull choreographically. It just didn't do anything for me. Natalie holds her head too far back, but that's really my only criticism of her now. This might actually be a turning point for Natalie.

The cha cha was easily Ali & Brian's best latin performance of the competition, but it was far from being a show-stopper. Ali still needs to watch her balance at times. Alesha summed it up well when she described it as 'polite'. I think the best word for Ali is vanilla. Rachel Stevens had a similar problem, but eventually managed to get past it and show some fire. Ali needs to start dancing from inside.

I do think that Limping Laila should have been in the bottom two, but the British public love a sympathy vote. Remember Matt & Flavia? It's the same thing.

Of the bottom two, it was very close, but I think I would have sent Ricky & Erin home. But I'm not unhappy to see them stay. It was a very close call, and not a decision I would like to have made.

Here are the videos...

Phil & Katya



Ricky & Natalie



Ricky & Erin



Chris & Ola



Laila & Anton



Natalie & Vincent



Ali & Brian

More Celebrities Added To Tour

Three more celebrities have been added to the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour next year.

Zoe Lucker, Natalie Cassidy and Ali Bastian join Austin Healey, Mark Ramprakash and Kelly Brook on the arena tour which begins in Manchester in January.

Visit the tour website for more info.

Camillacise

Camilla Dallerup has signed up with GMTV to lead the nation in some post-Christmas exercise. She will front a new exercise slot, following in the footsteps of Mad Lizzie and Mr Motivator.

She told The Sun: "I'm really looking forward to getting the country dancing. It's good for the body and mind, makes you laugh, lifts your spirits and afterwards you realise you've had a workout."

Tune in from 4th January.

Camilla Will Have Celebrities Dancing Around the Campfire

Camilla Dallerup heads into the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here jungle tonight, and she vows to get everyone bonding around the campfire.

She told China Daily: "I definitely think dancing may need to be brought to the campfire. I think that we will need some entertainment and exercise when we are out there, so as not get too bored. I just hope they are up for a dance. If the other teammates are up for it, I think it could be great to have a competition. We could have a goal together, sort of a bit of team-building. You do a lot of team-building anyway using dance, and it could be quite fun to see if it could help, especially if we have a bad day or something, a bit of dancing could bring us back and have a laugh."

It's annoying having Camilla on I'm A Celebrity.... It means I'll have to watch it. Still, Brendan's appearence on Love Island wasn't so bad. It ended up turning into a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.

Ricky's New Six-Pack

Ricky Groves has lost almost 2 stone while training for Strictly Come Dancing.

He told The Mirror: “For the first time in my life I’ve got abs and I’m getting a six-pack. I used to have a real beer belly in EastEnders but it’s vanished. I’ve a waistline for the first time. It’s amazing.”

The Strictly Come Dancing weight-loss plan has worked for almost all celebrities who have taken part, especially when they stay in for so long.

DVD To Get The Nation Dancing

Erin Boag is fronting a new DVD to encourage people to get dancing, backed by the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

Erin told BBC News: "None of the dance moves are too energetic, so the steps should be easy for patients to learn. These dances are beautiful and graceful with movements that should flow through the entire body."

The DVD is being distributed free through doctors' surgeries.

Bruce Misses Show

Bruce Forsyth will not be presenting tomorrow night's live show, as he has the flu.

BBC News reports that he is under doctor's orders to rest up.

A BBC spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, due to a bout of the flu and on doctor's orders, Bruce will be unable to host Strictly Come Dancing this Saturday. However, Tess Daly will be stepping into his presenting shoes."

There has been no announcement on who will cover Tess' backstage bits. The natural choice would be Natasha Kaplinsky as she has done it before, but I doubt very much that her Five contract would allow it.

Another option would be Claudia Winkleman, as she is used to live telly, and the participants are already at ease and familiar with her.

Or would they prefer to get a man in? Bill Tunrbull would be fab, and again is used to live TV.

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

Thursday Thoughts: Week 8

OK, a little later than I had hoped, here are my thoughts on Strictly's jaunt to Blackpool.

Ricky & Natalie turned in a good tango, although a few small slip-ups prevented it from being a repeat of their triumphant quickstep performance the week before. All couples have ups and downs during the series. This wasn't really a down though, more of a wee dip.

Natalie & Vincent covered the large Blackpool floor very well with their quickstep routine. There is still plenty of room for improvement, though. There was a little bit of gapping between them. Natalie still needs to bring her feet together (you could drive a bus between them at times) which would give her more elegance. She also needs to not grip on to Vincent. Natalie has improved, but time is running out unless she really ups her game in the next couple of weeks.

Jade put in one of the best 'tall girl' jives we've seen in a long time. Ian's choreography really suited Jade. She has come on leaps and bounds (no pun intended) in the last couple of weeks and is starting to look like a contender. Pointing her toes would have finished the routine off beautifully.

Ali & Brian did a very nice job. Their Viennese waltz was romantic and well presented. Personally, I thought the intro was a bit long before they took hold, but otherwise it was flawless.

Ricky & Erin's salsa did not move me. I especially disliked the slowed down ending. The whole thing was sloppy and lacked fluidity and finesse. This was well below par for Ricky, and he needs to step-up if he wants to stay in the race.

Laila & Anton got off to a good start with the paso, but Laila seemed to lose her way in the middle. I'm not really sure why Anton decided to include two lifts, although the judges didn't come down nearly as hard on him as they would have on Brendan. Laila got away with the paso, because it's the most 'ballroom' of the latin dances - there is a lot in hold and has a tango-like passion. But Laila needs to be an all-rounder if she's going to get much further.

Phil & Katya's rumba just lacked polish. There was a lack of connection between them. Phil's timing was out in places, and I have to agree with Craig's point that there appeared to be a lot of repetition. Perhaps Len is right. Perhaps a bit more time in the training room would up their game. Phil trains just enough time to survive and needs a little more commitment.

Chris & Ola turned out a charming foxtrot. It was easily their best performance so far.

Craig sticks his neck forward when he dances, which looks really unpleasant. He spent the whole routine with a wide-eyed expression like a child on Christmas day. It was not a pleasant performance, and one of Craig & Flavia's worst performances.

It was clear that Craig's time was up, and it was totally the right couple that went home.

I have new-found respect for Alesha Dixon now. The comments she made to Craig were bang on the money, and she didn't hold back. I suddenly like Alesha more than I ever have. It was good to see a bit of fire from her. In fact, her comments overall are beginning to add insight and she's picking up things that the other judges miss. I still miss Arlene, but I don't feel like I'm tolerating Alesha any more. I actually want to hear her thoughts.

Craig was probably the last of the weaker dancers to hit the road. The competition is really staring to look interesting. There are lots of couples that have ups and downs. I really think Jade is the biggest threat to the top at the moment. Natalie and Chris will need to go to the next level if they want to get any further. Phil could improve with more commitment, and Ricky G needs to watch those shoulders. Laila and Ali need to find their inner latin goddesses. Ricky W is looking like the front runner at the moment, as he is the best all-rounder in the competition, but there is usually someone who comes from behind and turns it around.

Videos to follow...

Tuesday Chatter: Week 7

OK, I'm back from Vegas and I have just watched Week 7 of Strictly Come Dancing. Here are my thoughts...

Natalie & Vincent gave one of their best performances to date. Their jive performance had lots of energy, even if it was a little stompy in places. Natalie needs to keep her head up, as at times it looked as if she was looking at her feet. She also needs to point her toes on flicks and kicks, and make sure she doesn't walk with her feet too far apart. But this might finally be a turning point for Natalie.

Ali & Brian danced nicely, but their paso lacked fire and passion for me. It was just pitched slightly wrong. It was a 'pretty' paso. Ali was too smiley and the whole thing, while nicely performed, lacked real impact.

Craig & Flavia's waltz was very simple, and was bordering on boring. Craig looked comfortable and in control, but the whole thing lacked pizazz. Craig got away with having an 'easy' dance this week.

Ola's clever choreography completely covered Chris' lack of ability to count cha cha. There was precious little cha cha rhythm in the routine, and it was apparent on the bits that were there that Chris was struggling with it. Don't get me wrong, Chris performed very well and does give it his all, but the judges seemed to not pick up on Chris' lack of rhythm. In fact, I think it was Alesha that said he had a good sense of rhythm. Hmmm...

I really think that Jade is now finding her stride in the competition. Her foxtrot with Ian was smooth and elegant. Jade is a total ballroom babe, and she and Ian are an excellent pairing.

Zoe needs more hip action on locks and voltres, but has lots on other steps. It was a sound samba performance, and interesting choreography from James. I agreed with Bruno's comment that Zoe needs to finish moves properly. Sometimes she's fine, and sometimes it's not sharp enough.

I really loved the mood of Ricky & Erin's rumba. Ricky STILL needs to watch his shoulders and he was pigeon-toes in places. But I really think the judges were unnecessarily harsh on Ricky. I think he put in a good performance. Alesha commented that he acted his way through it. So what? Acting is a massive part of dancing, and especially in rumba.

Laila was back in her comfort zone, and back in Anton's hold. Their Viennese waltz was everything you would expect. Clean, accomplished and well presented.

I thought Phil & Katya did a really good job. Phil could have sharper head movements in places, as that would have made the tango sharper. I think Len made a good point that a few extra hours training to polish the routines would make a big difference.

Ricky & Natalie's quickstep was brilliant, and was worthy of the score it got from the judges. Slick Ricky is definitely the one to beat, and performances like that put him streets ahead of the pack.

Personally, I think Craig and Chris should have been in the dance off, with Craig going home. But the birthday/Blackpool sob story/begging worked, and Craig went through. And once again, poor James Jordan is unjustly eliminated from the competition. Neither Zoe nor Ali should have been in the dance-off. But that's the game. And I think the judges saved the right couple.

I'm off to watch Week 8 now. Blackpool, baby!

Videos to follow...