Strictly Come Dancing 2014 reached the quarter-final tonight and it was tough to tell who is going to make it through to next week’s semi-final.
Last weekend Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker and her partner Brendan Cole left the competition after losing the dance-off to Mark Wright and his partner Karen Hauer. Tonight Mark had everything to prove to secure his place in next week’s show.
With only two more weeks left after tonight, the competition was more intense than ever and the judges weren’t letting any of the couples get away with anything.
Keep reading to find out how everyone got on…
Simon Webbe & Kristina Rihanoff
Simon Webbe has really found his feet the past few weeks and following his two times in the bottom two, he’s really worked to climb up the leaderboard. Last week’s Waltz with his partner Kristina Rihanoff was beautiful and scored him really well. Tonight Simon and Kristina danced the American Smooth.
The dance: That was a lively start to the show. Quite uptempo for an American Smooth and not quite as jazzy as we’d normally expect. Simon acquitted himself well and we thought it was a solid routine.
The comments: Len said ‘the boy from Blue and the Lady in red’ and he told them it had a great mix of steps. Bruno said that Simon could ‘open in Vegas’ with that number and told him it was very risky. Craig said that Kristina was protecting Simon a lot in the routine and told him he lost his frame a bit. Darcey said there was ‘phenomenal footwork’ all the way through and told Simon it was’ one glamorous American Smooth’.
The score: 35 out of 40
Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev
TV presenter Caroline Flack blew the judges away last week with her Turkish themed Charleston. After a mishap a couple of weeks ago, Caroline came back fighting with her partner Pasha Kovalev last week. During her VT Caroline admitted the performance was her favourite moment of the series so far. Tonight Caroline and Pasha danced the Argentine Tango.
The dance: Another stunning performance from Caroline. We seriously think she’s a contender to win the whole competition. She’s come a long way since week 1 and she’s one of the most consistent celebs still in the show.
The comments: Bruno said that Caroline is ‘capable of magic’ and told her she pitched it absolutely perfect. Craig told Caroline that she lost balance twice but told her it was one of the most thrilling Argentine Tango’s he’s ever seen. Darcey said she loved it and told her she performed to a very high level. Len said there was ‘clever footwork’ and told Caroline that it was a great performance.
The score: 39 out of 40
Pixie Lott & Trent Whiddon
Pixie Lott really impressed with her Viennese Waltz last week which her partner Trent Whiddon injected plenty of humour into. Pixie has been leading the competition for most of the series and we’d be very surprised if she went home this weekend. During the week Pixie visited her old primary school and danced for the student. Tonight Pixie and Trent danced the Cha Cha Cha.
The dance: It was a technically strong dance but we thought it lacked a bit of energy on Pixie’s part. Trent was giving it his all but we felt that Pixie didn’t have the energy to match him.
The comments: Craig said it was ‘spectacular’ and told her that she ‘danced all of the accents’ in the routine. Darcey said it ‘came alive and it was fun’ but told Pixie there was an inconsistency in the leg action. Len said he’d been lenient this season in regards to lifts and told Pixie she’d done three tonight when she shouldn’t have done any. Bruno said that Pixie captured the 60s feeling of the routine and told her she was a bit of a rebel.
The score: 35 out of 40
Mark Wright & Karen Hauer
Mark Wright almost danced his last dance last weekend when he ended up in the dance-off. Thankfully he was saved over Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker so he had everything to prove tonight. With his partner Karen Hauer, Mark danced the Foxtrot tonight. Did he do enough to get through to the semi-final?
The dance: Mark keeps on surprising us. We really hope he doesn’t go out tomorrow night. He was perfectly in sync with Karen and we enjoyed the performance. People need to vote for Mark!
The comments: Darcey said she liked the dance ‘very much’ and told Mark that the shaping of his frame was good. Len said that Mark had come back fighting this week and told him if he was the underdog he had plenty of bite. Bruno said that Mark has never been smoother and told him his timing was superb. Craig said that Mark was really beginning to look like a dancer but told him he was a little square in hold.
The score: 35 out of 40
Jake Wood & Janette Manrara
EastEnders actor Jake Wood made a mess of his Argentine Tango last week. He crashed into his supporting dancers and generally lost his way throughout the routine. He really did have a lucky escape during last week’s results show. Tonight Jake and Janette danced the Charleston.
The dance: We didn’t love that Charleston Jake. We think he could be in trouble tonight. His performance was solid enough but compared to the other dancers tonight he wasn’t all that remarkable.
The comments: Len said it was a ‘circus of delight’ for Jake tonight and told him he would go through to the semi-final. Bruno said it was ‘totally involving’ and told him that it was the ‘turn of the night’. Craig said that Jake was a character dancer and told him he doesn’t know where it comes from. Darcey said Jake came across natural and told her he was in sync with Janette.
The score: 38 out of 40
Frankie Bridge & Kevin Clifton
Last week Frankie Bridge pulled off her Jive with partner Kevin Clifton. During rehearsals Kevin wasn’t feeling very well and had to take some time out to get better. Frankie enjoyed a night out with her bandmates to an award ceremony before getting back to training. Tonight Frankie and Kevin danced the Salsa.
The dance: What an end to the show. You wouldn’t know that Kevin wasn’t feeling well would you? That was an energetic Salsa packed with wow moments. Frankie and Kevin are a sure thing for the semi-final.
The comments: Bruno said that Frankie has the ‘tools of the trade’ and told her that the Salsa had more ingredients than a MasterChef recipe. Craig said it was a little bit ‘haphazard’ but told Frankie that she’s an incredible dancer. Darcey said ‘hot, spicy and packed full of moves’ and told Frankie she worked it really hard. Len said it was rough around the edges and not as clean as he would have liked.
The score: 34 out of 40
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev – 39
Jake Wood & Janette Manrara – 38
Mark Wright & Karen Hauer – 35
Pixie Lott & Trent Whiddon – 35
Simon Webbe & Kristina Rihanoff – 35
Frankie Bridge & Kevin Clifton – 34
The Waltzathon
All of the couples danced on the ballroom floor at the same time as the judges looked on. After they had stopped dancing the judges delivered their verdict with Bruno saying they were all wonderful.
The leaderboard after the Waltzathon was:
Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev – 42
Pixie Lott & Trent Whiddon – 41
Jake Wood & Janette Manrara – 39
Simon Webbe & Kristina Rihanoff – 39
Frankie Bridge & Kevin Clifton – 39
Mark Wright & Karen Hauer – 37
Tune in tomorrow night at 7.20pm to find out which couple will be leaving the competition. See all of the action from today’s dress rehearsal in our gallery below:
