Strictly Come Dancing week 7: Stacey Dooley dances injured – plus four other talking points
Stacey dazzled even with a rib injury – should we just send the glitterball to the engravers now?
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Your support makes all the difference.For the first time in weeks, we were actually talking about the dancing on Strictly tonight – not the Halloween make-up, tabloid headlines or guest judges. There were some stunning, traditional ballroom dances that really showcased what our celebrities are capable of, as well as a couple of dance floor dis-ah-sters. Here are the standout moments:
Ashley tops the leaderboard yet again
Getting a bit boring now, isn’t it? Ashley tried to create some tension by suggesting she wasn’t getting on well with the foxtrot, but surprise surprise she was absolutely flawless! Pasha choreographed a sensational classic big band routine to a Natalie Cole track, and it was everything Strictly should be – elegant, entertaining and effortless. Craig still resisted reaching for a ten, but that’s 39/40 two weeks in a row. Pasha was already the most successful pro in the show’s history, and these scores will definitely cement that status. Special mention to Faye and Giovanni’s incredible tango which would have got the same mark had Shirley not got pernickety about footwork.
Stacey dazzles through injury
Despite insisting she didn’t want to talk about it, it was impossible to ignore Stacey’s bruised rib injury; mainly because she tweeted about it. Tonight, the judges’ favourite couple (there’s no denying it) swapped their Doctor Who tango for a Fred and Ginger-inspired street dance, which aimed to prove that commercial performance doesn’t require a baseball cap. After rave reviews they scored 36/40 and finished third on the leaderboard. Should we just send the glitterball to the engravers now?
The Argentine tango is back
Forget your street dance nonsense, the Argentine tango remains the most hotly-anticipated style every year, which is exactly why they hold it back until the halfway point. Aljaz and an injured Kate (another rib problem – what are they doing in training?!) were the first to showcase it. The routine was choreographed by Argentine Tango King Vincent Simone, and Aljaz fell in love with the dance, but Kate couldn’t really do it justice. And it wasn’t just because of the injury. Shame. There will be better examples of the style to come, wait and see.
The Paso Joe-ble brings the house down
Lovely Joe is just the kind of boy you’d want your daughter to bring home, but he managed to dig deep and find some raw aggression to close the show with a powerful paso tonight. Brrrrruno was extremely excited by the whole thing and described Joe as a ‘young bull dressed by Gucci’. Joe looked scared. But delighted with his hug from Shirley at the end.
Will Danny be in the dance-off?
The unthinkable now looks possible. Danny gave us his trademark level of performance, but he set out on the wrong foot and the timing was a complete mess. He’s at the bottom of the judges leaderboard and will need voted if he’s to avoid dancing again. As for the other spot, it’s a tough one this week. Usually one dance-off means there are more to come, but by ending up mid-leaderboard it’s possible that both Graeme and Charles could have dodged the bullet. Which leaves Kate and Dr Ranj in deep trouble…
Follow the episode as it happened with what was our live blog below (please allow a moment for it to load):
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday nights on BBC1.
I absolutely LOVE an Argentine Tango. The costumes are distracting, but glad they got proper tango music. Loving the ganchos, lifts and intricate footwork. Kate has really tried to channel the passion and intensity in this dance, and it's successful in some ways but make no mistake: there are much better Argentine tangos to come this series.
Craig says it was too heavy and there weren't enough surprises. He's right: it's a crowd-pleasing style, everyone wants to love it but it fell short of the mark, sadly. Darcey loved the storytelling but found the lifts too laboured.
Shirley says it was lacking chemistry but better than last week. This is really deflating for Kate, she was expecting this routine to go down so much better. Brrrrruno is demonstrating with Shirley. Shirley's now Googling the number for Claims Direct.
Kate and Aljaz: Argentine tango scores
Craig: 4
Darcey: 6
Shirley: 6
Bruno: 7
Total: 23
'I thought it was tremendous,' insists Aljaz. '4 is my favourite number and Craig knows it.'
Halloween was a rough week for Dr Ranj – he got a roasting from the judges, found himself in a precarious spot on the leaderboard, and endured the whole experience while dressed up as a fluffy monster. No bother, this week he's dancing a samba to George Michael. Party time!
He says they're coming back with a bang. Pass me some maracas.
Wow, well this is certainly fun! This is exactly the kind of dance you would usually do after a few too many gins. We've definitely seen Ranj dance better than this, but it's fab to see him expressing himself and just having a great time on the floor. The enthusiasm is infectious but it's hardly a knockout samba...
Shirley and Darcey agree this is a great improvement from last week for Dr Ranj. Craig says the volta step made Dr Ranj look like he'd inured his ankle, but he enjoyed the performance! Brrrruno was 'dazzled by the dentistry'...
Dr Ranj and Janette: Samba scores
Craig: 6
Darcey: 7
Shirley: 7
Bruno: 7
Total: 27
'I just wanted to do my best for everyone who has supported me. I feel much better now,' says Dr Ranj.
Stacey made it! She’s been to hospital with a bruised rib and injured intercostal muscle (sounds posher than a sprained ankle, doesn’t it?), and although it’s great to see her in the ballroom, training will have been disrupted. So we’re not expecting their street and commercial routine to be quite as polished as last week’s Doctor Who tango. In case you're wondering how to describe Stacey's outfit, Vicky Gill calls it 'Vintage Ginger Rogers daywear'.
This routine feels like it should be danced to a totally different song. Kevin was keen to make a point that street dance isn't just about 90s hip hop singers in sweatshirts and baseball caps, and I see what they're trying to do, but this doesn't quite work for me. Saying that, I suspect the judges will love it.
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