Strictly Come Dancing latest: Tasha Ghouri and JB Gill land perfect scores as Pete Wicks divides the judges
It was a high-scoring semi-final — though one dance divided the judging panel
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Your support makes all the difference.The Strictly Come Dancing final is now just one week away and tonight (December 7), the remaining five contestants battled it out in the show’s semi-final.
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec opened the show and scored an impressive 35 for their first routine, but it was their second that really impressed the judges, as the former Love Island star landed a score of 40.
JB Gill and Lauren Oakley were also among the couples performing tonight and for their second routine of the evening, they landed a perfect score from the judging panel — putting them top of the leaderboard.
Also performing tonight were Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell, and their emotionally-charged Waltz left both stars in tears.
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, and Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal completed the semi-finalists. Ahead of the live show, Wicks reached out to fans on social media for their support after mounting backlash about him still being in the competition.
In a post on his Instagram, Wicks and Przystal were seen looking forlorn alongside the caption: “Today is semi-finals day. It’s been 12 weeks of hard work, ups and downs...can we do the unthinkable? We would love your support tonight.”
On the night, Wicks delivered two solid performances. His second was a passionate Argentine Tango that left the judges disagreeing with each other.
Another celebrity will leave the competition on Sunday (8 December) night’s results show, which airs on BBC One at 7.20pm.
Tasha and Aljaz are dancing first
Each VT has an extra special section this week, with each couple sitting down with the judges to receive comments and help for the semi-final.
Ahead of her salsa, Tasha has been advised to “loosen up a bit” during Latin performance.
Tasha opens the show in style with many (many) lifts
A Salsa to “Something New” by Girls Aloud? I’m in.
Tasha looks stunning and their routine has kicked off with a beautiful jump into Aljaz’s arms. I do think Tasha has taken the judges comment on board! She looks like she’s having a blast and there is absolutely no room for error in this fast-paced routine.
Those lifts! I was nervous watching them and Tasha pulled them off well, though as Shirley has just pointed out, some of the transitions weren’t too smooth.
Tasha’s scores are in...
She’s off to a flying start, with an 8, a 9, another 9 and yet another 9, for a total of 35.
JB delivers a dramatic Paso Doble
JB’s Mary Poppins-themed waltz last Saturday really showed off his skills and his place at the top of the leaderboard was very well-deserved... but can he hold onto it this week?
His and Lauren’s first dance is a Paso Doble, and they certainly look the part. JB is definitely bringing that Paso energy too. What a way for his semi-final to begin!
Judge tells JB: ‘You brought everything’
Here’s what the judges had to say about JB’s Paso Doble.
Motsi: “That dance was absolutely amazing. I loved the momentum, I loved the strength. You have gained leading and partnership skills and you delivered.”
“You brought everything to that,” Shirley said. “You went up a gear.”
“I got a little emotional at the end there...” admitted Anton.
And Craig? He struggled to find faults, but this is Craig we’re talking about, so he did manage to. “You need to point your foot... some of the steps I thought were overstepped as well, but I’ve got to say, full of content, powerful, dramatic, the cape exchanges [were] absolutely brilliant, darling.”
JB’s scores are in...
It’s his birthday today and he now has something else to celebrate too.
JB has received a 9 from Craig and 10s from the other judges, for a total of 39.
Chris dances the Charleston
Chris really suits an old school, big band number so I’ve been looking for ward to his Charleston to “When You’re Smiling”, which also feels like the perfect track for a man who has brought so many laughs to the series.
And this is a dance that really suits him! He certainly has some swivel and these lifts are brilliant. My only complaint is it did feel a teeny bit slow-paced compared to some of the more wild Charlestons we’ve seen, but it wasn’t bad at all.
Chris McCausland vs Craig Revel Horwood
The pair have engaged in some more friendly banter, which has brought laughs throughout the whole series.
“It was slightly underenergised, you have to be outrageous in this dance,” Craig told the comedian, sparking a swift jibe in response.
“This is your chance to change people’s opinions of you because it’s quite low,” Chris quipped.
Laughing, Craig hit back: “It has been for 20 years, darling.”
Chris’s scores are in...
He’s landed a 7, an 8, a 9 and another 9, for a total of 33.
Sarah brings the intensity
I have to say, the songs choices tonigtht are fantastic. Sarah is doing a Tango to “Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac and serving a huge dose of drama.
Vito’s choreography has been phenomenal this series and he really hasn’t given Sarah an easy ride. That’s no different with this routine, which is fastpaced and ambitious. I love it.
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