Laura on her way to the Strictly studios.

Can someone please vote for laura and gio tonight

Hi lewis I'll be voting for Laura and Daisy tonight, fingers crossed.

Could you please put in an extra vote for laura and Gio please

Thanks for the links, Ochre. Imagining myself wearing those sunglasses and how utterly ridiculous I'd look!

Looking forward to tonight's show, I love Halloween week. Just going to enjoy it for what it is and hope that Laura and Gio have a great time being back on the show.

I actually think laura might be in danger tonight

Ochre - thanks for posting that Mirror article - very interesting. Its funny, if she had put it more like that on ITT with Zoe, it would have come across MUCH better. I didn't think that ITT was too bad but it wasn't somehow great at describing the whole injury drama as you said.

I re-watched it again, and thought on reflection they (Gio and Laura) had fallen into the trap of 'chatting to Zoe Ball' rather than talking to the viewers at home. Laura was positive, but a bit 'brittle' at times. And, again on reflection, I was really surprised that Gio hadn't prepared something more technical to say about how to dance Tango with a leg injury. He also needs to up his game a bit in prepping for ITT - very very difficult in a second language of course - but he knows a lot about dance and it would be nice to hear him express a little bit more of that knowledge.

There was another brief snippet with Laura, also taken from that evening, where she talked about the show a bit (Daily Express)
Laura, 31, said: “You feel like the bridesmaid and you want to be the bride. I was hanging around Elstree Studios and I wasn’t allowed to dance.

“It’s very much like going to the party but not feeling you should be there. I kept crying all the time.
Ed [Balls] is tI don’t know how he would have fixed it. You know what I love about him, he just throws himself in and he doesn’t care. He got his first spray tan last week. He just goes for it.”he nicest man in the world. He is a sweetheart and offered to rub my ankle better. (A bit about her friend having flown over from Dublin follows... then)

Super-fit Laura also spilled the beans on the professional dancers’ diets saying she was astonished at the calorie-laden food they binge on before taking to the dance floor. “I have never eaten so much food in my life.

“I thought they would show us how to eat healthy but all the dancers eat is chocolate bars, chips, pizza and crisps.

"Giovanni eats burgers and chips and pizza every day – I have never seen him eat one thing that is green but they just burn it off – look at their bodies.”

Bit in bold... absolutely no comment

Ha ha, I had a similar pair in my teens and no they didn't suit me

I love Halloween week too, can't wait to see all the costumes. Obviously expecting it could be a difficult night competition wise for Laura & Gio but like you just want them to enjoy it


I think so too lewis but although under difficult circumstances Gio has worked very hard with Laura this week and I'm sure they'll put on a good performance.

My loyalties and votes are split as I want Daisy to get her post dance off bounce but I will definitely be supporting Laura & Gio

Oh it's not fair is it? Those eat anything stay OMG WHAT A BODY people. Though I always think as I've always been a little chubby when middle aged spread hits it'll be less of a shock!

I really hope Laura stays in this week, ill be using all my votes I think!

I think she could be too, although I do say this every week! Normally I worry about it but just going to enjoy their performance tonight as it'll be nice to have them back.

Will be using all my votes for Laura this week - agree it feels like a dangerous week for her.

Unappreciating Alison Boshoff's unpleasant Daily Mail article (discussion on the MF). So Laura has been given the Helen George trademark 'aloof' label this year... Well.. if that is the worst they can print.. (I liked Helen last year and thought her charming)

I would like to Appreciate that in an article full of innuendo, there is absolutely no mention of Giovanni. The tabloids have run at him full tilt for two months and found nothing scandalous to print. GOOD. Presumably he is just, oh I dunno, Doing His Job. (Even if he is NOT EATING ENOUGH LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES according to Laura. Strictly Spinach Shocka etc etc etc )

Hi LL

Yes I would agree with what you said about them chatting more to Zoe at times rather than the viewers at home, the majority won't read her blog or newspaper articles about her. I understand them wanting to keep discussion of last Saturday vague and lighthearted but I felt more explanation was needed regarding her injury, why she couldn't dance the Jive rather than just how she felt about it, the basic advice she'd been given regarding her ability to continue in the competition and how she and Gio are working with that.

Last weekend's behind them now though and in just a few hours they'll be back on the dancefloor. Exciting, missed them last week.

I'm keeping fingers crossed their makeup as Mr and Mrs Death isn't too over the top and they're recognisable to viewers!

Gio's excited

Ha ha I liked that anecdote about Laura never having seen him eat anything green, he sure does the time in the gym and dance studio to burn it all off though.

Bit in Bold - SNAP! When I rewatched it, exactly what I thought. Too much feelings, not enough facts.

Can someone teach Gio how to spell EXCITED. If I read exaited again my fingers will twitch towards the red pen...

On second thoughts, can someone teach Gio a new word? Might put excited on the 'banned for overuse' list, with its friend amazing

Edit: Yes - let there be recognizable faces to vote for - no mask makeup please.

I will be voting for her tonight too

Let's just hope she enjoys the tango and hope for the best.

I'll be voting for 'em too. I'm a bit jittery about the whole thing and everything is up in the air this year... But for the mid-tablers, every vote counts. If the dances (or the judges) make a crowd favourite seem vulnerable, a very few votes could decide things in the middle

Good luck to them though!

Brave Laura!!

Afternoon everyone

Really looking forward to this weeks Strictly, I usually have to watch it on catchup but this week I am home to watch it live ! And can vote ! Yippee ! It will be very interesting to see how the judges score tonight ! I have a sneaky feeling they will probably mark quite generously this week for couples they want to keep in after last weeks shock result ! ( providing they do a good dance of course ), And I think Laura and Gio will be one of them ! I have looked at their training VT and I think it looks good and Laura will give it her all ! Gio can certainly choreograph a good tango if last years dance is anything to go on ! And we know what we all think of that one ! ❤️ 😂😂 Will be interesting to see how the general public vote this week too ! whether the injury and bi has a negative effect ! I can't remember what has happened in the past to any other couple who missed a week before ! Can anyone remember who and what happened ? We will just have to wait and see I suppose ! Tonight's show is going to be exciting ( and tense ) can't wait 😉😀

I got a feeling I will also be very active on this thread tonight too ! 😂😂😂😂

I haven't watch ITT. what do those that have think to the other couples dances ? Are they looking good / bad ?

All looking pretty good really, except for Ed and Greg.

Laura & Gio look stunning tonight! Fingers crossed they've done enough training and nothing bad happens tonight...

Mr and Mrs Death spook a skeletal Anton

Nice! The top half of Laura's costume looks a bit like the lovely quickstep dress, with the black lace over.

They look great! Really sorry I'm going to miss it tonight but keeping everything crossed they get through to next week...and really that they just have a ball! Enjoy everyone

(OT went to the Capuchin Catacombs yesterday where they have about 8,000 mummified bodies and skeletons attached to the walls. Not for the faint-hearted. Think I'll give Hallowe'en a miss this year...)

Laura stretching.

Dancing with a mad scientist

Love the back of her dress

Evening everyone. Are we all 'exaited' for tonight?

Really happy with that makeup for Gio and Laura if that is the finished result Ochre. You can still tell who they are - always helps! Laura's dress looks really stunning from the bodice part. Mr and Mrs Death do make a handsome couple.

Everyone looked pretty good in training apart from Ed and Greg.. Louise and Ore looked great and Danny was shaping up well. I don't know how on earth Brendan is going to Jive with his lungs in recovery mode but wishing him well tonight.

Hello MissD - I have seen pictures of those catacombs and you are far braver than I am! Really, really chilling.

Ed Balls mad scientist make up just looks The back of Laura's dress is stunning - well done Vicky Gill.

Edit: Gorka and Gio in spooky make up. https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJ0baBg...by=bbcstrictly Oddly alluring.