It’s the quarter final of Strictly Come Dancing 2023 – we’ve arrived at musicals week!
Our remaining celebrities have pushed themselves to the limit to get here and nobody wants to go home now. With just two weeks to go until we crown this year’s winner, the final is now in touching distance – but who will take centre stage and shine under the spotlight?
Unfortunately Angela Scanlon just missed out after she and her professional partner Carlos Gu were eliminated last week, losing the dance-off to Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin.
Fan favourite Nigel Harman also sustained an injury which meant he and his partner Katya Jones had to withdraw from the competition – meaning there was no elimination this week and the judges’ scores will be carried over.
As always presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman took us through every move from the Elstree dancefloor, whilst judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas kept a careful eye on proceedings to see who had what it takes to make it to next week’s semi final.
So which performances dazzled us this week? Read on for our top four routines of the week…
1: Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin – Paso Doble to ‘Backstage Romance’ from ‘Moulin Rouge’
Now that’s how you come back from a dance-off! This had a very different feel than most Pasos, with an almost sensual intro, as well as great poie from Layton throughout. We know he’s a real showman and that was absolutely at the forefront this week, with plenty of drama and power in his performance, great control in his spins and tons of confident. I also really loved the sharpness of his movements and thought he had great shaping in his arm and hands, as well as good synchronisation with Nikita throughout and handling the changes well as the two of them drove across the dancefloor. Throw in some excellent leaps and that final split drag, and it’s easy to see why this routine got the first perfect score of Strictly Come Dancing 2023.
2: Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe – Foxtrot to ‘For Good’ from ‘Wicked’
Annabel has become something of a dark horse in Strictly Come Dancing 2023 and this Foxtrot showed why she’s become such a fan favourite. It had a very delicate, soft feel to it and I adored the storytelling of the routine, which really emphasised the sweet connection between her and Johannes. I thought she travelled across the dancefloor very well, her frame was good throughout and she had some gorgeous lines in her arms too, along with lovely footwork and a very impressive drag! It was a really touching performance and I really hope she can make it to the final on the strength of this – she’s really come a long way in the competition. (Also, props to wardrobe for that amazing take on the iconic Elphaba dress!)
3: Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola – Quickstep to ‘Belle’ from ‘Beauty and the Beast’
You know you’re always in good hands with Ellie – just something about the way she performs instantly puts you at ease – and that was definitely the case with this dance. She had a lovely playful, fun quality about her performance and was light on her feet throughout, as well as having lovely control in the slower sections and beautiful lines in her arms and legs. You couldn’t have put a cigarette paper between her and Vito in hold and I thought she handled the addition of the extra dancers and the many spins and lifts with aplomb. It fit perfectly with the theme of Beauty and the Beast, bringing out the humour and storytelling, and had a really classy feeling that showed she’s got the versatility to bring home that glitterball in just a few weeks’ time.
4: Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell – Salsa to ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’ from ‘Dirty Dancing’
Nobody puts Bobby in the corner! He was back in Latin mode this week and showed why this is one of his best dance styles. I thought he had good hip action throughout the routine, as well as coping well with the complex arm movements and leading Dianne really well around the dancefloor – that’s really become one of his strengths throughout his time on Strictly Come Dancing. His solo section was strong too and he looked like he was having the absolute time of his life channelling his inner Patrick Swayze. Although the big lift didn’t quite work, full props to him for giving it a go and his other lifts and transitions were solid. He’s definitely grown a lot from when he started and I could quite easily see him getting all the way to the end.
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Layton and Nikita – 40 (10, 10, 10, 10)
Ellie and Vito – 36 (9, 9, 9, 9)
Bobby and Dianne – 34 (8, 8, 9, 9)
Annabel and Johannes – 33 (8, 8, 8, 9)
Strictly Come Dancing will return at 7.20 PM tonight (Sunday 3rd December) on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
