Not sure if it was my imagination but I got the impression that Tess was easing up on the habit that she had in previous series of encouraging viewers to vote for the bottom cuuuples (that's meant to be Tess-speak), and her "You can save them".

IMO, that's a very commendable change of policy.

I think we've often had occasions (eg Penny/Gabby) where the "wrong" couples, often couples who'd danced reasonably well and had been assumed safe, have ended up at the bottom, precisely because of unreasonable sympathy voting.

[Be careful not to put any spoilers about last night here, at least until after tonight's show]

Whether Tess's new policy had any effect on the outcome of last night's result ... we'll have to see.

The only pleading we got from Tess was to vote Mark and his swimingm-trunks into the final. Which is perfectly understandable!