High-stakes semi-final next time
Well, that show was basically an extended trailer for next weekend’s semi-final. Low on proper action but it whetted our appetites at least. As always, thanks for watching along with me, my choreographic compadres. A slightly strange Strictly weekend but still a fun one.
Our awesome foursome now tackle two routines apiece in their bid to go all the way to the grand glitterball finale. It airs next Saturday at 7.35pm on BBC1.
Meet you back here to raise our proverbial paddles. In the meantime, you know the score: keeeeep dancing! Thank you and a glittery goodnight.
Tonight’s TV tips
Viewers can now flip to Sky Nature for Whale with Steve Backshall, to ITV1 for the finale of Lenny Henry’s Windrush drama Three Little Birds, to Channel 4 for Bill Bailey’s Australian Adventure or, if you’re feeling gratuitously festive, Channel 5 for Christmas at Longleat.
At 9pm, choose from Boat Story on BBC1, I’m A Celebrity on ITV1 or True Crime Night on Channel 4.
Film-wise, my picks are excellent neo-western Hell or High Water (10.45pm on BBC2) or teen comedy Booksmart (11.55pm on BBC1).
Looking forward to next week’s semi-final, fihema says: “Layton is doing the Charleston? Don’t let him near any podiums or backing dancers!”
SparklingDormouse adds: “Well ,a bit of gratuitous sloth footage would have made better padding! Looking forward to next weekend. Be interesting if Annabel can be sassy enough for a salsa. She’s mega improved but wonder how she’ll cope with this dance. Bobby and a paso I can imagine but struggling to see how he’ll go with a quickstep - which is one of my favourites when done well. At least the jeopardy will be back and hopefully the snow and ice will be gone!”
As for musical guest Joss Stone, tomatopincushion says: “Joss’s microphone getting in on frockwatch.”
1991fab says of the female pros: “A partner for Michelle next year. Been seeing her on the show for 2 years now and she’s gorgeous dancer. I would love to see what she could do with a celeb. Also a great partner for Nadiya next year please!”
shazza2704 adds: “They should have booked New Order to sing Blue Monday. They need as much filler as possible; Joss not quite cutting it length-wise.”
Updated
On that My Fair Lady opening number, mcculloch29 says: “This takes me back to 1960s Royal Variety Performances and excerpts from hit stage musicals.”
SnailyWhaley says: “It’s going to be an odd show but for me, it was worth turning up just for that opening number.”
diamondcat adds: “Here we go, folks, for a jeopardy-free evening - the only moment of unease being the uncertainty of whether the singer would make that last note of I Could Have Danced All Night.”
Updated
Readers’ verdicts
A quick vox pop of your comments. On tonight’s padded-out show, Johnny Midknight says: “Time to brush off my annual Masterchef final comment. More filler than a cheap sausage.”
tomatopincushion says: “Evening all. Wasn’t going to bother tonight then realised I’d miss you lot. Turns out you rather make my Sunday evenings in the winter, so thank you!”
looksbeyond says: “Annabel doing Jojo’s washing. Bear Grylls in some dark scary place. Tess in the Clauditorium. This is all kinds of weird. I’m not sure I can cope.”
SecretPuddleJumper says: “Did Bear not get the memo about how much padding was required? I am imagining someone frequently gesturing for him to keep it going. ‘Come on Bear. Billie had loads to say and she did pauses to stress how heartfelt it was.”
VictoriasSecret adds: “Ellie’s teachers are the filler I am here for!”
Another cruel blow for unlucky Katya
Russian pro and former Strictly champion Katya Jones looked even more devastated than Nigel last night. Well, presumably she wasn’t off her gourd on strong painkillers like him.
After three series of being saddled with sportspeople, she was given her most promising partner for years. Nigel had the potential to go all the way, like when she lifted the glitterball trophy with his fellow actor Joe McFadden in 2017.
Over the years, Katya has worked wonders with the likes of Ed “Glitter” Balls and Tony “Full Monty” Adams. With Harman, she could put away the gimmicks and concentrate on creative choreography. Despite his stylish routines too often being tripped up by mistakes, Katya must’ve been eyeing the final.
Her 2020 series with boxer Nicola Adams was cut short by Covid. Now she suffered more misfortune. Katya can’t catch a break.
Injury casualty Nigel never fulfilled early promise
He might be cursed with a deeply unfashionable first name (mainly thanks to his jungle-dwelling namesake on the other channel) but Nigel Harman was a smart piece of Strictly casting. When the popular actor topped the leaderboard way back in week one with his powerful Nirvana paso doble, he looked like a potential finalist. Perhaps even a champion-in-waiting.
However, that would prove arguably his highlight. Nigel had confidence, charisma and suave leading man quality but a tendency to make mistakes prevented him from scoring 9s and 10s. He became king of the 8s, scoring in the early 30s pretty much every week.
Other memorable moments include his hip-tastic salsa, big band Blackpool quickstep and jazzy Gene Kelly-esque Couple’s Choice. He leaves with an “I survived the rumba” T-shirt (courtesy of Fleur East on It Takes Two), the fourth highest average score in the contest and his head held high.
A crowd-pleasing chimney sweep Charleston last night and he would have been in the semi-final. Shame it ended this way. Rest those ribs and be proud, Nigel.
Sighs of relief for Annabel and the boys
Annabel Croft and Bobby Brazier will be counting themselves especially lucky tonight. They were the bottom two on the leaderboard, so would have been in dance-off danger in a normal week, needing viewer votes to lift them clear of trouble.
