High fashion, lower scores

“Very literal” said Rose Ayling-Ellis of her headwear for this week’s cha cha cha set to Prince’s Raspberry Beret. Well, yes, welcome to Strictly. Although it was her incredible purple (rain) fringed trousers that stole the show, and they got quite a workout thanks to some cheeky hip action. It was a trying week for Ayling-Ellis after her hearing aid broke, and this wasn’t a perfect number – a few nerves, a few mistakes, slightly timid – but a definite improvement in her Latin, although a drop in scores from her Movie Week foxtrot.

Meanwhile, Tom Fletcher had his first foray into ballroom, and the glamorous Fred and Ginger styling, along with Fly Me to the Moon, helped create an old-school ambience. But technically there’s lots to work on still; like Ayling-Ellis, his scores were more conservative. We often see this tougher judging scrutiny after a theme week.

Don’t mess with Tilly Ramsay

Her performances have all been very sweet so far, but Tilly Ramsay found a much spicier flavour for this intense paso doble. “She’s listened to her father, she’s grumpy!” crowed judge Anton Du Beke, who was “swept away” by her performance. Shirley Ballas loved her flamenco action and focus, and Motsi Mabuse praised her attack.

But Craig Revel Horwood wasn’t convinced: he thought the dance lacked tone and drama. That contentious split was reflected in the scores, with Ballas and Du Beke awarding 9s, but Revel Horwood just a 6. Never mind Hell’s Kitchen – if you can’t take the heat, get off the Strictly judging panel.  

From Bond to bombed

Oh dear. Last week Greg Wise played the suave super spy; this week, he sported horrendous pastel ruffled sleeves and shook his bottom to the Macarena. The judges weren’t having it. Mabuse said his face was having a samba party, but not his body. Ballas called it awkward-looking and uncoordinated. And Revel Horwood said he looked like he’d just come out of a double hip replacement operation. OUCH. Du Beke was kinder – perhaps because, as many Strictly watchers, observed, it wasn’t long ago that he was the one wearing the ruffled sleeves…