Strictly Come Dancing latest: Chris McCausland sparks tears as Jamie and Montell top leaderboard
All the updates from week five of the BBC dancing competition
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Strictly Come Dancing was back on BBC One for week five of the competition after a rollercoaster few days on and off the screen for the show.
Liverpudlian Chris McCausland delivered the most emotional moment of the night with a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” that left head judge Shirley Ballas in tears. He landed a score of 35, putting him third on the leaderboard.
While last Saturday saw former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri awarded the first 10s of the series so far and top the leaderboard yet again, this week she fell to fourth as two other celebrities shared first place. The honour went to Jamie Borthwick, who performed a Pasodoble with Michelle Tsiakkas, and Montell Douglas, who together with Johannes Rabede closed the show with a Couple’s Choice. Both pairs scored 39, with all judges apart from Craig Revel Horwood giving them 10s.
Last week’s episode was not without controversy — but it went unaddressed in tonight’s show. Towards the end of last Saturday’s programme, the celebrities and their professional partners gathered in the “Clauditorium” – the upstairs area where host Claudia Winkleman chats to the contestants in between performances – before the voting lines opened, just as they do every week.
Dancer Katya Jones was captured on camera as she appeared to move opera singer Wynne Evans’s hand off her midriff and onto her hip. Earlier in the show, she seemed to reject a high five from her partner. Seeing these two incidents in quick succession moved viewers to start speculating about whether Jones was feeling uneasy.
The pair quickly moved to shut down the rumour mill, sharing an Instagram video in which they said they were “just messing around”. In his post, Evans wrote the high fives were a “running joke” between them. Jones, a Strictly veteran of eight years, later doubled down with another video on Sunday, describing the row as “quite absurd” and asking fans to focus their attention on Evans’s “amazing” progress in the competition.
Fans had speculated about whether the pair would mention the controversy during the live show, but they decided against it.
Chris’s routine feels familiar...
This promises to be an emotional one. But Simon Rimmer, also a devout Liverpudlian fan, took on a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” back in 2017 and left head judge Shirley Ballas in tears. Here’s his routine:
Chris leaves the crowd in tears
Am I crying? Yes, I am. So is Shirley on the panel and Oti Mabuse in the audience.
Chris is a phenomenal guy and he’s been bringing so much fun and laughter to this series, but it was so beautiful to see his softer side.
Chris takes a hilarious swipe at Craig
The comedian had the pefect comeback ready as Craig gave his critique.
“The beard doesn’t suit you and even I know that,” he quipped. I actually like the beard for what it’s worth, but his joke gets a 10 from me.
Chris’s scores are in...
He’s landed a very well-deserved 35 — his highest score yet. This thans to 9s from everyone but Craig, who reached for his 8 paddle.
Can Tasha beat last week’s score of 39?
Tasha and Aljaz had plenty to celebrate last week after topping the leaderboard (again) and scoring the first 10s of the series.
The only downside is that this pair have set the bar incredibly high for themselves so early in the competition. But what better way to follow the 10s than with the drama of a Tango?
Judges disagree over Tasha’s Tango
This time it’s Craig and Shirley who have differing opinions.
“It lacked a little bit of aggression for me,” said Craig, though he then labelled the routine “magnificent”.
“I think it had the agression you need for a Tango,” countered Shirley. “You’re on a very, very good track. Consistency in all of it is key and I believe you can find that.”
As Motsi pointed out, the judges are being seriously picky with Tasha as she’s at such a high level so the comments may not impact her score too much.
Tasha’s scores are in...
Two 8s and two 9s give them 34.
This means for the first time since week one, she and Aljaz won’t be topping the leaderboard. That honour is currently going to Jamie and Michelle, on 39.
Paul gives the Samba a go
Paul showed some promise last week with his transformation into Fred Astaire for a Quickstep. Now he’s doing... a samba. It’s unfortunate.
Let’s be honest, he’s probably not got left long in the competition but the former footballer is without a doubt one of my favourite contestants this year.
He always gives the live shows his all and is such a joy to watch (even if the steps aren’t quite right).
Paul’s scores are in...
Oh dear. It’s a 3 from Craig then — going down the panel — two 5s and a 6. That’s a total of 19, putting him bottom of the leaderboard so far.
It’s not a great night for Sam
The judges haven’t loved her Quickstep and she looks quite emotional hearing their comments.
“It wasn’t quite magnifnicent,” said Anton. “You went wrong a couple of times, but I have to say, in general, you’re dancing much better.”
“I felt overall you’re in a divorce and fighting one another, you’re at different paces and levels,” said Craig, though he did then admit he “enjoyed” it.
Motsi speculated that Sam had “timing issues and nerves”. “It’s just not your night,” Shirley said, as she urged Sam not to feel too sad about the judges’ critiques.
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