STRICTLY Come Dancing got emotional last night as Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin were moved to tears, hugging each other following a routine that was hailed as 'the best thing you've ever done'.
Craig Revel Horwood was on his feet applauding Layton and Nikita during the nail-biting Strictly semi-finals.
Twinning in matching suits, the dynamic duo took to the stage with a Charleston routine set to Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor’s Fit As A Fiddle.
Incorporating props like chairs, a ladder, and umbrellas into their high-energy performance, they danced their way straight into top marks territory with a perfect 40 points.
Revel Horwood declared it “the best Charleston I’ve ever seen in 20 years”.
Echoing his sentiments, Anton Du Beke praised Williams saying “that’s the best thing you’ve ever done”.
Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates…
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By Henry Moore
Fans slam judges as they claim Annabel was 'stitched up'
Strictly fans have hit out at the judges after claiming Annabel was "underscored" during yesterday's semi-final.
The 32-year-old receive a score of 32/40 for one of her performances.
One person wrote on X: "They’ve proper stitched Annabel up in this semi final. Proper agenda going on here #Strictly #SCD #StrictlyComeDancing."
A second fumed: "What’s going on?! @jojo_radebe and @Annabel_Croft seriously undermarked."
Even the professionals felt something was awry as they chanted "undermarked!" upon hearing the scores.
SCORE SUBJECT Strictly fans slam judges for 'having an agenda'
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By Henry Moore
Who has left Strictly so far?
Every Sunday, the BBC show waves goodbye to one more celebrity.
Last week Nigel has left due to an injury.
Here’s who has left the competition so far:
- Week eleven – Nigel Harman (Injury)
- Week ten – Angela Scanlon
- Week nine – Angela Rippon
- Week eight: Krishnan Guru-Murthy
- Week seven: Adam Thomas
- Week six: Zara McDermott
- Week five: Eddie Kadi
- Week four: Jody Cundy
- Week three: Nikita Kanda
- Week two: Les Dennis
- Week one: No one
Meet the Strictly Christmas line-up
It’s nearly December, which means the annual Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is just weeks away.
This year the BBC have brought in stars from the world of sports, music and television.
Here are all the celebs taking part:
- Danny Cipriani
- Tillie Amartey
- Keisha Buchanan
- Dan Snow
- Sally Nugent
- Jamie Borthwick
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By Henry Moore
Bobby Brazier's nan opens up about family feud
Bobby Brazier's nan has expressed her heartbreak at not being able to see the EastEnders star dance live.
She is yet to attend a Strictly live show due to an ongoing feud with Bobby's father.
Last night, Jackiey told The Sun on Sunday: “Unfortunately I haven’t seen Bobby live.
“I would have loved to, but it’s just one of those things.
“I’ve been supporting him from home, watching every moment.”
STRICTLY SNUB Bobby Brazier's nan opens up after she was snubbed from Strictly dancefloor
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By Henry Moore
Fans are desperate for Annabel to make it to the final
Strictly fans are praying Annabel Croft can make it through to the Strictly final next week.
One fan wrote on X – formerly known as Twitter: “Praying for Annabel, I might need to create burners to vote for her on Saturday.”
A second user stated: “Sadly, Annabelle is doomed.”
“Annabel… she’ll be great at the VW. tho I feel like since her couple’s choice, all her ballroom has been samey. I’m worried for her with the salsa,” wrote a third fan.
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By Henry Moore
Shirley Ballas opens up about misogyny in the dance industry
Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas has opened up about the misogyny she faced in the dance industry.
She told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs: "I was going through immense bullying in the industry from men at the top.
"I'll just go as far as that, and they were stopping my work.
"I was like an elite teacher, I was teaching the top couples in the world."
She added: "So there was an awful lot of things going on like that for no particular reason, other than that they didn't want a woman in any high places.
"And that's how I felt and that's my perspective on it."
She went on to say the dance world was once "100% a misogynistic industry.
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By Henry Moore
What time is Strictly Come Dancing on tonight?