Or might Layton Williams have found himself in the dance-off again? After scoring the first perfect 40 of the series, that would have felt particularly harsh.
Luckily, Musicals Week has a happy ending and they all progress. Tackling two full routines for the first time might now sort the worthy finalists from those who’ve reached their limit.
We wrap up with a reminder of the four finalists and the traditional exhortation to “keeeep dancing”.
Phew. They successfully got to the end of a 40-minute show with no dance-off. Although I note they cunningly trimmed the running time to 35 minutes *taps watch, taps nose*.
As the credits roll, please stay with us for analysis, reaction and a round-up of your comments.
We’re not making plans for Nigel
Last night, Nigel Harman and his pro partner Katya Jones chatted to Claudia about his injury.“I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men,” explained Nigel “As I flew, I was Peter Pan. As I landed, I was in A&E. I’ve done something to my ribs, basically, and it’s quite painful. I’m a little bit high on painkillers but I’m having a lovely time!”
The danger of drafting in extra dancers, perhaps? Reflecting on his Strictly experience, he added: “I’ve loved it. And I’m still loving it - it’s too soon to say ‘loved’! This hasn’t really sunk in. When I watched everyone come down the stairs, I was a bit sad. I’ve been avoiding Katya all day because that makes it real”
Asked how proud she is of Nigel, an emotional Katya said: “It’s quite hard to talk right now, I’m not going to lie. I’ve absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on the dancefloor. I know the reasons you did this, for your daughter and for your parents. I know they’ll be very, very proud of you.”
Nigel told her: “The only reason I’m standing here is because of all the work you’ve put into me. You turn up every day with hundreds of great ideas. You challenge me, push me, support me, make me laugh. I knew you’d do extraordinary things on the floor with choreography and creativity, but most of all you’re just part of me now.” Aww. Well said but a sad way for their competition to end.
Bobby dons a tailsuit next week
Johnny and Baby - sorry, Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell - discuss their dapper quickstep and paso doble next week. “Bobbification” is a thing, apparently. Another cute VT from Bobby’s godsisters. Anyone would think they had airtime to fill.
He’s never topped the leaderboard and has scored only two 10s - both for his emotional Couple’s Choice - so Bobby could probably count himself fairly fortunate if he makes it to the final.
Ellie is a cha-cha butterfly
Ellie Leach and her dance partner Vito Coppola reveal to Claud that they’ll be performing a Mambo Italiano cha-cha. She’s also made her primary school’s newsletter (fame at last) and gets a sweet video message from her teachers.
Vito embarks on one of his trademark endearing rambles about how Ellie has become a butterfly.
Despite an average score lower than Layton Williams’, Ellie is now the bookies’ favourite for the glitterball trophy. I think she’s my pick too. After last night’s Beauty & The Beast quickstep, I imagine her agent’s phone has already been ringing off the hook with West End offers.
Some sort of horrific air-filling VT on now. Producers nervously glancing at their watches.
Anton Du Beke breaks down Bobby Brazier’s risky Dirty Dancing lift of Dianne Buswell. “A good try,” says Shirley, somewhat damning him with faint praise.
Bobby dances a paso doble and a quickstep next week. Strong combo.
Motsi Mabuse praises how Ellie Leach held her own amid the extra dancers. Next week she’s doing a cha cha cha. Motsi wants to see a strong core, straight leg and natural hip action. “It’s really simple,” she concludes to much mirth.
“Charleston is going to be his thing,” predicts Craig about Layton next week.
Shirley Ballas analyses why Annabel Croft lost her frame a little last night. She’s doing ballroom again next week, with a Viennese waltz as well as that salsa.
Updated
Claudia reminds Craig Revel Horwood of his perfect 10 paddle moment. It was 11 weeks in the making and he explains why he loved Layton and Nikita’s genre-hopping, deconstructed paso doble.
Dance debrief
Time for the regular feature formerly known as Len’s Lens. RIP. The judges park their pert posteriors onto Claudia’s banquette of bantz for a closer look at last night’s routines.
Red light doesn’t spell danger
No scarlet spotlight of doom this week, of course, so our couples can relax.
The four pairs officially through to next Saturday’s semi-final are Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe, Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell, Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, and Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin.
A worthy quartet which will be whittled down to three for the showpiece final.
This Time with Joss Stone (not Alan Partridge)
A musical interlude now from Brit soulstress Joss Stone, singing This Time from the new musical based on Audrey Niffenegger’s bestselling novel The Time Traveller’s Wife - for which Stone co-wrote the soundtrack with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame. Graziano Di Prima and Michelle Tsiakkas do the hoofing honours.
Real name Joscelyn Stoker, she burst onto the scene in the early Noughties, becoming the youngest British solo female to top the UK album chart. She’s won Brit awards and Grammys, is dyslexic and vegetarian, often performs barefoot and has been called “the white Aretha Franklin”. She’s now a 36-year-old mother-of-two and lives in Nashville.
Perhaps most impressively, she won the 2021 series of The Masked Singer UK dressed as an 8ft tall sausage. Oi oi saveloy.
Updated
Annabel dances a party salsa next week
Annabel Croft and her pro partner Johannes Radebe are the lowest scorers of the final four but she’s improved steadily, truly blossomed and beginning to look like a finalist. Will she make it? I feel like the nation is rooting for her.
