JLS singer JB Gill and stand-in professional partner Lauren Oakley have scored the joint highest of this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing, as Amy Dowden watched from the studio.
The Welsh professional dancer, who is normally Gill’s partner, missed last Sunday’s results programme after being taken to Barnet Hospital from the BBC One show’s production centre, Elstree Studios, as a “precaution” after she began “feeling unwell”.
Oakley, 33, who does not have a partner for this year’s series of the BBC dancing show, stood in for her, performing a Bruno Mars medley with Gill on Saturday’s show, for a score of 39.
Judge Motsi Mabuse said of their performance: “I feel like you’ve just come out of your shell, and you’re like, ok, I’ve learned a few things that past weeks and everything has come together.
“I think everybody that dances commercial, hip hop, street dance feels represented, because you gave it the true essence with a swag, you know, bumping up low, keeping down there.”
Craig Revel Horwood said: “It wasn’t that good, there were two moments where the synchronicity was out.
“But my goodness, commercial is your thing. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.”
Before the performance Dowden, 34, said she, Gill and Oakley had been a “real dream team”.
She watched with presenter Claudia Winkleman, wearing an all-black outfit and poppy and applauding the couples as they came up the stairs.
Turning to Dowden, Winkleman asked: “You three did this together this week, didn’t you?”
Dowden replied: “Yes, it’s been a real dream team, even to the point where Lauren put in our chat, ‘J, do you want a coffee?’ To which I replied: ‘Yes, you’ll have a vanilla latte’.”
Dowden wished Oakley and Gill “the absolute best of luck” earlier in the day on Instagram.
Reality TV star Pete Wicks and his partner Jowita Przystal opened the show dancing to Another One Bites The Dust by Queen, scoring just 22 points, with a performance that included “quite a lot of mistakes” according to head judge Shirley Ballas.
After the salsa, Wicks could be heard telling Przystal “I’m sorry” to which she replied “it’s ok”.
Ballas said of the performance: “What a way to open the show, and you embraced the character of Freddie Mercury so, so well.
“Now listen to me, I’m not really going to over-judge this, and I’ll tell you why you made quite a lot of mistakes, so it wouldn’t be fair to me say, we all know you made mistakes, we can see them.
“But what I was impressed with was how you picked it up, because you got the wrong foot going the wrong way. You carried on like a trouper.”
They were followed by opera singer Wynne Evans and professional partner Katya Jones, who scored 30 dancing the rhumba to Dame Shirley Bassey’s This Is My Life.
After the performance, Evans said: “I’ve always been very open that I’ve struggled with my mental health.
“I’ve had some very dark times and some very happy times. And I think it’s important, what I’ve learned through the Strictly journey, thanks to Katya, is we must have belief in ourselves, and we must try and love ourselves first.
“And if there’s people at home tonight who are feeling slightly down, for whatever reason it is, it’s that love of yourself that we all have to find, and something that I’m discovering.”
Reality star Tasha Ghouri and professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec performed to P!nk’s What About Us for a joint series high score of 39.
Anton Du Beke said: “I didn’t notice Aljaz once, you were exquisite, you made it personal and just lovely.”
Former Olympic hockey player Sam Quek scored 29 performing the American smooth with partner Nikita Kuzmin to Taylor Swift’s Love Story.
Judge Mabuse said: “I think she has the right to celebrate today.
“Yes, the last two weeks, you’ve been having some hiccups.
“They’re a mess, they’re up and down, you’ve been having a bit of a struggle with getting the routine.
“And I think you got it this week, and even the vibes of what you were presenting, we got the Romeo and Juliet, with the happy end at the end. You know, I’m happy about that.”
Comedian Chris McCausland and partner Dianne Buswell scored 29 dancing the tango to Kiss’s Rock And Roll All Nite
McCausland appeared on the guitar, with Buswell pretending to play the drums as they performed in front of a Kiss-style logo, which read “Chris”. Buswell told her partner “well done” at the end.
Dressed as Sir Rod Stewart, judge Du Beke said: “You’re coming on something, your posture is improving.
“Downstairs is a joy to behold, because it’s absolutely marvellous.
“You did go a bit wrong at the end there, you got the wrong foot. But other than that, I mean, it’s just a joy to watch you dance.”
Miranda actor Sarah Hadland and her professional partner Vito Coppola scored 37 for their cha cha to Madonna’s Just Like A Prayer.
Mabuse, dressed as Tina Turner said: “This was iconic, whole package made sense, tight steps, on-point and rhythmical, rolling like Tina.”
Olympian Montell Douglas and dancer Johannes Radebe scored 35 for their waltz to I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.
But despite the score, Revel Horwood said: “I wanted it softer and lighter, frame was in and out.”
Actor Jamie Borthwick and professional partner Michelle Tsiakkas scored 31 points for their samba to George Michael’s Faith.
Ballas said the dance “hit all the technical elements but lacked connection, dance as a unit”.
Singer Shayne Ward and partner Nancy Xu scored 35 for their quickstep to a medley of The Beatles.
Judge Mabusi described their performance as “fast, rhythmical, entertaining”.
Strictly’s results show will air on BBC One at 7.20pm on Sunday.
