Competition is fiercer than ever as the remaining eight Strictly Come Dancing couples head to the legendary Blackpool Tower ballroom for week nine of the series.
The show is usually held in the Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. But for one week each year, the show moves up north to the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool – an iconic and historical dancing venue.
It also marks a stage when the competition ramps up as the weaker dancers have typically been eliminated from the series.
Blackpool Week follows last week’s elimination of X Factor star Shayne Ward and his partner Nancy Xu, who faced singer Wynne Evans and pro partner Katya Jones in the dance-off.
Elsewhere, JB Gill and Lauren Oakley –who has stepped in for Amy Dowden who left the competition due to injury – and Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec, held their position at the top of the leaderboard for the second week running.
Meanwhile, Pete Wicks stole hearts with a Couple’s Choice dance dedicated to his late grandma, Doreen, who died in 2022.
Nancy Xu calls out Strictly judges for treatment of Shayne Ward after shock exit
Ward’s time on the series started in a rocky manner after he received criticism for appearing “overconfident” in the first episode.
His departure from the series arrived in equally controversial fashion; the result was the first split decision between the judges so far this series.
Xu wrote in a lengthy Instagram post:“I’m so sorry that the whole journey you received criticised seems more than you should, and people forget that you are coming from zero! To put up every Saturday night show like you did, you should deserve something better! [sic].”
Lydia Spencer-Elliott16 November 2024 15:01
Songs and dances revealed for Blackpool week
For Blackpool Week, Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will dance an American Smooth to “Jump” by Paul Anka while Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola will dance a Couple’s Choice to “Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue.
Meanwhile, Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe will dance a Salsa to “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Kylie Minogue, and Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec will dance a Paso Doble to “Torn” by Nathan Lanier.
For a the full list of songs and dances, read more below:
Lydia Spencer-Elliott16 November 2024 14:49