Our four couples are still in Musicals Week costume, incidentally. None of them will be dancing again, so I wonder if the producers considered letting them change into civvies? Perhaps it wouldn’t look sparkly and showbizzy enough, like a dance version of Dress-down Friday.
She must be keen to get that queasy green face off, mind you. She’ll probably be finding it in her ears and on her pillow for days.
Layton and Nikita vary the pace next week
In the Clauditorioum (now with added Tess), Layton Williams and his pro partner Nikita Kuzmin discuss “Laytonizing” each dance style and do their semi-final dance reveal. They’ll be doing a rumba and a Charleston.
They’re the contest’s top scorers, have topped the leaderboard more than any other couple - six times in 11 weeks - and last night notched this year’s first perfect 40. Layton is good, no doubt, but is he too good? Will he get enough public votes to propel him into the final?
Layton gets a message from Billie Piper
It’s Rose Tyler stroke Suzie Pickles! She sends her best and calls him “knockout”.
Updated
There’ll be a lot of maths next week. The couples will accumulate scores from three dances – last night’s, plus next week’s two routines – before that total score is combined with the viewer vote.
Solar-powered Casio calculators ready. (Prepare to type SHELLOIL and BOOBLESS, obv.)
Musicals Week gets an encore
Last night’s show is rewound on-screen. Ellie Leach’s Disneyfied quickstep! Annabel Croft’s bewitching green-faced foxtrot! Layton Williams’ show-stopping paso doble! Craig Revel Horwood blows the dust off his 10 paddle! Bobby Brazier’s slightly wobbly Dirty Dancing lift! Nigel Harman’s Napoleon impression, with one hand on his sore rib! I blame that time Mini-Den got duffed up by Phil Mitchell.
Frockwatch
Here come our co-hosts, so time for our regular sartorial showdown. Tess Daly is in a silver sci-fi bodice. Claudia Winkleman is in a silky vest top with sparkly trousers. Both a bit Barbarella. Claud wins.
Edwardian setting. Well, a period drama always feels fitting on a Sunday night. Gorka The Corker Marquez seems to be playing phonetician Professor Henry Higgins, aka Rex Harrison.
It’s soundtracked by a medley of hits from the show: Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?, With A Little Bit Of Luck, I Could Have Danced All Night and Get Me to the Church on Time. Creaky high note to finish,
Updated
My fair group dance
We kick off with a big production number from the Strictly professionals. It’s a homage to My Fair Lady with Jowita Przystal filling the Audrey Hepburn/Julie Andrews role as Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle.
And we’re off!
Roll clap-along credits. Careful you don’t aggravate your ribs spinning Katya around like that, Nigel.
Charge glasses, fill snack bowls, plump sparkly cushions and take your sofa seats. We’re about to go back to the Elstree Studios ballroom…
What will a results show without any results look like? More padding than a foam factory, I fear, but we’re about to find out.
It’s mere minutes until the sparkly curtain comes up…
The penultimate episode of Planet Earth III drawing to a close on BBC1 right now. Loved those macaques stealing tourists’ valuables to sell on for treats. Although I’ll wager it would be a lot less amusing to fall victim to the light-fingered simians.
Just five minutes until we go from Attenborough to Anton, from Bali to Ballas…
Craig’s perfect 10 came out of deep storage
He’s been getting booed for weeks, teasing us with long pauses before brandishing his “nine” paddle. But just a fortnight from the grand final, panto villain judge Craig Revel Horwood awarded a maximum at last to Layton Williams’ fiery Moulin Rouge! paso doble, with its stunning lifts and spectacular sliding splits.
Craig’s a big musical theatre man, of course, so it felt apt for this weekend. It also provided a highlight of an otherwise slightly flat, muted live show. It’s 10 minutes until the glitterball starts spinning again…
How will they fill the airtime?
Perhaps Vito Coppola can do 20 minutes of animal impressions or Dave Arch can bust out a face-meltingly long guitar solo?
Just as long as those Fishermen’s Friend fellows don’t “delight” us with another topical sea shanty, like a sort of maritime Richard Stilgoe. I’m still shuddering. Just 15 minutes to wait now…
Stone me it’s Joss
Tonight’s musical guest is barefoot Brit soul diva Joss Stone, singing a tune from the new Time Traveller’s Wife musical.
Rather brilliantly, the novel’s author Audrey Niffenegger was taken by surprise when the project was announced two years ago, admitting on Twitter that Warner Bros owned the rights and she’d known nothing about it. Awkward.
Twenty minutes now until showtime…
Strictly by royal appointment
Apparently Kate Middleton made a “secret visit” to the Elstree Studios ballroom with two of her children on Friday.
They watched the couples rehearse, then Charlotte and Louis got to sit in the judges’ seats and hold up scoring paddles. Princess of Waltz, more like.
Last night’s scores do count
We saw four, rather than the expected five, razzle-dazzle routines on Saturday night, all themed around West End and Broadway musicals. Layton Williams topped the leaderboard with his perfect 40-point paso doble, with Ellie Leach in second. Bobby Brazier was third, one point ahead of bottom-placed Annabel Croft.
Despite there being no public vote, no dance-off and no elimination, the judges’ marking was by no means wasted. Last night’s scores will be carried over and added to next week’s to make a combined total. The public vote will then reopen and one couple will miss out on the grand glitterball final.
Clear as mud? Excellent. It’s half an hour until sequin o’clock…
Four semi-finalists - and 40 minutes to fill
When is a results show not a results show? When an actor injures his ribs. It’s not the best lollipop stick joke ever but that’s basically the deal tonight.
