We’ve reached the semi final of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 – and the competition just got even harder.
Our five remaining celebrities and their professional partners will be performing not one, but two routines this evening in their attempt to make it to the grand final on Saturday.
Unfortunately singer and actress Kym Marsh won’t be joining them after she and her partner Graziano Di Prima were eliminated from the competition last week. The pair lost the dance-off against Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu.
Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were on hand as usual to guide the contestants and viewers through the evening, whilst judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas shared their thoughts on the performances.
So who would deliver a pair of winning performances – and who would experience double trouble? Read on to find out more…
Fleur East and Vito Coppola – Dance 1
Fleur and Vito kicked off their bid to reach the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 final with a Paso Doble, dancing to Moloko’s ‘The Time Is Now’. In their VT they looked back at their Strictly journey with the judges, including their Couple’s Choice and Samba, as well as receiving some tips for how to channel their energy in the dance.
The dance: I loved Fleur’s dramatic solo opening to this routine – skirtography aplenty! – and felt she had great drive across the floor in hold with Vito. There was a lot of strength about her performance, some fantastic arm lines and great shapes, and I thought she acted the dance really well too. It did get a little skippy in places and I’d have liked a little more side-by-side work to see them in synchronisation, but overall that was a sharp, clean peformance – and the final trick was sensational!
The comments: Shirley felt the power and liked Fleur’s flamenco arms, but it needed a more rounded shape and ‘micro-details’ in the footwork. Anton called Fleur’s performance ‘exceptional’ – it was her best dance of the whole series. Craig thought Fleur lost some balance in parts and wanted a softer Spanish line, but liked her strength, power and aggression. Motsi likened Fleur to a lion and praised her strength and storytelling.
The scores: 8, 9, 8, 10 – 35 out of 40
Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez – Dance 1
Helen and Gorka wowed with their Couples’ Choice routine last week, and tonight they hoped to cement their place in the Strictly Come Dancing final with their Waltz, danced to ‘Only One Road’ by Celine Dion. In their VT the judges spoke about Helen’s growth as a dancer throughout the series, praising her Charleston in particular, whilst Helen spoke about wanting to deliver a confident performance.
The dance: This was a gorgeous dreamy Waltz, with gorgeous swing and sway and beautiful lines in Helen’s hands and arms. Her posture in hold was good and she moved across the floor, beautifully, with a really nice lightness about her foot work. I loved the romantic feel of the routine too. and thought her acting throughout was great.
The comments: Anton said it was ‘beautiful, soft, romantic’ and praised Helen’s footwork and promenade position. Craig felt there was quite a bit of gapping and it was slightly rigid, but it was beautiful to watch. Motsi called the opening ‘magic’ and praised Helen and Gorka’s partnership. Shirley thought it was a ‘dreamy’ performance and ‘beautifully executed’, but wanted more swing and sway.
The scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 – 35 out of 40
Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal – Dance 1
Hamza and Jowita have long been favourites to win Strictly Come Dancing 2022, but would their Charleston to Paolo Nutini’s ‘Pencil Full Of Lead’ be enough to reach the final? In their VT the judges called Hamza ‘naturally gifted’ and praised his control, highlighting his Couples’ Choice routine, but wanted to see swivel and highlights in his movement. Hamza also spoke about wanting to take the judges’ comments on board and continue to improve.
The dance: This was a playful, quirky Charleston, with Hamza sporting a kilt as he delivered the quickfire routine. The lifts were fantastically smooth, he and Jowita had great synchronisation and energy throughout, and it was infectiously joyful from start to finish. I’d have perhaps liked a little more sharpness in the hands and feet, but otherwise it was another winnining routine and hugely entertaining.
The comments: Craig got the details he wanted, highlighting the lifts and the Jive feel, but said Hamza has a lazy left foot swivel. Motsi praised Hamza’s control, character and coolness. Shirley liked Hamza’s change of direction and his timing in the lifts, as well as the lightness of his performance. Anton thought Hamza brought everything to dancefloor.
The scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39 out of 40
Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu – Dance 1
Molly and Carlos survived their fourth dance-off last week – could they avoid it tonight with their American Smooth to Adele’s ‘Easy On Me’. In their VT the judges called Molly ‘the complete package’, praising the effortlessness in her routines, but wanted more excitement and a higher performance level.
The dance: Molly had beautiful flow throughout this routine, with lovely lines in her arms and hands, nice posture and footwork throughout and great movement across the floor. I felt she brought a really romantic quality to the performance and her acting skills shone throughout, as well as handling the lifts well. It was a more take on the American Smooth but I felt it worked really well and liked that it showed a different side to her.
The comments: Motsi praised Molly’s quality, class, technical and performance level. Shirley said Molly has an ‘inner magic’ and the performance was quiet and serene. Anton compared Molly to an ‘old-fashioned silver screen goddess’, highlighting her stillness and calmness. Craig, however, was disappointed – it went in and out of character and the stops held up the story – but Molly’s hand shaping was ‘exquisite’.
The scores: 8, 9, 9, 10 – 36 out of 40
Will Mellor and Nancy Xu – Dance 1
After jointly topping the leaderboard again last week, Will and Nancy were banking on their Paso Doble, performed to ‘Uccen – DWTS Remix’ by Taalbi Brothers and DWTS, to help them make the final. In their VT the judges spoke about Will’s breakthrough in his Quickstep and his storytelling skills, but also his struggle with his Rumba and his nerves. Will also said he wanted to be himself in his performance and lift his self-confidence.
The dance: Well there was certainly plenty of drama there! This routine was packed full of content, with Will taking the lead from the off and having some great shapes in his arms, as well as intensity and attack in spades. I thought his synchronisation with Nancy was excellent and he delivered a powerful performance with some amazing acting. For me the opening capeography section went on for perhaps a bit too long – although he handled it well – but overall I felt this was a strong routine from him yet again.
The comments: Shirley thought there were quite a few things missing – Will lacked the oval shape in hold and his arms were too straight out of hold, and he needed to extend the cape more, but he brought the arrogance needed for the performance. Anton loved the flamenco section and Will’s partnering skills as well as his strong narrative, but also wanted more breadth. Craig agreed the capework needed air and the dance was over-aggressive, but loved how Will took command and praised the effort he put in. Motsi liked that Will fought for his place and liked his drive and character, but there was some awkward positions.
The scores: 7, 9, 7, 9 – 32 out of 40
Fleur East and Vito Coppola – Dance 2
For their second routine of the night, Fleur and Vito took on the Charleston to ‘Tu Vuo’ Fa L’Americano’ by Fiorello. In their VT Fleur spoke about wanting to put a different spin on the Charleston, but also struggling to keep up with the pace of the dance. She and Vito also watched some messages of support from friends and family – including former Strictly star AJ Odudu!
The dance: Fleur had great swivel from the off and really showed her comedy chops in this fun, free-flowing routine. She had bags of energy and made it all look completely effortless, as well as handling the lifts well and having lovely synchronisation with Vito in the side-by=side sections. It was fast-paced and frantic with tons of content, but she delivered it all brilliantly and should have definitely booked her place in the final with that.
The comments: Anton was impressed – Fleur was doing her best dancing. Craig would have liked less control but it was ‘absolutely ah-ma-zing’. Motsi got the sense of an authentic old school Charleston and the mix of control and letting go. Shirley liked the freeness off the routine and her ‘shorty George’ move, as well as how she took charge of the dance.
The scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – out of 40
Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez – Dance 2
Helen and Gorka’s second dance of the evening was an Argentine Tango to Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’. In their VT Helen spoke about the challenge of learning two dances and channelling her self-belief and focus, whilst she and Gorka also watched some messages of support from her loved ones.
The dance: I loved Helen’s confidence in her solo opening section, and her sharp kicks were fabulous. She oozed passion and drama, had great control throughout, and coped well with the lifts and tricks. Her dress got caught which did hamper her slightly and she ws little too much in her knes for me, but it It was a real testament to how much she’s grown as a dancer and shows just how far she’s coe on her Strictly journey.
