Craig - Week Nine Performances

Shall we just begin then?

Let’s!

So how did you find Tommy and Flavia’s Charleston? You were quite harsh only giving them an eight when others were giving it a ten…

It was a very fun and pleasing Charleston, I must say, but I thought that some of the steps could have had a little more power and strength in them, but his acting was spot on!

You were still very harsh!

Well I am a harsh man amn’t I…

So what about Faye and Artem?

Em, you could tell it wasn’t her best dance. She looked out of place during it, I don’t know if that’s because she is usually quite upbeat, but it just looked very uneasy and perhaps awkward. There are always going to be some dances that suit some more than others and unfortunately the Argentine Tango just wasn’t her dance.

Okay thank you very much, Craig Revel Horwood!

Thank you!

So that's all for today. Thanks to all my guests tonight and thanks to you for watching!

Russell - Statistics

Russell shows us how much our couples have trained for so far this week:

John & Erin - 19.5 hours
Georgia & James - 18.5 hours
Perry & Kristina - 17 hours
Faye & Artem - 16.5 hours
Tommy & Flavia - 16.5 hours
Laura & Pasha - 15.5 hours


Russell then shows us the current average scores for each couple:

1 John & Erin - 34.3
2 Faye & Artem - 33.0
3 Laura & Pasha - 32.8
4 Tommy & Flavia - 30.9
5 Georgia & James - 29.9
6 Perry & Kristina - 22.3

Now it's time to talk to Georgia Taylor and James Jordan!

Georgia & James

A great score of 36 for your Foxtrot on Saturday - how did it go?

Great! I loved our routine and I couldn’t have wished for more positive feedback and scores!

Then the Swing A Thon came, and you scored 3…

Yea I wasn’t expecting to do too fantastically in that so…

Aw you weren’t too bad! Anyway, what two dances are you dancing this week?

We have the Quickstep and the Paso Doble!

How is training going?

I love the Quickstep! It’s so quick, fast and happy and we’re dancing to one of my most favourite songs ever!

Which is…

Lonely Hearts Club by Marina And The Diamonds!

Aw I love that song! Best of luck for Saturday, I’m sure you’ll do well!

Thank you!

And finally tonight we have Laura Trott and Pasha Kovalev!

Laura & Pasha

38 out of 40 and first place in the Swing A Thon, how were you feeling?

Over the moon - I couldn’t believe it! 38 is a great score and then to get 7 in the Swing A Thon is just fantastic!

Your Viennese Waltz was absolutely gorgeous!

Thank you!

So this week… Salsa and Quickstep. How is it going?

I love both of them because they are just so different! I’m quite a party girl so the Salsa is perfect for me!

Can you tell me what you’re dancing to?

Oh I don’t know if I’m allowed to do that! Our Salsa song is by Kylie Minogue and our Quickstep song is by The Hoosiers!

Wow - interesting! It’ll be a challenge thinking what the songs are!

Haha good luck!

Thank you Laura, best of luck with your two dances for Saturday!

Thank you!

So that's all for today. Thanks to all my guests tonight and thanks to you for watching!

Perry & Kristina

30 out of 40 for your American Smooth, and 1 for the Swing A Thon, leaving you second bottom on the leaderboard - how were you feeling?

Okay… that was my best score, and all I want to do is improve and I did that so I’m happy!

Aw Perry, you’re so cute! So, this week, what are you dancing this week?

The Charleston and the Argentine Tango…

Oh, let’s start with the Charleston - how is training?

I love it, I think it suits me perfectly, just because it’s so bright and bubbly!

What about the Argentine Tango?

Not as good unfortunately! The technique is very hard to grasp and it’s all very intense!

Aw, best of luck for Saturday Perry!

Thank you!

Now it's time to talk to the lovely Ian Waite!

Ian - Training

So let’s just begin! How are Faye and Artem getting on?

Right! They have the Tango and Samba this week and I must say there are generally no complaints! The Tango is looking very, very nice - very clean and sharp, and I think the Samba’s going well too, she just needs to try and keep the rhythm going throughout the whole dance!

I must say I love the song she’s doing the Tango to!

So do I, but don’t tell anyone!

Haha, how are Tommy and Flavia doing?

They’re dancing the Rumba and American Smooth this week, and I’d like to start off with the Rumba. He’s doing well, but he just needs to extend his lines a little more, which takes me into the American Smooth as it’s looking too jolty, when it should, obviously, be smooth. A bit of work to do but I’m sure he can pull it off!

I’m sure he can too! Thank you Ian! So that's all we've got time for today! Thanks to all my guests tonight and thanks to you for watching!

Faye & Artem

34 out of 40 for your Argentine Tango, and then 5 in the Swing A Thon - how were you feeling?

Great! I thought the Argentine Tango would go a lot worse than that, and I am pleased about my Swing A Thon score!

Why did you think the Argentine Tango wouldn’t go as well as it did?

I was just very unsure about the acting of it - it’s a very intense dance and I am not an intense person!

Too right! So this week, you have the Tango and Samba. How are they coming along?

They’re coming along well actually! I think the Tango is fantastic, and Artem’s choreography is great for it - I just need to make sure I can act it better!

And what about the Samba?

Surprisingly, it’s coming along well too! It’s so bouncy and fun and I am a real party girl at heart so it’s perfect!

Wow, sounds great! Best of luck for Saturday - I’m sure you’ll do well!

Thank you Zoe!

Now it's time to talk to Tommy Knight and Flavia Cacace!

Tommy & Flavia

37 for your Charleston - two tens! How did it go?

Wow! I honestly couldn’t have asked for it to have gone better - I still can’t believe I got two tens!

I know! I think Craig must have been in a very bad mood to give it eight - very undermarked!

Thank you haha!

What dances have you got this week?

We’re dancing the American Smooth and the Rumba!

Oooo! How is training?

Great actually - they’re very different because in the Rumba you have to act really romantic and it’s really slow whilst the American Smooth is jazzy and a bit more upbeat! It’s tricky but I love it!

I’m sure I will too - I can’t wait to see them! Good luck!

Thanks!

And finally tonight, it's time for a peak at this week's costumes!

Costumes

Zoe enters wardrobe and takes a look through this week's costumes:

Faye & Artem's Samba

Laura & Pasha's Quickstep

John & Erin's Argentine Tango

So that's all we've got time for today. Thanks to all my guests tonight and thanks to you for watching!

John & Erin

34 for your haunting Rumba and then 6 in the Swing A Thon - how were you feeling?

I loved our Rumba routine so much and was a bit disappointed with Len’s comments - Erin had choreographed it wonderfully!

Yes she had! Then of course you ended up in the bottom two, how were you feeling then?

I really thought we’d be going because middle of the leaderboard is not a safe place to be, but I’m so happy we were through to this week!

Talking of this week, you are dancing the Argentine Tango and the Salsa - how is training?

I love them both so much, the Argentine Tango because it is so technical and sexy, whilst the Salsa is a full on party dance!

I’m really looking forward to seeing these - I think you’ll be fantastic!

Thanks Zoe!

So best of luck tomorrow!

Thank you!

Now it's time to bring in my wonderful Friday panel!

Friday Panel

I’m with my wonderful Friday panel of TV baker Paul Hollywood, Countdown hostess Rachel Riley and the one and only Twiggy! So let’s start with you Paul, who have you got your eye on?

I think they’re all doing a fantastic job but my money is with John! He was the best from the start and I think he’s maintained his quality of dancing, even though a lot more people are improving!

As we know, he has the Argentine Tango and the Salsa this week. How do you think he’ll do?

I think he’ll do well in both, but if I had to pick, I’d say he’d do better in the Argentine Tango.

Okay, thank you Paul! What about you Rachel?

Well I have two favourites - Faye and Laura! I think they’re both great, and they’re good at doing each different dance, which is what I like!

Now Laura has the Quickstep and Salsa this week and Faye has the Tango and Samba. Who do you think will score higher?

Oh no, I really can’t choose! I think, just because of the dances, Laura will score higher…

Strong words from Rachel there! Finally, Twiggy, who are you liking?

I think everyone loves Perry don’t they! I love how he doesn’t care that he isn’t the best, he just gets on with the job and lets the public decide if they want to keep him in or not!

I admit, I do love Perry! He’s dancing the Charleston and the Argentine Tango this week, how do you think he’ll do?

I think he will be great at the Charleston, but I’m not sure about the Argentine Tango, we’ll have to wait and see!

Thanks Twiggy! And thanks to all my Friday panel for being great, as usual!

Thank you!

So that's all we've got time for today! Thanks to all my guests tonight and thanks to you for watching!

Welcome to Strictly Come Dancing's live quarter final! Tonight our six couples will take to the floor twice, hoping to impress the judges and you at home. Last week, newsreader Louise Minchin and Robin Windsor reported goodbye, but who will it be this week? Anyway, Let's meet the stars of our show...

From Steps, Faye Tozer and her dance partner Artem Chigvintsev!
EastEnders actor Perry Fenwick and his dance partner Kristina Rhianoff!
Actor Tommy Knight and his dance partner Flavia Cacace!
Casualty and Coronation Street actress Georgia Taylor and her dance partner James Jordan!
Olympic golden girl Laura Trott and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev!
And finally, singer and actor John Barrowman and his dance partner Erin Boag!

First up tonight we have John and Erin!