Good evening and welcome to the week 11 results show of Strictly Come Dancing 2023. I’m Michael, your Sunday night cyber-dance partner. Please watch along with me as Strictly airs one of its strangest Sunday night shows in memory.
Normally at this time of the week, we’d be speculating about who’ll be sent home to cry into their Advent Calendar. However, Nigel Harman suddenly withdraw from the contest yesterday, mere hours before the live Musicals Week extravaganza, after sustaining a painful rib injury which left him in A&E.
That led to a hasty reconfiguring of the competition, with the BBC keen to keep a three-way final. There was no public vote this weekend and no couple will be eliminated. Instead all four remaining pro-celebrity pairs will progress to next weekend’s semi-final.
Without a red light of doom or dreaded dance-off tonight, how will producers fill the 40-minute running time? More on that shortly. It should make for an odd yet intriguing show.
It’s showtime at 7.20pm on BBC One. I’ll be liveblogging from 6.50pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, analysis, reaction and affectionately sardonic asides. So hunker down on this nippy Sunday night and I’ll see you on the sofa.
As ever, I’d love to hear your thoughts too. You can tweet me @michaelhogan, email me at michael.hogan.freelance@guardian.co.uk and the comments section below is open for sequin-spangled chat. I’ll paso knee-walk down there whenever possible to catch up on what you’re saying.
The theatrically themed show must go on. Nearly time to staaaaaart dancing into the semi-final!
Thank you and goodnight
That concludes Saturday’s liveblog but please feel free to continue the backstage chat. Meet you back here tomorrow for this year’s penultimate results show. Albeit one without any actual results. Weird.
It airs at 7.20pm Sunday on BBC1, featuring a My Fair Lady group number and a performance from Joss Stone. I’ll reboot the blog at 6.50pm for build-up, so please rejoin me then.
In the meantime, I’m @michaelhogan on Twitter, so feel free to drop in for a luvvie-ish theatrical airkiss. Thanks for watching along with me. See you tomorrow but in the meantime, it’s ye olde thespian motto: keeeeeep dancing! And be careful jumping off podiums into the arms of backing dancers. Goodnight.
By jingo, it's enormo-bingo
Thanks to girlpanic down below for helping fill the dead air with her “Accumulative bingo” game, combining all our Strictly bingos from across the series.
Fine and important work, girlpanic. Award yourself an extra drink, if that isn’t medically dangerous at this point.
Just in from our Canadian correspondent
An email from Iain from Montreal:
“Enjoying your blog again. Gutted for Nigel Harman. He was my second choice after Ellie Leach. My vote for solving the content problem would be to skip an elimination; the gladiatorial aspect is the least appealing part of the show for me.
Annabel Croft said something similar about retiring from tennis. I think she gets elevated to my second place. Sorry to read she is on the
receiving end of your prescient forecast of greenface.
Finally, sorry to be dense, but what’s VT? Where I am, it means an American state 2 hours’ drive south.”
Nice to hear from you again, Iain. Over here it means videotape, a name which has stuck since the 80s to describe a short pre-recorded insert like a training room clip or a scene-setting interview. Vermont is probably more interesting!
Updated
Key event
Nigel Harman’s late withdrawal made that a strange old show. Unprecedented in Strictly’s 21 series, in fact. Frantic padding. Longer-than-usual judges’ comments and post-show interviews to fill the airtime. And also an oddly anti-climactic feel because we knew nobody was going home.
Sure, the judges’ scores will be carried over to next week but with two dances apiece in the semi-final – and only seven points separating top from bottom so far – it seemed like everyone was in a holding pattern.
Musicals Week routines are all about the storytelling, heightened emotions and big productions but they had the air somewhat sucked out of them by the unusual circumstances. A shame that the first 40 of the series for Layton and Nikita, usually such a landmark moment in each series, got somewhat lost in the midst of it.
From Musicals Week to film night
Slightly slim pickings on TV tonight. At 9pm, Irish-Belgian thriller Hidden Assets returns to BBC4. At 10pm, there’s concert film Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom on BBC2.
Film-wise, it’s slightly more promising. Bond film No Time To Die is about an hour in on ITV2. Starting now, you can choose from Fargo on Great Movies or Die Hard on Film4. At 9.25pm, Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in family drama The Father on Channel 4. At 9.40, Tarantino’s Jackie Brown is on Dave.
Finally, on nobody-puts-Bobby-in-the-corner, Rufusonly says: “I totally loved that dance from Bobby and let me confess that in the day I once tried that jump and hold but Mrs Rufus managed to kick me in the face. Bobby managed better than I did and I admire him for it.”
JoMK73 says: “Craig is right - we all know the lift wasn’t right. But I’m digging Bobby’s straight hair THE MOST.”
Storm says: “I think this was more of a cursed chalice than anything else. No one is going to watch that dance without making comparisons to the original.”
mutterful adds: “So one minute we have Nigel explaining how he wasn’t caught by pro dancers, crashed to the floor and had to withdraw due to injury. The next minute, Bobby and Dianne celebrating the riskiness of ‘that’ lift.”
Updated
On Layton Williams’ paso doble, imagobird says: “So good! Amazing routine from Layton and Nikita. Perfect synchronicity. I find them so exciting!”
VelvetinaB says: “Dramatic and stunning dancing, but I’m not sure Layton and Nikita feel like they are dancing together as a couple. Their bodies may be in synch tempo-wise but for me their bodies move so differently that it’s distracting.”
HelenaHandcart adds: “Hello glittery peoples BTL. Longtime reader, first-time contributor. I feel the need to comment so we can start a petition for better camera work. I missed so much of the end of Layton and Nikita. Also, less flipping fog for heavens sake!”
Updated
On Annabel Croft, tuityfruity says: “In spite of the green face of doom, I loved that! Good for Craig, giving her well deserved praise.”
jagadox says: “Could they have managed a bit more mist for that? Any higher and we’d not have seen the green makeup.”
bewilderedpenguin says: “If you’re gonna do green body paint, then a non-elimination week’s the time to do it.”
Lidoswimmer adds: “If the trophy was going to be awarded on the basis of how far someone’s come from week one, surely it would go to Annabel - she was someone pegged to go early and she’s worked to become a very lovely dancer.”
Updated
On Ellie Leach’s quickstep, LekisP says: “Very enjoyable from Ellie and Vito, good use of the extra dancers.”
YodaknowsAll says: “For me, there wasn’t enough in hold in that dance. It was well done, just not quite enough content.”
KarimaKat adds: “Death by Disney! Lifts in a quickstep?”
Updated
On poor Nigel Harman, JoMK73 says: “All good wishes to Nigel. What if Mr Farage were to hear that there are some votes available and a vacancy for a Nigel? He could hotfoot it from Brisbane to Elstree. He’s never been put off by not getting enough votes in the past!”
bigflatfeet says: “Who didn’t catch him?!?! Crazy. Such a shame he’s had to pull out. I cracked a few ribs coming off my bike and it was horrendous. I can’t take codeine so I was in agony. Took weeks to start feeling ok again. It hurt to breathe. I really feel for Nigel.”
fihema adds: “Dear BBC, how about a Christmas or Charity Special with AJ Odudu, Nigel and Nicola Adams? They deserve it.”
Updated
Canterbury345 says: “Maybe they could just have Sunday’s show be ‘Vito explains dance through animals’. He could easily go for an hour.”
Peterhans adds: “To be fair, only about 20% of the Sunday show is actually about the dance-off.”
Readers’ reviews
The notices are in. Here’s a round-up of your comments.
On the late withdrawal and frantic show rejig, emilyscatnaps says: “When I think about the panicked meetings there will have been this afternoon to deal with the Nigel catastrophe, I imagine BBC producers running around like the Swedish Chef from The Muppets with a kitchen on fire.”
BendyLizzy says: “Maybe they could show ‘The Potters Wheel’ interlude to fill the gap.”
It's the Golden Glitterballs (theatrical edition)
Who needs standing ovations or bouquets of flowers? Here are this week’s gong-getters…
Best dance: Layton’s paso by some distance. Ellie slightly disappointed. Those two are streets ahead of the rest, though.
Worst dance: Annabel’s scored a point fewer than Bobby’s but was arguably better. Too soon to say Nigel’s because he got dropped in rehearsal and ended up in A&E?
Best music choice: Backstage Romance was fun but it’s got to be the all-time classic that is (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life. Spaghetti arms!
Worst music choice: That mess from Wicked with clashing vocals and guitar too high in the mix. My ears. My precious tiny ears.
Best outfit: She wasn’t actually dancing but Katya looked a-may-zing in her black fitted interview frock with corset top.
Worst outfit: Ellie’s Belle frock was a little drab. Annabel was green but not with envy.
Best judges’ comment: Craig reminding Annabel that she’s the only non-performer left in the contest. A good point, well made. powerful. Also, him telling Ellie: “Multiple partners, lucky girl.”
Worst VT: Layton calling out “the haterz” – understandable but getting repetitive and perhaps counter-productive. Bobby and Di’s Dirty Dancing one was sweet, though.
Best Claudia quip: Waiting patiently for Vito to stop wibbling on, before saying “It’s literally Tuesday.”
Updated
Hands up who’s already online, booking tickets for Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical? Oh.
Curtain comes down
Tess and Claud get into hold, sort of, and tell us to “Keeeeeep dancing!”. As the credits roll, please stay with us for analysis, reaction and a round-up of your comments.
There is a results show tomorrow
It’s official. There had been rumours there wouldn’t be but the Sunday night show goes ahead as normal. Albeit without any actual results. Should be… interesting.
That truncated leaderboard in full:
Layton & Nikita – 40 points
Ellie & Vito - 36 points
Bobby & Dianne – 34 points
Annabel & Jojo – 33 points
Those scores will be carried over to next week.
Suck on a Fisherman's Friend
The cast of new musical Fisherman’s Friends arrive to fill some airtime. Sorry, to sing an improvised song based on the Drunken Sailor. I feel like I’m on Nigel’s painkillers.
Judges’ scores: 8, 8, 9, 9 for a total of 34 points. Second from bottom. Dianne says she’s never trusted any of the pros to do that lift. That might make things awkward at the Hoofers AGM. Bobby thinks they’ve done it better.
Updated
Judges’ comments for Bobby and Dianne: Motsi says “a big number but you were ready for it, nerves disappeared, connected and rhythmic”. Shirley says “you led impressively, rhythm in your body, clear foot placement, delightful, well done”. Anton says “she staye up for THAT moment, pulled it off with style and panache, terrific number”. Craig concludes “the lift failed, you were too far down on her hip but one of your strongest performances to date”. Nines a-coming?
Updated
Bobby and Dianne’s salsa
After last week’s weepy Couple’s Choice, they change gears with a spicy party dance. Not the most original choice – previous Dirty Dancing salsas have been performed by Louis Smith and Ashley Roberts. Natsha Kaplinksy and Pamela Stephenson also did their showdances to the song. Bobby’s in a Sir Patrick Of Swayze black tribute vest, Dianne’s in Jennifer Grey’s pink 60s frock. Nobody puts Buswell in the corner. Will she carry a watermelon? In training, yes. For the first time since his Halloween cha-cha, Bobby “Swayzier” is unleashing his flexible hips. You have to take risks at this stage of the contest, so they’re pushing themselves with plenty of lifts and tricks. He’s been working hard on his footwork and hand-shaping after previous criticism from the judges. Hesitant footwork and slightly rushes moves but lifts, tricks and loads of fun. They end, of course, on *that* lift? You know the one. Health and safety nightmare, slight wobble but successfully landed and a big finish. Aww.
Song: (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing. Another film before it was a stage musical, which might vex a few purists. The 1987 anthem, recorded by Bill “Righteous Brothers” Medley and Jennifer Warnes, won an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe. Composer Franke Previte originally turned down the offer to co-write the film’s soundtrack because he thought from the title that it was a porno. He also went on to write Hungry Eyes for it. A Lionel Richie song was originally planned for the film’s finale but this was rightly preferred. And I owe it all to you.
Updated
Judges’ scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 for a total of 40 points. First maximum of the series. Layton admits he was down on Monday, post dance-off, and its’ been a difficult week but that makes it all worthwhile. Chaos in the Clauditorium. Hugs. Cheering. Tears. Well done to Layton and Nikita. That’s what you call bouncebackabilityTM.
Updated
Judges’ comments for Layton and Nikita: Craig says “took me back to 1988 when I danced with the Moulin Rouge, fab-ew-lous!”. A tearful Motsi gives a standing ovation and says “this is how you come back from a dance-off, you’ve weathered the criticism and always push the boundaries, stunning”. Shirley says “first class teamwork, great focus, beautiful figures, sensational”. Anton concludes “that split line, like me down the path on a frosty morning, best thing you’ve done in the series so far”. Are we about to see our first perfect 40?
Updated
Layton and Nikita’s paso doble
This year’s highest scoring couple got their first red light last week. They’re coming back fighting from the dance-off with a fierce, powerful number. Musicals are Layton Williams’ thing, so there’s extra pressure to deliver. They’ve been one point away from perfection three times. Could it be his week for a perfect 40? He’s been working hard on the shaping and details, from his hands to his standing leg. Slow solo section to start, then it gathers pace and drama. Leaps, pyrotechnics, perhaps lacking some Spanish line and curve, plus some partnering, but utterly spectacular. Big old group lift and sliding splits to finish. Oof. Bonkers.
Song: Backstage Romance from Moulin Rouge! The Musical. A Baz Luhrmann film before it was a stage musical. By fully 17 years, in fact. This is becoming a running theme, isn’t it? It’s a dramatic, showstopping mash-up of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Toxic by Britney Spears and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics. What a quartet of bangers. There’s also a dash of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes in the original (aka “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn”).
Updated
Loki and Vod in the studio audience
By which we mean actors Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton. Quick, Strictly, sign them up.
Nigel and Katya in the house
In a Clauditorium interview, Nigel Harman explains that he’s been in A&E after breaking his rib jumping off a rostrum. He’s a little bit high on painkillers, a tad emotional and doing a Napoleon impression.
He and Katya Jones pay sweet tribute to one another, rather like a results show exit speech. Claudia cuts to a best bits VT before they both cry.
Judges’ scores: 8, 8, 8, 9 for a total of 33 points. Could struggle but still the highest scoring foxtrot of the series. Jojo says he’s got a Ferrari to drive around the floor.
Updated
Judges’ comments for Annabel and Jojo: All the judges getting longer to fill the extra airtime. Anton says “poignant, exquisite frame, the best in the competition by far, drew out the steps beautifully”. Craig says “frame relaxed at one point (boo!) and spotted the floor during the turn but beautiful rise and fall, gaw-jus swing and sway, everyone else is an actor, you’re not – but you’re acting through dance, which is no mean feat”. Motsi says “full of emotion, captured the music and message”. Shirley concludes “frame got a little lost and disjointed because of a little slip, delightful but don’t lose that standout frame”. Eights and nines?
Updated
Annabel and Jojo’s foxtrot
Former tennis player Annabel Croft scored her first 10 last week, describing it as her “Centre Court moment”. Now she’s got a green face to match the Wimbledon grass. She’s improving every week and Johannes Radebe, with whom she’s formed a magical partnership, is increasingly challenging her with ambitious choreography. This is Jojo’s first ever foxtrot on Strictly, surprisingly. No backing dancers, just the two of them. Took a while to get into gear but lovely storytelling by the end. It’s technically difficult but they make it look easy by moving as one across floor. Dry ice concealing the footwork but typically elegant. Lovely topline. Frame, set and match, anyone?
Song: For Good from Wicked. This emotive, slightly schmaltzy ballad is a farewell duet by the Wicked Witches of the East and South. Composed by prolific showtune maestro Stephen Schwartz, it was recorded and released almost exactly a decade ago. Makes a change from Wicked’s Defying Gravity, which has appeared on Strictly several times.
Updated
Nobody on the Ts & Cs
There’s no public vote, so we don’t need anyone to read out the smallprint. Wonder who was pencilled in? Elaine Paige? Barrowman? BIGGINS?
Updated
Judges’ scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36 points. A finalist in waiting. Probably a champion.
Updated
Judges’ comments for Ellie and Vito: Shirley says “we got the whole storyline in two minutes, calm, elegant, light on your feet, well done”. Anton says “skipped across the floor beautifully, you’re the Belle of the ball, frame a little narrow but tremendous”. Craig says “got a little bit polka-ey but you have grown so much as a dancer, multiple partners, lucky girl, story told clearly, loved it”. Motsi concludes “you shone among the pros, absolutely amazing”. Nines all round?
Updated
Ellie and Vito’s quickstep
Ellie Leach living out her Disney princess dreams as Belle, with Vito Coppola booted and ponytailed as Gaston. There haven’t been any 10s for a quickstep in the series so far. Could the pacesetters and new glitterball favourites change that? Period costumes and messin’ abaht to start. Still frame but fast feet, precise footwork and rapid spins. Great characterisation and as an actress, Ellie’s accustomed to injecting drama. For me, the staging is slightly getting in the way, rather than adding to it, but highly accomplished as always.
Song: Belle from Beauty & The Beast. The first song from the 1991 Disney musical - more of a film than a stage production, surely? - is a French classical-inspired operetta number which introduces our fairytale heroine. It was Oscar-nominated but lost out to the film’s theme tune, originally performed by the mighty Angela Lansbury. Brit duo Emma Watson and Luke Evans belted it out in the 2017 live-action adaptation.
Updated
No elimination this weekend
Claudia and Tess confirm Nigel’s withdrawal. He and Katya will be chatting later in the show. No public vote this weekend but scores will be carried over to next week’s semi-final, rather like weeks one and two. It was the best option, I suppose, but does rather drain tonight of jeopardy. And how about the results show?
Our Strictly stars™
Our five couples take their bow. The fancy dress box has been raided. Annabel Croft in full Wicked green-face. A sad gap where Nigel Harman and Katya Jones should be.
Judges enter stage left
The paddle-raising quartet emerge onto the Strictly stage. Motsi Mabuse is in shimmey midnight blue, Shirley Ballas in gold and Craig Revel Horwood in a top hat. They’ve got canes. And all that jazz.
Frockwatch
Here come our presenting duo, so time for the traditional couture comparison. Tess Daly is in 60s-style little black dress. Claudia Winkleman is in full-length silver strapless gown. Claudia wins.
Legwarmers on for A Chorus Line
Unusually for a live show - but hey, it’s Musicals Week - we kick off with a razzle-dazzle routine from the Strictly professionals.It’s a homage to A Chorus Line, with the dancers auditioning for a Broadway show. Venezuelan firecracker Karen Hauer takes the lead. It’s speedy, high powered, theatrical and jazzy. Sparkly top hats for a Bob Fosse-style segment.
The original 1975 Broadway production ran for an astonishing 6137 performances, becoming the longest-running show in Broadway history until overtaken by Cats. It won nine Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize for drama. A film version, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Michael Douglas followed in 1985. Yep, Mikey had dance pedigree long before that Basic Instinct disco scene in the olive V-neck.
Updated
Cue clap-along credits
We’re now 11 down. These titles are rapidly becoming like the “In Memoriam” section of an awards show.
And we’re off!
Roll VT to crank up the drama. Nigel’s in it. I’m surprised this wasn’t hastily edited this afternoon.
Take your front row seats and raise the safety curtain. We’re about to go over live to Elstree Studios…
Extra dancers are back
We haven’t seen backing dancers since Blackpool but they’re back tonight for that big production feel. Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe are the only couple without extra dancers, as they create an intimate feel for their foxtrot. Just five minutes to sequin o’clock…
Last weekend rewound
A quick reminder of last weekend’s action. Ellie Leach topped the leaderboard with her sizzling Argentine tango. Bobby Brazier was second after that emotional Couple’s Choice dedicated to his late mother Jade Goody.
Layton Williams was consigned to the dreaded dance-off for the first time but it was Angela Scanlon who was sent home after her disco cha-cha. Now we’ve refreshed our memories, it’s mere minutes until the glitterball starts spinning…
Wild Blue Yonder, the second of Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials, on BBC1 right now - complete with a cameo for a “hot” Isaac Newton. He can drop our apples anytime. Not long to wait now…
Amy Dowden also had a rough week
Much-loved Wesh pro Amy Dowden also suffered a health setback this week. Only three weeks after finishing chemotherapy for breast cancer, poor Amy was rushed back to hospital with a blood clot on her lung. Doctors were worried the clot might move towards her heart but luckily it didn’t.
Poor Amy described it as “a nightmare” and said she’d “it just seems to be never ending.” Hang on in there, Amy. We’re all sending our support and hope to see you back on the dancefloor next year. It’s showtime in 10 minutes…
Let’s play Strictly bingo (musical theatre edition)
Tick them off when you see them on screen! Take a drink for each! Raise an extra tipple to Nigel! Convince yourself it’s festive to fall over! Here’s your 10-point spotter’s guide:
Anton grunts and gurns instead of giving a coherent critique
One poor celebrity is in green face-paint, thanks to a make-up department glut from previous Shrek routines
Overuse of the word “iconic”
Craig clangingly name-drops his West End choreography credits
Male celeb gets compared to Patrick Swayze/Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly
A couple meet the cast of a West End show in their VT
Nigel’s withdrawal is announced in the sombre tone of a royal death
A West End star reads out the voting Ts&Cs in the Clauditorium
Nigel and Katya are “sent lots of love from the Strictly family”
Ginger Neil and Graziano bagsy prime position on the balcony
On your dance cards tonight
We won’t be seeing that Mary Poppins Charleston, sadly, but there are other dance delights on the balllroom bill.