The comments: Craig said Helen put everything into it but wanted more sweep in her forward ochos and her shoulders were slightly hunched. Motsi thought it was intense and sharp but soft. Shirley felt Helen’s posture collapsed slightly but her intensity and performance level was good. Anton liked the clarity and thought Helen’s line was ‘terrific’., praising her improvement.
The scores: 9, 10, 8, 10 – 37 out of 40
Hamza Yassina and Jowita Przystal – Dance 2
Hamza and Jowita were hoping for a winning performance with their second dance tonight – a Waltz to Burt Bacharach’s classic ‘What The World Needs Now’. In their VT Hamza spoke about how much being in the semi-final meant to him and Jowita and feeling more comfortable in Ballroom hold, as well as watching messages from his friends and family with Jowita.
The dance: Oh this was just lovely. Hamza had lovely footwork throughout and great rise and fall, and I thought he showed Jowita off really well. His posture was excellent and I thought he produced a really happy, joyful Waltz with excellent lines in his hands and arms, as well as having a beautiful romantic quality about it. It felt like it could have come out of a classic movie and showed his softer side, so here’s hopinhg this will see him through to next week
The comments: Motsi called Hamza ‘the man of the night’ and thought the routine was grounded, pure and authentic. Shirley loved the musicality in Hamza’s body but felt his left arm was too far forward and there were some footwork errors. Anton agreed – Hamza’s dancing is a joy but this dance got a bit lumpy. Craig said Hamza ‘dance[s] the music’.
The scores: 9, 10, 9, 9 – 37 out of 40
Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu – Dance 2
Molly and Carlos’ second performance of the Strictly Come Dancing semi final was a Paso Doble to ‘Survivor’ by 2WEI featuring Edda Hayes. In their VT Molly spoke about her excitement at doing the Paso Doble and show how much she wants to reach the final, as well as watching the messages from her loved ones.
The dance: The drama in the opening of this routine was great, and I loved Molly’s intensity and drive across the floor. Her Spanish line and shape in hold was great, as was her synchronisation with Carlos and handling of the skirtography, She also had great control in the tricks. There was a slight wobble early on but overall this was a strong, powerful performance that showed a different side to her and very much felt like a high point of her Strictly journey.
The comments: Shirley said Molly is a survivor and singled out her promenade walk – it was ‘one of the best paso dobles [she’s] seen’. Anton thought Molly proved him wrong by pulling the routine off. Craig agreed – it was absolutely fantastic. Motsi simply said ‘perfection’.
The scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39 out of 40
Will Mellor and Nancy Xu – Dance 2
For their second performance, Will and Nancy were facing a Couple’s Choice routine, dancing to a mashup of ‘Know How’ by Young MC, the Stone Roses’ ‘Fools Gold’ and the classic ‘Step On’ by the Happy Mondays. In their VT Will took Nancy back to his home town and the importance of believing in yourself, as well as wanting to be a performer from a young age and dedicating the routine to his family.
The dance: I loved Will’s swagger and hip-hop moves, as well as the freedom and energy he brought to the routine, His synchronisation with Nancy was great and he had fabulous energy throughout, as well as a lovely sense of flow and freedom and handled the lifts well. It was a cool, fun routine that really captured Will’s laid-back personality and sense of playfulness and was a fantastic way to close the show – here’s hoping it’s enough to saved him from the dance-off tomorrow.
The comments: Anton thought Will performed the routine ‘brilliantly’. Craig’s dad-dancing fears were avoided – it ‘went very well’. Motsi loved the energy and thought Will ‘smashed’ the dance. Shirley praised Will’s dedication to his loved ones and called it a ‘Daddy Cool’ dance.
The scores: 9, 10, 9, 10 – out of 40
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Hamza and Jowita – 39 + 37 = 76
Molly and Carlos – 36 + 39 = 75
Fleur and Vito – 35 + 39 = 74
Helen and Gorka – 35 + 37 = 72
Will and Nancy = 32 + 38 = 70
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 will return for the Results Show on Monday 12th December at 8.15 PM on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
