We’re now in week five of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 (yes, really) and things are definitely starting to get serious for the celebrities and their professional partners.
Last week Matt Goss became the third of this year’s contestants to leave the ballroom, after the singer-songwriter and his professional partner Nadiya Bychkova lost the dance-off to Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima.
After this highest scoring week four in Strictly history, this week our 12 remaining couples paid tribute to the BBC (which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Tuesday), performing their routines to a selection of songs made famous by the broadcaster.
Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were on hand to guide us every step of the way, whilst judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas gave their expert opinions on the couples’ routines. The show also featured a dazzling opening routine from Strictly’s professional dancers, judges and presenters performing to Morecambe and Wise’s classic ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ on the set of shows including BBC Breakfast, University Challenge and Match of the Day (and with a host of stars making guest appearances!).
So who was a smash hit and whose ratings flopped? Find out more below…
Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez
This week Helen and Gorka opened the show with a Charleston to the Blue Peter Theme Tune. In their VT, Helen spoke about how the song brings back memories from her time as a Blue Peter presenter. She and Gorka also returned to the show’s set to meet current presenters Richie and Mwaka and make an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the most Charleston swivels in 60 seconds, as well as showing Gorka some footage of her time presenting the show.
The dance: Helen was in sync with Gorka throughout and delivered a really lively performance. She had a nice energy about her with a great playful quality, coped well with the tricks (including getting Gorka on her shoulders at one point) and her solo section, and had a grin on her face bright enough to light up Blackpool. For me this was her strongest dance so far and a great way to open the show.
The comments: Shirley gave Helen a standing ovation and called her routine ‘phenomenal’, quick and slick. Anton said ‘much better!’ – it was clean and beautifully timed, and Helen’s best dance ever. Craig enjoyed the amount of content and challenging moves, calling it a confident and energising performance. Motsi thought it was exceptional, high level and high quality.
The scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 – 35 out of 40
Tyler West and Dianne Buswell
After delivering the first Couple’s Choice routine of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 last week, tonight Tyler and Dianne performed a Tango to the Doctor Who Theme Tune. In training Tyler spoke about wanting to work on his footwork and frame and show improvement from their first Ballroom dance back in week one. They also watched the Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’ to help get into character for the dance.
The dance: I loved Tyler’s confident opening to this routine and thought he brought plenty of drama and strength. He had good posture through and was down into his knees, with no gapping in hold, and had great drive across the floor as well. A commanding performance that shows how much progress he’s made in his Ballroom and exactly why he’s the highest scoring male celebrity of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 so far.
The comments: Anton thought it was marvellous, but felt Tyler was pushing a lot and wanted him to pause more to add to the drama. Craig said Tyler’s bottom was sticking out too far and needed to tuck in more, but it was staccato and his lead was believable. Motsi felt the intent and determination and praised Tyler’s transitions, but also wanted more stillness. Shirley was ‘thrilled to bits’ by Tyler’s posture and timing, but agreed it needed some softer moments.
The scores: 8, 8, 8, 8 – 32 out of 40
Fleur East and Vito Coppola
Fleur and Vito came second on the leaderboard last week, and tonight they hoped to go one better with a Jive to ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’ in celebration of Eurovision. In their VT Fleur spoke about working on her high knees, but also struggled with the stamina required for the dance. She and Vito also watched some classic Eurovision clips to help get in the mood for their routine.
The dance: With an introduction from Graham Norton, Fleur and Vito delivered a high-energy Jive with plenty of bounce and sass. Fleur had some nice pointed toes in her kicks and good clean lines in her arms, and I thought she coped with the speed of the dance really well and kept character throughout. There was a slight wobble on one of the tricks and she could have had more drive into the floor, but overall it was a strong performance once again.
The comments: Craig thought it was slightly heavy-footed and Fleur had a ‘boisterous’ top half, but loved the energy and overall routine. Motsi disagreed – Fleur’s chassis steps could have been tighter but she had great rhythm and performance. Shirley felt Fleur was powerful but controlled and had some great solo bits. Anton loved Fleur’s focus and her improvement was ‘tremendous’.
The scores: 7, 8, 9, 8 – 32 out of 40
James Bye and Amy Dowden
After bounding up the leaderboard last week, tonight James and Amy took on the Foxtrot, dancing to the Eastenders Theme Tune. In their VT, James took Amy along to the Queen Vic to watch some classic Eastenders episodes, whilst James also spoke about his journey to appearing on the show and how grateful he was for the opportunity.
The dance: I really loved the emotion James brought to this dance. He showed off his acting chops in the romantic opening section, and I liked seeing his caring side. I also though he had some nice arm lines and posture early on, but he was a bit up on his toes and his concentrating face was slightly distracting. That said, the spin to finish was nice and he’s clearly made a big imporvement overall.