Strictly Come Dancing is back tonight as we find out which three celebs will star in next week's final.
Tonight's episode airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7:20pm.
You can catch up with last night's action via iPlayer.
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By Henry Moore
Semi-final scores revealed
Here are the scores from last night's semi-final.
Each celeb performed two dances, but last week's points were carried over.
- Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin – 40 + 36 + 40 = 116 points
- Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola – 36 + 37 + 38 points = 111 points
- Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell – 34 + 38 + 35 = 107 points
- Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe – 33 + 32 + 33 = 98 points
Strictly fans accuse judge of 'favouritism' as fresh row erupts
Strictly Come Dancing fans have accused judge Motsi Mabuse of "favouritism" towards Layton Williams.
One person wrote: "I LOVE Nikita and Layton and they are amazing BUT Motsi never even offers constructive criticism. She's really favoured him throughout and she doesn’t try and hide it."
Another queried: "Motsi gave him a 9? Is she quite well?"
"Most difficult rumba?" one viewer asked. "What’s Motsi talking about?"
FIX FEARS Strictly fans accuse judge of 'favouritism' towards celeb in tense semi-final
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By Henry Moore
Dianne Buswell takes 'swipe' at rival ahead of tense elimination
Fans think they spotted Dianne Buswell taking a "swipe" at Layton Williams during yesterday's episode.
Speaking about her partner Bobby, Dianne said: "He also has started from zero. He came to me with no dance experience.
"He's only 20 years old, which to me, blows my mind every single day."
Eagle-eyed viewers pointed out that the comment about Bobby taking on the show without prior experience might be a dig aimed at Layton Williams.
DARING DI Strictly's Dianne Buswell makes shock 'swipe' as she bids for final spot
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By Henry Moore
‘Bring on the final’
Layton Williams is already looking ahead to next week’s final ahead of tonight’s explosive elimination episode.
The Bad Education star said: “I am so proud to get to the semi-final, so proud and so grateful.
“If next week (the final) happens, then bring it on. We will do what we do every week. We shall see.”
He added: “I feel I am a very strong person, the pressures of the outside world, putting that aside, mentally, physically, I feel the strongest I’ve ever been.
“If I can do Strictly, I feel like I can do anything.”
10 Strictly Come Dancing secrets
The festive season ain't complete without Strictly Come Dancing.
Known for its razzle-dazzle and twinkle-toed performers, there's a whole world backstage that keeps the show on its toes.
There's more than meets the eye from auditions to pre-show rituals – stuff that leaves viewers and audience members in the dark.
So let's take a sneak peek behind the sequins and spill the beans on 10 top secrets of this dance extravaganza – including why those balcony spectators never rise to their feet for dancers.
AY CA-RUMBA! Strictly Come Dancing secrets you didn’t know from pre-show rituals to songs
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By Simon Garner
Golden oldie
Tennis whizz Annabel Croft, 57, showed that Angela Rippon isn't the only over-50 who can strut her stuff on Strictly when she wowed the audience with a BACKFLIP in tonight's semi-final showdown.
Croft pulled out all the stops in her bid for a spot in the BBC dance competition's grand finale. She served up a spicy salsa filled with high-energy moves, proving she's not holding anything back.
Ballroom 'bullies'
Shirley Ballas, the head honcho of Strictly, is teetering on the brink of blowing the whistle on ballroom "bullies".
The 63-year-old dance veteran reckons that despite her decades in the industry – she kicked off her career in 1967 – attitudes towards women haven't budged an inch.
She revealed: “I don’t know how people get away with it until it becomes ‘name and shame’ and I am pretty much close to doing that I’ll tell you.”
When quizzed about whether misogyny was rife in the world of dance, she didn't mince words: “Yes for sure, 100 per cent for sure and I don’t think it is much better today. I still think that bullying goes on.
“There are a lot of great people in my industry, there are a lot of people who want to see people do extremely well and I think we have this handful of misogynistic people with egos that just will not deflate.”
STRICT VOW Strictly judge Shirley Ballas reveals she's on verge of naming showbiz 'bullies'
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By Simon Garner
Strictly descends into chaos
The BBC One's hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, was thrown into a frenzy during its live semi-final on Saturday night as the professional dancers kicked up a storm.
The evening saw the remaining celebrity contestants take to the dance floor twice. Among them was Annabel Croft who set the stage ablaze with her Salsa routine alongside pro partner Johannes Radebe.
While their performance wowed both those in attendance and viewers at home, it didn't quite cut it for the judges who picked out several errors. The 57-year-old former tennis player ended up with a total score of 32 points.
However, this didn't sit well with everyone in the studio. The audience erupted into boos while the professional dancers began to chant "undermarked", sending Strictly Come Dancing into an uproar.
studio drama Strictly descends into chaos as pros revolt and chant 'undermarked' at judges
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By Simon Garner
From 'polite' to 'feisty
Soap star Ellie Leach was told by head judge Shirley Ballas that she had some “unique and beautiful leg actions” following her first dance.
The soap star performed the cha cha cha to Mambo Italiano by Bette Midler with her dance partner Vito Coppola.
Du Beke described the dance as “absolutely beautiful” but Revel Horwood said it looked “a little bit too polite” and the pair were awarded 37 points from the judges.
The last dance was from Leach and Coppola who performed a couple’s choice to a Dua Lipa medley.
Revel Horwood described the dance as “feisty” and they were given 38 points from the judges.
'Beautiful, natural turns'
Annabel Croft performed a salsa to You’ll Be Mine (Party Time) by Gloria Estefan and received a score of 32 with her dance partner Johannes Radebe.
Croft’s second dance was a Viennese waltz to Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, in the style of Slow Moving Millie, originally by The Smiths.
Ballas told her she had “beautiful, natural turns” and the pair received 33 points.
'Best Charleston ever'
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin received a standing ovation from Craig Revel Horwood during the Strictly Come Dancing semi-finals.
For their second dance, Williams, 29, and Kuzmin, 25, wore matching suits as they performed the Charleston to Fit As A Fiddle by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor.
Revel Horwood said the dance was “the best Charleston I’ve ever seen in twenty years.”
'Now I'm convinced'
EastEnders star Bobby Brazier and his dance partner Dianne Buswell had kicked off the Strictly semi-finals with a quickstep to Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin and received 38 points.
Brazier and Buswell then danced a paso doble to Run Boy Run by Woodkid and were awarded 35 points from the judges.
Following the dance, judge Motsi Mabuse told Brazier that he had “convinced” her of his place in the final.
'Absolutely beautiful'
"Unique and beautiful leg actions" were the words of praise from top judge Shirley Ballas for Ellie Leach after her debut dance in the semi-finals of Strictly.
The soap sensation swayed to the rhythm of Bette Midler's Mambo Italiano, performing a cha cha cha with her twinkle-toed partner Vito Coppola.
Anton Du Beke was smitten by their performance, branding it as "absolutely beautiful". However, Craig Revel Horwood thought it was "a little bit too polite".
The dancing duo bagged a whopping 37 points from the judges.
The numbers are in…
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By Simon Garner
Judges score are in for Ellie
Craig Revel Horwood – 9
Motsi Mabuse – 9
Shirley Ballas – 10
Anton Du Beke – 10Well done Ellie!
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By Simon Garner
Ellie's up last
Ellie Leach and Vito will dance their couple's choice here.
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By Simon Garner
Judges scores are in for Annabel
Craig Revel Horwood – 8
Motsi Mabuse – 8
Shirley Ballas – 8
Anton Du Beke – 9Bit of surprise in the room that the scores didn't quite match the judges' comments. The 33 from that dance should be added to the 33 last weeks and the 32 Annabel earned earlier.
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By Simon Garner
Annabel's back
Annabel Croft returns with Johannes to dance the Viennese Waltz.
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Source: Read Full Article
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By Simon Garner
