Actress Sarah Hadland and Love Island star Tasha Ghouri have jointly topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard in Blackpool.
The BBC One show was broadcast from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Saturday, celebrating its 20th year by opening with the professional dancers dancing to the Pet Shop Boys performing a medley of their hits, including It’s A Sin, Suburbia and What Have I Done To Deserve This.
The judges gave both Ghouri and Hadland a near-perfect score of 39 points.
Motsi Mabuse described Ghouri’s intense and dramatic paso doble routine to Nathan Lanier’s Torn, during which professional Aljaz Skorjanec flung her through his legs, as the “dance of the night”.
Hadland and her partner Vito Coppola’s couple’s choice routine to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue was described by judge Craig Revel Horwood as “a little too perfect”.
Horwood told them he knew “it sounds weird”, but felt that Hadland lacked emotion, which he felt “brought you out” of the performance at moments.
Comedian Chris McCausland opened the show, delivering a classical American smooth routine to Canadian-born singer Paul Anka’s Jump with his partner Dianne Buswell.
Head judge Shirley Ballas told black tie-wearing McCausland that he had the “best feet I’ve seen in a long time”, and “didn’t miss a beat”, while Anton Du Beke said “if anyone can beat that tonight, I’d be amazed”.
Buswell and McCausland earned 37 points from the judges, as co-host Tess Daly said they were the 100th Strictly couple to perform in Blackpool.
Bottom of the leaderboard was reality star Pete Wicks, who danced a cha cha to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred with professional Jowita Przystal, and opera singer Wynne Evans, who finished his Charleston routine by swinging his partner Katya Jones by her feet.
Du Beke praised Evans’ dance to Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No 1: 5. Les Toreadors for its enthusiasm and commitment, but told him he looked “exhausted towards the end of the dance”.
The judges gave them 31 points.
Mabuse told Wicks she “loved it for all the wrong reasons”, and “wished the dancing had supported it”.
The couple received 27 points.
Ending the show was EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, who descended onto the dancefloor astride a giant ketchup bottle prop, before performing a jive routine with partner Michelle Tsiakkas.
Ballas criticised the dance for being “overtried just a tad”, while praising the “absolute entertainment”, and the judges gave them 33 points.
Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas and JLS singer JB Gill both received 35 points from the judges.
Gill has been dancing with professional partner Lauren Oakley since week seven following the exit of Amy Dowden, who was forced to pull out because of injury.
After the end of the live show, professional Carlos Gu led the audience in a rendition of Gloria Gaynor hit I Will Survive, and was joined by Strictly: It Takes Two presenter Fleur East, who jumped up from the front row to dance with him in the ballroom.
Sharing the behind-the-scenes video on Instagram, former Strictly contestant and 5 News broadcaster Dan Walker wrote: “There ain’t no party like a Strictly in Blackpool party.”
Strictly’s results show airs on Sunday.