Ellie Leach performs a Beauty & The Beast quickstep. Bobby Brazier has the time of his life in a Dirty Dancing salsa. Annabel Croft conjures up a Wicked foxtrot, while Layton Williams blends Paris and Spain in a Moulin Rouge! paso doble.
The business of show must go on. It’s 15 minutes until that ba-ba-da theme tune…
How far would Nigel have gone?
Well, he’d never been in the dance-off. Nigel and Katya have twice been left in the bottom two on the judges’ scoreboard, including after last week’s rumba, but were saved both times by the viewer vote. Mini-Den from EastEnders/Dr Max from Casualty (delete according to your taste in serial drama) is clearly popular with voting viewers. With his stage experience, Musicals Week played to his strength,
I suspect he would’ve been knocked out before the final but now we’ll never know. A huge shame. After three months of hard work, he must be gutted to pull out just a fortnight short of the final.
Best wishes from all of us on the liveblog, Nigel, and get well soon. If you need a rib massage, I suspect there’ll be plenty of takers. At least you’ve be in dafe hands at Holby General. It’s 20 minutes to the hoofing hour…
The phrase “on medical grounds” has been busy lately, hasn’t it? Wish I’d bought shares in it. Strictly withdrawals, I’m A Celebrity withdrawals…
Wonder what your boss would say if you announced that you weren’t coming in to work on “medical grounds” and refused to elaborate?
Series left in a strange situation
We’ve already seen a surprise withdrawal this series when actress Amanda Abbington quit the contest after week four for personal reasons. Nigel’s sudden exit means we’re now two couples down, which leaves the series in a tricky spot. The options are either an elimination-free weekend (which lacks drama) or a two-couple final (which lacks content).
We’ve had late injury withdrawals before, of course. Just two years ago, AJ Odudu qualified for the final but was heartbreakingly forced to drop out after tearing an ankle ligament, leaving it a two-way battle between Rose Ayling Ellis and John Whaite.
There are often calls in these situation to bring back an eliminated couple for another chance. Angela Scanlon was knocked out last weekend, of course. Angela Rippon and Krishan Guru-Murthy were the previous two to depart the dancefloor. All would be popular choices. However, that’s rarely a realistic option. They’ve not been training, have doubtless got other commitments and it doesn’t quite seem fair.
Should Katya Jones go solo? Shall we start a Bring Back Les Dennis campaign? It’s 25 minutes until we go live…
Updated
Grievous bodily Harman
Poor Nigel. The 50-year-old actor had been due to dance a chimney sweep Charleston tonight with professional partner Katya Jones, set to Step In Time from Mary Poppins. I wonder if it had been a less full-on dance - a slow foxtrot, waltz or rumba, perhaps - he might have been patched up, injected with painkillers and soldiered on? A Charleston leaves nowhere to hide if you’re not 100% fit.
In fact, Nigel joked this week that the routine was so fast and furious, he “needed oxygen” by the end, was at risk of “being sick” and he’d put St John’s Ambulance on standby. Little did he suspect that he might actually need them.
His reluctant late withdrawal caused production chaos at Elstree Studios. This afternoon, it wasn’t clear whether an elimination would still go ahead this weekend. “It’s a live situation and the logistical details will be revealed on the show this evening,” said a BBC spokesperson, with their stress levels almost audible.
What a palaver. It’s half an hour until the sparkly curtain comes up…
Injury heartbreak for Nigel Harman
Musicals Week has seen high drama before it’s even started. And it’s not good news for one unfortunate couple.
Good evening and welcome to week 11 of Strictly Come Dancing 2023. I’m Michael, your fellow theatre-goer for tonight’s musical theatre-themed quarter-final. I’d love you to watch along with me as our remaining couples perform routines inspired by West End and Broadway hits, bidding to make it through to the semi-final.
First, though, the headline news. Strictly has been rocked this afternoon by the late-breaking news that Nigel Harman has been forced to withdraw on medical grounds. He pulled out just hours before tonight’s live show after sustaining a rib injury and will leave the competition altogether.
What does this mean for the series? Well, it’s currently being reported that there will be no elimination this weekend and the four remaining couples will automatically progress to the semi-final. However, this isn’t 100% official and will be confirmed when the show gets underway. Intriguing.
It’s showtime at 7.25m on BBC One. I’ll be liveblogging from 6.55pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, analysis, reaction and waspish critiques from the dress circle. So don your theatrical finery, pre-order your interval drinks and I’ll see you on the sofa.
As always, I’d absolutely love to hear from you too. You can tweet me @michaelhogan, email me michael.hogan.freelance@guardian.co.uk and the comments section below is open for your first night reviews. I’ll don my opera glasses whenever I can to peer at you’re all saying.
Will Ellie Leach continue to set the pace? Can Layton Williams bounce back from the dance-off? Could Craig Revel Horwood finally brandish his elusive 10 paddle? And how are panicked producers going to fill the extra airtime? It’s nearly time to staaaaaart all-singing and all-dancing!