The comments: Motsi saw two parts to the routine – the opening work was beautiful, but felt James struggled a little in hold and needed to use his standing leg more. Shirley praised James’s work ethic and the routine’s narrative, but his head weight went behind his heels which limited his posture. Anton agreed – there was a lot to like and James and Amy’s relationship was lovely, but his posture went too far and left arm needed adjustment. Craig thought it looked stiff and lumpy and there was a lot of gapping, but thought James would be able to improve.
The scores: 6, 7, 6, 7 – 26 out of 40
Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin
This week Ellie and Nikita danced a Paso Doble to Prokofiev’s ‘Montagues and Capulets’, better known as the theme from ‘The Apprentice’. In their VT, the duo parodied the classic treasure hunt task from the show, whilst Ellie also spoke about the challenge of getting into the character of the routine. Could she channel that and deliver a winning routine?
The dance: Ellie most certainly understood the assignment. The performance had a very strong, dramatic quality, with some nice arms and great control from her throughout. I also thought she did a good spin and had some nice footwork, particular in the middle section, as well as giving very strong ‘boss’ energy. The lift was a bit of suprise, but she definitely won’t be getting fired after that.
The comments: Shirley loved Ellie’s ‘laser vision’ and sense of mood, and was particularly with the lapasse and twist turn, but had to deduct points for the lift. Anton liked how Ellie kept character throughout and praised her basic fundamentals. Craig agreed about the lift and wanted Ellie’s Spanish lines to be more extreme, but it had the drama and great choreography. Motsi thought the choreography was exceptional but wanted it to look neater.
The scores: 6, 8, 8, 8 – 30 out of 40
Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu
Molly and Carlos are the highest scoring couple in Strictly Come Dancing 2022, and this week they hoped to continue that with their Couple’s Choice routine, danced to the Grange Hill Theme Tune. In their VT Molly spoke about the impact of CBBC on her life when auditioning for Nova Jones. She also brought Carlos to her secondary school and met her former headteacher – the legendary Sylvia Young – before performing some of their dance in front of some of the current pupils.
The dance: Molly and Carlos produced a quirky, cheeky routine, with good synchronisation throughout and some strong ‘bagography’ at the start in particular. I thought she handled the tricks and lifts well too. However, something about it was missing for me – it lacked a little of the sparkle of her previous rotuines somehow. Not a bad dance by any stretch, but perhaps not quite the heights we’ve seen from her so far – here’s hoping she’ll be back on track next week.
The comments: Anton thought it was another excellent performance, praising Molly’s technical ability and flair throughout the competition, but felt the performance tonight was a bit safe. Craig agreed – it wasn’t his favourite and lacked definition, and Molly needed to be more into the earth. Motsi thought Molly could push more but it was challenging to match the dance style with the music. Shirley said it was clean and together with good characterisation, but wanted more changes of energy.
The scores: 6, 8, 8, 8 – 30 out of 40
Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal
After topping the leaderboard with their sensational Salsa last week, tonight Hamza and Jowita performed a Arctic-themed Quickstep to ‘On Top Of The World’ by Imagine Dragons, as featured in the BBC’s nature programming. In their VT Hamza spoke about how pleased he was with the response to last week’s performance and how he was inspired by Sir David Attenborough in his own career. He and Jowita also went to London Wetland Centre to do some birdwatching.
The dance: This was a bright, joyful performance that had me welling up with happy tears. Hamza’s smile was utterly radiant throughout, and he had great control and posture particularly in hold. He moved across the floor beautifully too. If I had one criticism, it would be that he could work more on finishing his hands and pointing his toes in the Charleston sections, but the finish was great and I think he’s shown once again why he’s a favourite for this competition.
The comments: Craig saw Hamza lost balance and he needed to work on keeping his toes parallel, but he is a ‘fantastic’ dancer. Motsi loved Hamza’s joy on the dancefloor. Shirley thought he made the difficult look easy and simple, and he ‘makes our hearts sing’ as well as having a fabulous frame. Anton thought Hamza had wonderful hold and beautiful position with Jowita and said he’s a ‘charming’ dancer.
The scores: 8, 9, 9 9 – 35 out of 40
Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe
This week Ellie and Johannes danced a Tango to the Casualty Theme Tune. In their VT Ellie spoke about her posture and elevating her neck in the dance. The pair also visited the Casualty set where they met up with actor and former Strictly contestant Charles Venn, who gave them some advice on the routine.
The dance: I love the humour Ellie and Johannes brought to the intro for this dance, and also thought her control in the performance was great. She had lovely movement across the dancefloor and I liked the sultry quality she brought as well. It was a little gappy in hold and there was some skippiness, and I personally would have liked more drama, but she continues to come on leaps and bounds.
The comments: Motsi thought the beginning was ‘genius’ and liked that Ellie stayed in character throughout, but wanted a bit more on her standing leg. Shirley agreed – the opening was great and Ellie’s left arm was ‘brilliant’, but needed a little more shifting across the floor. Anton said Ellie’s head was ‘perfect’ and her upper body position was ‘immaculate’. Craig loved the opening and wanted it to continue, but felt the rest of the dance was ‘lobotomised’, although Ellie has improved.
