Strictly Come Dancing LIVE: Chris McCausland sparks tears as Jamie and Montell top leaderboard
All the updates from week five of the BBC dancing competition
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Strictly Come Dancing is back to BBC One this evening for week five of the competition amid a rollercoaster few days on and off the screen for the show, with Nick Knowles being the latest star to say goodbye.
Liverpudlian Chris McCausland has delivered the most emotional moment of the night with a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” that left head judge Shirley Ballas in tears.
And while last Saturday saw former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri awarded the first 10s of the series so far, having impressed the judges with her Coachella themed Charleston, it’s finally someone else’s turn to top the leaderboard.
The honour is being shared by Jamie Borthwick, for his Pasodoble, and Montell Douglas, who performed a Couple’s Choice. Both stars landed three 10s and a 9, giving them each a total of 39.
Last week’s episode was not without controversy. Towards the end of the show, the celebrities and their professional partners gathered in the “Clauditorium” – the upstairs area where host Claudia Winkleman chats to the contestants in between performances – before the voting lines opened, just as they do every week.
This time, though, dancer Katya Jones was captured on camera as she appeared to move opera singer Wynne Evans’s hand off her midriff and onto her hip. Earlier in the programme, she seemed to reject a high five from her partner. Seeing these two incidents in quick succession moved viewers to start speculating about whether Jones was feeling uneasy. Social media was soon awash with comments from Strictly fans: “Something is off,” one Twitter/X viewer claimed, while others described the interaction as “uncomfortable”.
The pair quickly moved to shut down the rumour mill, sharing an Instagram video in which they said they were “just messing around”. In his post, Evans wrote the high fives were a “running joke” between them. Jones, a Strictly veteran of eight years, later doubled down with another video on Sunday, describing the row as “quite absurd” and asking fans to focus their attention on Evans’s “amazing” progress in the competition.
There is no theme for this weeks show so an eclectic mix of songs and performances with the tunes already being announced by the BBC.
Chris takes a hilarious swipe at Craig
The comedian had the pefect comeback ready as Craig gave his critique.
“The beard doesn’t suit you and even I know that,” he quipped. I actually like the beard for what it’s worth, but his joke gets a 10 from me.
Chris leaves the crowd in tears
Am I crying? Yes, I am. So is Shirley on the panel and Oti Mabuse in the audience.
Chris is a phenomenal guy and he’s been bringing so much fun and laughter to this series, but it was so beautiful to see his softer side.
Chris’s routine feels familiar...
This promises to be an emotional one. But Simon Rimmer, also a devout Liverpudlian fan, took on a Waltz to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” back in 2017 and left head judge Shirley Ballas in tears. Here’s his routine:
Jamie’s scores are in...
And he’s landed 39! With 10s from all the judges apart from Craig (who else would it be?).
That’s the joint highest score from the series so far.
Jamie wins over the judges
With Ian Beale (well, Adam Woodyatt) cheering him on, Jamie won high praise from the judges.
Craig said: “In my best East End darling, Paso bleedin’ tastic, darling!”
“All that intension, intensity, beintg alive with your dance partner... brilliant,” added Motsi, before Shirley praised Michelle for her “outstanding” choeography. “That was an absolutely remarkable Pasodoble,” the head judge continued.
Rounding things off, Anton praised Jamie’s eight ‘fregolinas’ (yes, I had to google how to spell that) and said: “You will never dance a better dance than that.” High praise indeed!
Can Jamie deliver a ‘wow’ moment?
Jamie and Michelle landed in joint second on the leaderboard last week with a score of 34, including two 9s. Will their Pasodoble get them any 10s?
The EastEnders star is a solid contender but he hasn’t so far had a ‘wow’ moments on the dancefloor.
Punam’s scores are in...
It’s a four from Craig! Ouch. A 6 from Motsi, 5 from Shirley, and 6 from Anton give her a total of 21.
It’s just point more than last week, when she ended up bottom of the leaderboard...
Punam and Gorka perform a Waltz
Punam has had the full spectrum of Strictly experiences, delivering the dance of the night in Movie Week with her Bollywood routine, only to find herself bottom of the leaderboard last week.
Viewers’ votes saved her from the dreaded dance-off, but she really needed to pull something great out of the bag this week. That was a beautiful Waltz and she certainly looked less nervous than last week, but will it be enough?
JB’s scores are in...
Two 7s and two 8s give the JLS singer a solid 30, the same score as last week.
He received mixed reviews from the judges. Anton started by labelling the routine “clean [but] a little heavy and a little stompy” — and Craig agreed with him.
Things got a little better when Motsi shared her thoughts, as she said: “There were plenty of good things going for you in that Jive, do keep up the good work”.
“Every week, you’re bringing something new to your dancing,” added Shirley. “What a divine performane to start the show.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments