Every week, the judges have commented on Stephenson’s speed and energy, so how would he cope with a slow waltz? Pretty well, in fact. This was by far his most controlled dance and, for once, there were no crazy costumes or distractions. Perhaps that helped him focus on the fundamentals. But did it really warrant such judging hysteria?
Ballas said Stephenson had astounded her, while Erivo loved the connection and grace, and Du Beke swooned over his improved ballroom hold. Only Revel Horwood resisted, sighing “It wasn’t that good, darling.” He thought it was beautiful but technically flawed: lacking drive and swing, square and blocky. That meant a 7, compared with Ballas’s 10. It was all too much for Stephenson, who began crying when he finished his dance, wept louder at the 10, and then even more while watching a video message from his grandparents. “Make it stop, Claudia!” he howled. Well, quite. Shouldn’t we save the waterworks for the final?
Tilly Ramsay is stalled by the samba
She scored a perfect 40 last week, but the notoriously tricky Latin dance saw Ramsay slide back down the leaderboard. She put in a good effort, working her rainbow fringe while bopping to Dua Lipa’s Levitating, but it lacked technical finesse in places and also needed more of a sense of abandon. Still, we got more weeping: dad Gordon was in the audience and was overcome by her performance. Or perhaps it was the sight of her partner Nikita Kuzmin’s unbuttoned shirt.
Ballas said she executed some good figures, but lost timing, while Du Beke noted her feet were sometimes turned in. (Incidentally, so were Stephenson’s.) Revel Horwood found it awkward and disconnected, but Erivo encouraged Ramsay to have confidence and stop thinking about it. She may well get another go: two 7s and two 8s leaves her bottom of the standings.
John Whaite has a tango breakthrough
The judges have all urged Whaite to find a stronger performance – and this was it. Dancing the Argentine tango to David Garrett’s thrilling version of Beethoven’s Fifth, there was a furious intensity between the black-clad Whaite and partner Johannes Radebe as well as some gorgeous ganchos (hooking between the legs) and powerful lifts. Backed by actual flames, it was a sizzling routine. And the cherry on the cake was a message of support from former Bake Off judge Mary Berry, who told Whaite how proud she was of him.
Du Beke thought the tango was as good as their piratical paso doble, Erivo said she was crazy for it, and Ballas stole Revel Horwood’s line: “Fab-u-lous!”. Revel Horwood noted how fantastic it was to see the tango in its original form. Back in 19th-century South America, there was an influx of young men from Europe seeking work and they far outnumbered the women, so they would often learn and then practise tango with each other – partly to perfect their moves for social dances, but also in a spirit of competition. Whaite and Radebe evoked that brilliantly.
It’s a very starry Strictly Christmas
The ballroom festive special is always a jolly affair though not necessarily an A-list one. But the 2021 Christmas line-up almost outshines the main show. We’ve got comedian and TV presenter Mel Giedroyc, paired with Neil Jones; The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades, with Luba Mushtuk; First Dates’ Fred Sirieix, with Dianne Buswell; singer Anne-Marie, with Graziano Di Prima; broadcaster Moira Stuart, with Aljaž Skorjanec; and presenter Adrian Chiles, with Jowita Przystal.
It would surely be a waste to have a cast of that calibre just on the one-off Christmas show and not gracing the main series – so might it be a trial run for some, like Giedroyc? We can but hope. Just a glimpse of her and Jones on Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two demonstrated the excellent comic potential of their pairing. Anne-Marie, meanwhile, could surely be a future contender. Well, for now, we can look forward to critiquing all of their moves while lying on the sofa stuffed with turkey, in the traditional fashion.