The scores: 7, 7, 7, 8 – 29 out of 40
Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer
This week Jayde and Karen danced a Charleston to Victoria Wood’s ‘The Ballad of Barry and Freda(Let’s Do It)’ by Victoria Wood. In their VT Jayde spoke about being confident of nailing the comedy aspect of the routine, as well as her love of Victoria Wood growing up and wanting to do her justice with the performance.
The dance: For me Jayde’s comedy an humour really shone in this routine. She had bags of personality and handled the tricks and lifts really well. I loved the sense of fun she had about it too, as well as the piano intro and the copy of Woman’s Weekly. It was a little messy in spots but she’s impossible to watch without smiling and I can’t wait to see more of her dancing in future.
The comments: Shirley thought it was an entertaining and upbeat routine but wanted Jayde to watch her throwaway arms and find the ‘in-between bits’. Anton thought Jayde held character all way through and performed it brilliantly, but it needed more swivel and fundamental Charleston elements. Craig said Jayde could have done more with it and needed to double the energy. Motsi didn’t agree – Jayde is probably one of the strongest performers on Strictly but needed her dance skills to develop more.
The scores: 6, 7, 7, 8 – 28 out of 40
Will Mellor and Nancy Xu
After a wobble in their Rumba last week, tonight Will and Nancy hoped to make a comeback with their Viennese Waltz to the Line Of Duty End Credits. In their VT Will spoke about being pumped up for this week’s dance and showed Nancy some clips of his time on the show, whilst Nancy also put him through a Line Of Duty-style interrogation.
The dance: What a comeback! This was certainly a dramatic take on a Viennese Waltz – Will had a real sense of menace as he stalked round the interrogation table, and I felt he had some great arm shapes too. His posture and frame in hold were nice and I liked his spins and fleckerl. The only thing missing for me was I’d have liked some more heel leads, but this was a great performance puts him firmly back on track.
The comments: Anton said Will was back on form with great frame and intensity, but he did make a mistake. Craig also spotted the mistake, but loved the aggressive Tango-style start and the momentum – Will is back with a vengeance. Motsi though Will is unique and has great clarity and directness. Shirley liked the different take and the power, but warned Will not to let it knock him off his feet by over-pushing everything.
The scores: 8, 8, 8, 8 – 32 out of 40
Tony Adams and Katya Jones
This week Tony and Katya performed a Cha-Cha to the Grandstand Theme Tune. In training Tony spoke about getting his head around the terminology of dance, whilst he and Katya also watched the show and reminisced about rushing back to see the scores. Would their routine get a Grandstand-ing ovation?
The dance: Well that was… quite something. Full credit to Tony for giving it his all – he and Katya threw everything but the kitchen sink at that routine. He did have some good straight legs at points and there was certainly plenty of personality about it, but his arms felt very throwaway and it was a bit skippy in parts too. That said, I loved his energy and thought his New Yorks were decent, and he was certainly very entertaining indeed.
The comments: Craig ‘didn’t know how to describe what [he’d] just seen’ but said Tony put everything into it. Motsi had never seen anything like it – Tony is entertaining the nation. Shirley called Tony a ‘ray of sunshine’ and said the upper half of his body was fantastic, although it was raining below the knees and needed better timing and leg action. Anton just said “wow” and liked Tony’s Cuban break.
The scores: 3, 6, 4, 6 – 19 out of 40
Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima
After finding themselves in the dance-off last week, this week Kym and Graziano were aiming to come back strong as they closed the show with a Quickstep to ‘Ballroom Blitz’ by The Sweet, in tribute to Come Dancing of course! In their VT Kym spoke about how much she enjoyed last week’s Samba as well as the nerve-wracking feeling of the dance-off. She and Graziano also watched some clips from the series to get into the vibe of the dance.
The dance: With an opening introdcution from the legendary Angela Rippon, Kym pulled off a strong routine to finish the show. I thought she ahd great pace around the dancefloor, nice control in her spins and some decent posture – as well as a couple of heel leads! She handled the tricks well and her co-ordination with Grazinao in the side-by-section was great too. It was good way to come back after being in the dance-off last week and I thinks hes safely managed to avoid it this time.
The comments: Motsi said Kym lit up the dancefloor and had great energy, but her posture was a little loose. Shirley thought it lacked a little stamina and Kym’s core was collapsed. Anton praised Kym’s footwork and said she ‘bombed across the floor’, but agreed that she fell inside her arm in promenade position. Craig said Kym came out absolutely confident and the footwork was clean, although the frame does need work.
The scores: 7, 7, 6, 7 – 27 out of 40
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Helen and Gorka – 35
Hamza and Jowita – 35
Tyler and Dianne – 32
Fleur and Vito – 32
Will and Nancy – 32
Ellie S and Nikita – 30
Molly and Carlos – 30
Ellie T and Johannes – 29
Jayde and Karen – 28
Kym and Graziano – 27
James and Amy – 26
Tony and Katya – 19
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 will return for the Results Show at 6.45 PM on Sunday 23rd October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
