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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Your support makes all the difference.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 āYouāll Never Walk Aloneā 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 Coupleās Choice. Both pairs scored 39, with all judges apart from Craig Revel Horwood giving them 10s.
Last weekās episode was not without controversy ā but it went unaddressed in tonightās show. Towards the end of last Saturdayās programme, the celebrities and their professional partners gathered in the āClauditoriumā ā the upstairs area where host Claudia Winkleman chats to the contestants in between performances ā 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 Evansās 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 ājust messing aroundā. In his post, Evans wrote the high fives were a ārunning jokeā between them. Jones, a Strictly veteran of eight years, later doubled down with another video on Sunday, describing the row as āquite absurdā and asking fans to focus their attention on Evansās āamazingā progress in the competition.
Fans had speculated about whether the pair would mention the controversy during the live show, but they decided against it.
Chrisās routine feels familiar...
This promises to be an emotional one. But Simon Rimmer, also a devout Liverpudlian fan, took on a Waltz to āYouāll Never Walk Aloneā back in 2017 and left head judge Shirley Ballas in tears. Hereās 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 heās 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.
āThe beard doesnāt suit you and even I know that,ā he quipped. I actually like the beard for what itās worth, but his joke gets a 10 from me.
Chrisās scores are in...
Heās landed a very well-deserved 35 ā his highest score yet. This thans to 9s from everyone but Craig, who reached for his 8 paddle.
Can Tasha beat last weekās 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 Tashaās Tango
This time itās Craig and Shirley who have differing opinions.
āIt lacked a little bit of aggression for me,ā said Craig, though he then labelled the routine āmagnificentā.
āI think it had the agression you need for a Tango,ā countered Shirley. āYouāre on a very, very good track. Consistency in all of it is key and I believe you can find that.ā
As Motsi pointed out, the judges are being seriously picky with Tasha as sheās at such a high level so the comments may not impact her score too much.
Tashaās scores are in...
Two 8s and two 9s give them 34.
This means for the first time since week one, she and Aljaz wonāt 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 heās doing... a samba. Itās unfortunate.
Letās be honest, heās 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 arenāt quite right).
Paulās scores are in...
Oh dear. Itās a 3 from Craig then ā going down the panel ā two 5s and a 6. Thatās a total of 19, putting him bottom of the leaderboard so far.
Itās not a great night for Sam
The judges havenāt loved her Quickstep and she looks quite emotional hearing their comments.
āIt wasnāt quite magnifnicent,ā said Anton. āYou went wrong a couple of times, but I have to say, in general, youāre dancing much better.ā
āI felt overall youāre in a divorce and fighting one another, youāre at different paces and levels,ā said Craig, though he did then admit he āenjoyedā it.
Motsi speculated that Sam had ātiming issues and nervesā. āItās just not your night,ā Shirley said, as she urged Sam not to feel too sad about the judgesā critiques.
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