Strictly Come Dancing, week 10: Shirley Ballas' technical blunder – and four other talking points

The only thing anyone is going to be talking about is the head judge being thrown under the bus by technology

On a Strictly night of great dances and a couple of shockingly low scores, the only thing anyone is going to be talking about is Shirley Ballas being thrown under the bus by a technical error. The moment in question madeher look incapable of reading aloud and saw co-presenter Tess Daly silently stunned as the floor manager (presumably) fainted.

Up until then, the most shocking moment of the night was one of this series’s favourites – former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts – only finishing third on the leaderboard.

Here are the episode's five biggest talking points.

The Lindyhop-athon

There were many sniggers about how our seven remaining couples might crash into each other when they all took to the floor simultaneously to lindyhop the audience into submission. But in the end, it was the judges who provided the carnage. When the music stopped, Ballas was asked to read out who came 7th. After a technical error meant her digital read out was unavailable, she reached for a scrap of paper and duly read out who had come first. Then she got the names of the professional dancers wrong. And was left to tie herself in knots before Claudia Winklemen eventually diffused the tension with a couple of one-liners. Seann and Katya will be furious they now have competition for the most awkward moment of the series.

Faye and Giovanni’s dream waltz

Ashley and Pasha remain the only couple to receive a perfect 40 (translation: the only ones that Craig Revel-Horwood has given a ten), but Faye Tozer and her partner, Giovanni, got really close tonight. They were nervous after abandoning their American Smooth to save Gio’s bad back mid-week, in favour of a waltz mid-week. But you couldn’t tell: it was a dreamy, graceful routine met with a shower of judges’ compliments. They finished top of the leaderboard and surely booked their place in next week’s quarter final.

Stacey and Kevin’s fierce paso

Stacey Dooley loved her Blackpool salsa so much she didn’t wash her hair for a week to preserve the memories. Watch her interview on Friday’s It Takes Two if you don’t believe me. After initially panicking about the ‘Paso Dooley’, she really attacked this number and Kevin choreographed an incredible routine to atmospheric, authentic music. After waiting all series for a ten they got three. See you in the final, Stace.

Joe’s slam dunk of a street dance

Nothing divides an audience, or judging panel, like a YouTuber stepping on a ballroom floor with a basketball. While Shirley and Brrruno adored Joe sugg’s hip-hop inspired routine with props, tricks and writhing around on the ground, