There was plenty to celebrate on this week’s Strictly Come Dancing as the first 40 of the series was finally awarded.
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec — who had previously been given 39s on three occasions — landed the score thanks to their emotional American Smooth, dedicated to the professional’s young daughter, Lyra.
Giving their critiques, the judges labelled the routine “perfection” and “the Rolls Royce of the American Foxtrot”.
“Unfortunately, now for the truth darling, your right little finger... ” Craig Revel Horwood quipped, before adding: “Fab-u-lous.”
The live show also saw Chris McCausland take on the Paso Doble, which was extra special as his partner Dianne Buswell’s parents had flown over from Australia and were watching in the audience.
Sarah Hadland impressed with a Rumba (which Vito Coppola had packed with difficult choreography) while Pete Wicks’ fans suggested his song choice may have impacted his scores.
The action all took place after a tense Blackpool week that saw Wynne Evans and his partner Katya Jones eliminated.
Another celebrity will leave the competition in Sunday (November 24) night’s results show, which airs on BBC One at 7.20pm.
Here’s Saturday night’s show as it happened.
Strictly Come Dancing week 10
- Recap: Here’s last week’s leaderboard
- How does the Samba-thon work?
- Sarah Hadland’s Rumba divides the judges
- Two special guests cheer on Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell
- Tasha Ghouri lands the first 40 of Strictly 2024
- JB Gill wins the Samba-thon
This week’s songs and dances revealed
15:27 , Ellie MuirHere are all of the songs and dances for week 10 of the competition:
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe will dance a Quickstep to “Get Happy” by Ella Fitzgerald.
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola will dance a Rumba to “Chains” by Tina Arena.
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec will dance an American Smooth to “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi.
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will dance a Paso Doble to “El Gato Montes” by Manuel Panella.
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas will dance a Foxtrot to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.
JB Gill and Lauren Oakley will dance a Charleston to “Yes Sir! That’s My Baby” by Firehouse Five Plus Two.
Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał will dance a Tango to “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins.
Recap: Everything that happened last week
16:30 , Ellie MuirLast week was Blackpool week, which saw the departure of opera singer Wynne Evans and his partner Katya Jones.
Meanwhile, Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec held their position at the top of the leaderboard for the third week running with their Paso Doble. They were joined at the top of the leaderboard by Hadland and Vito Coppola who also scored 39 points for their performance.
Closely behind them was comedian Chris McCausland who scored his highest score of the series for his American Smooth to “Jump” by Paul Anka, which left his professional partner Dianne Buswell in tears of joy.
At the other end of the scale was Pete Wicks who scored 27 points for his Cha Cha to “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred.
The reality star was praised for his upper body isolation. However, his “entertaining” hip action left judges in fits of laughter.
Will Ghouri, Hadland and McCausland be able to hold their positions in the top three this week?
Viewers conflicted over last week’s scoring
17:30 , Ellie MuirViewers were left conflicted over the judges’ scoring during last week’s show.
Judge Craig Revel-Horwood awarded TOWIE star Pete Wicks a brutal score of four, which enraged some viewers. Others, however, thought it was fair.
Read more here:
Strictly Come Dancing viewers divided over scores for Pete Wicks’ ‘awful’ Cha Cha
How does the Samba-thon work?
18:46 , Rachel McGrathTonight’s episode will include an extra special element, not seen on Strictly since 2018.
It seems quite simple and yet, can so easily descend into chaos. Dance-a-thons are a regular element in real world dancing competitions and championships, and involve all pairs dancing (in this case, doing a Samba) at the same time. The judges will then eliminate the couples one by one until only the winners remain. Basically, it’s exactly the same as the dance contest in Grease.
And it’s not just for fun. The couple’s standings will be converted into points and added to their scores, so the Samba-thon has the potential to change the leaderboard.
And we’re off!
19:06 , Rachel McGrathThere are just seven couples left in the competition and the final is in sight.
Tonight, the remaining pairs will be dancing twice as they’re performing their own routines and then taking part in a Samba-thon. The last time Strictly aired a dance-a-thon was in 2018 and let’s just say it ended in total chaos as the judges’ electronic scoreboards failed. Hopefully, they use good old pen and paper this year.
Pete opens the show
19:13 , Rachel McGrathLet’s be honest: Pete is least-skilled dancer of the celebrities left (and has arguably been the weakest for at least a couple of weeks). Viewers’ votes have kept him in the competition though, and it has to be noted that he’s never afraid of throwing himself in whole-heartedly. By which I mean, I’m still not over the neon pink trousers he wore in Blackpool.
Tonight he’s opening the show with a Tango, which is no small task and, as he put it in his VT “going all at it” and it’s not too bad! There’s certainly an intensity between Pete and Jowita too, which definitely adds to it.
Pete praised for ‘improving dramatically'
19:16 , Rachel McGrathHere’s what the judges told the TOWIE star.
“I’m so glad to see you back in the ballroom, this really suits you. i’ loved your top line, it was very controlled and gave a good stance to the dance,” said Motsi, though she did observe “a touch of hesistation” from Pete as he moved into the solid Tango sections.
Shirley told him: “What I love is, you come out and you’re absolutely focussed on the job at hand. I thought you did very well this week.”
“You’ve improved so dramatically, this is really great,” said Anton.
Obviously, Craig brought the mood down. “Well darling... It’s not difficult to improve on last week, let’s face it. The footwork was a little bitb unsure and unsteady. The timing was a little bit dlow and behind, I think because you’re lacking the drive this dance needs.”
Maybe he will survive another week after all!
Pete’s scores are in...
19:17 , Rachel McGrathGoing along the panel, he received a 6 - harsh! - then a 7, an 8 and another 8, for a total of 29.
Amy Dowden in the Clauditorium!
19:20 , Rachel McGrathAmy’s back! It’s lovely to see her cheering on the celebs (including JB, who she was paired with). And she looks stunning in pink.
Sarah dances the Rumba
19:22 , Rachel McGrathSarah’s dance was a real fan favourite in Blackpool and I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched it at least once a day since last Saturday.
Now she’s doing a Rumba, the only dance style that’s never been scored with a 40 on the show. This is beautiful (and I wouldn’t expect anything less from the amazing Sarah at this point). It’s properly intense with stunning lifts and spins, and it’s nice to see another Rumba that doesn’t involve wafting around in barefeet.
A standing ovation for Sarah
19:26 , Rachel McGrathAnd the judges loved it (mostly).
“For me, that was choreography that belonged in a major championship,” said Shirley, the Queen of the Rumba. “It had everything. I would have to say that’s the best Rumba of the season so far.”
Anton added: “I would agree. That’s probably one of the best dances you’ve done of the season so far.” He then told an anecdote about bumping into a woman in a supermarket, which was sort of relevant, I guess?
Anyway, what did Craig say? Well. “I thought it was a very technical routine. It was technically very very good however, I feel it lacked chemistry.” I think we were watching different Rumbas?
Motsi did not agree... but then decided she did. “I feel like there was so much choreography but I would have loved a bit more ooziness. I need a moment where you use the music to show the softness.”
Sarah’s scores are in...
19:28 , Rachel McGrathIt’s 8s from Craig and Motsi, and 10s from Shirley and Anton, for a total of 36.
I’m taking a moment to reflect on the fact I agree with Anton for once.
JB’s doing the Charleston
19:30 , Rachel McGrathI say this every time someone dances one, but I do love a Charleston. Poor Wynne struggled with his last week - and was booted out of the competition on Sunday - but I have high hopes for JB.
JB’s Charleston delivers
19:34 , Rachel McGrathHe didn’t get worn out halfway through, which is a genuine achievement in its own right. The lifts were great too.
Craig didn’t have anything bad to say, succintly remarking: “That was pure class.” Could he finally reach for his 10 paddle?
“Your joy for the dance was superb,” said Shirley. “Thak you for bringing so much joy, that was amazing.”
“Absolutely brilliant,” said Anton. “Just loose, brilliant, stylish, fantastic.”
JB’s scores are in...
19:35 , Rachel McGrathIt’s a 9 from Craig and 10s from the rest, putting JB and Lauren top of the leaderboard with 39.
Jamie gives the Foxtrot a go
19:40 , Rachel McGrathHow can you possibly top being lowered into the Blackpool Tower ballroom on a glittering bottle of ketchup? I have no idea to be honest, but Jamie is trying with a Foxtrot to “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.
What a beautiful routine, though it is a little slow for my liking. Jamie looks properly dapper in a waistcoat and tie though, which Anton will surely love.
Judges call for Jamie to ‘go to the next level’
19:43 , Rachel McGrath“I love the fact when you rehearse you think of me,” said Anton. “I can see a lot has rubbed off, your boyish charm, your good looks.
He did then give a useful critique though, saying: “You dance beautifully but I want you to go to the next level. I want to see what you have inside coming out. Go mad for a day in rehearsal, be ridiculous and over the top. This is the bit you lack.”
“You’ve got all the facility in the world, you just need a bit of swing and sway in there,” said Craig.
Motsi added: “It had an old school vibe but maybe that can look a little bit slow and monotone.”
Shirley concluded: “I think we’ll agree you’re one of the frontrunners when it comes to men. There were some nice things I liked but I agree with Motsi, it seemed a monotone, all on one level. But keep working on it, we all believe in you.”
Jamie’s scores are in...
19:45 , Rachel McGrath1It’s 8s from Craig and Motsi, a 7 from Shirley and a 9 from Anton, which makes 32.
Dianne’s mum and dad make a guest appearance
19:47 , Rachel McGrathTonight’s performance is special for Dianne as her parents have flown over and are sitting in the audience. Chris had made it his mission to last long enough in the competition so Di’s parents could see them dance and he’s actually done it!
Chris has plenty to celebrate when it comes to Strictly, but that’s another acheivement to add to the list.
Chris gets his game face on
19:51 , Rachel McGrathI do love a good Paso face. That was slightly stompy in the more walk-like parts... I’m not sure how much Chris loved the Paso Doble.
Dianne’s dead is in tears, which is very sweet.
And Chris had a cracker ready for Craig. “Before you speak, I’d just like to say I’ve listened to your album and I thought it was really good,” he quipped. “We were saying 10 out of 10 really.”
Did it work? Craig had a few bones to pick but ultimately labelled it “a really solid performance”.
Chris’s scores are in...
19:56 , Rachel McGrathHe’s received a 7 from Craig, 8 from Motsi, and 9s from Shirley and Anton, giving him 33 — his highest score yet for a Latin dance.
Montell bounces back from the dance-off
20:00 , Rachel McGrathMontell and Johannes boucing back from being in the dance-off last week with a Quickstep to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Get Happy”.
Montell is such a wonderful performer. This is a beautiful, joyous routine (as a Quickstep should be). And they both look so happy to be performing it! I know we have a few couples still to dance, and the Samba-thon, but Montell really doesn’t deserve the dance-off again.
The judges are loving Montell
20:02 , Rachel McGrathShe’s been labelled “quite delightful” by Shirey, while Anton has praised Montell for improving every week. “This is as good as your Couple’s Choice,” he added. “I think this was absolutely brilliant.”
Craig said: “The dynamics in that dance were out of this world. Great, great, great... Amazing.”
“What you never lose is that shine, that sparkle,” Motsi told the Gladiators star. I think she could be in for a high score here.
Montell’s scores are in...
20:05 , Rachel McGrathShe’s got two 10s!
Craig awarded Montell an 8 and Shirley went for a 9, while their fellow judges reached for their 10 paddles.
She has a total of 37, which is very well-deserved.
Can Tasha land a 40?
20:08 , Rachel McGrathAs Tess pointed out, the Love Island star has been scored 39 on three occasions so far but Craig has been holding out with that 10.
They’ve gone all out with the lifts tonight and the dance, an American Smooth to Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”, is dedicated to Aljaz and Janette’s adorable daughter Lyra.
The routine is... well, just absolutely stunning. Wonderfully smooth, and they made the lifts look easy. How it possible to be spun at such speed and not have a hair out of place?
Judges speechless at Tasha’s Foxtrot
20:11 , Rachel McGrath“Stunning... wow,” said Motsi. “I have only one word to say. Perfection.”
“There we see the Rolls Royce of the American Foxtrot,” said Shirley, before revealing Anton had become emotional and shed a tear. He explained: “This is why we dance. It’s about how it makes us feel.”
“Unfortunately, now for the truth darling... your little right finger,” Craig began, before adding: “Fab-u-lous.”
Tasha lands the first 40 of the series
20:14 , Rachel McGrathSo well-deserved!
Here was their reaction as Craig finally found that 10 paddle:
Time for the Samba-thon
20:17 , Rachel McGrathThe judges are giving the celebs some last minute tips and they all look completely terrifed. I’m so excited for this.
“You want to stand out in the crowd,” Craig told them. “You’ve got to do anything and everything you can. You don’t want to be crashing into another couple.”
Chris first out of the Samba-thon
20:19 , Rachel McGrathJB and Lauren wasted not time in going strsight down the middle of the floor. Sarah and Vito are shimmying along the side right in front of the judges.
Chris and Dianne are first out! He’ll probably be glad to be honest. Jamie and Michelle have gone out next, followed by Pete and Jowita.
Not as chaotic as it could have been
20:20 , Rachel McGrathAll in all, this isn’t too bad! And the method of the judges calling the names out and ousting each couple one by one has certainly helped make it less chaotic.
Sarah and Vito have missed out on being top three, with Montell and Johannes going next to leave us two celebs (JB and Tasha).
JB and Lauren win the Samba-thon
20:22 , Rachel McGrathTess and Claudia are now announcing the full scores, and the winner is... JB Gill!
They were fabulous from the start, to be honest and the top score of 7 puts JB and Lauren joint top of the leaderboard with Tasha and Aljaz.
See you next week!
20:39 , Rachel McGrathThat’s it from me this week. We’ll find out who leaves the competition in tomorrow night’s results show which is on BBC One at 7.20pm.
I’ll be back next week, to join you as the remaning six couples fight for their places in the competition once again. See you then!
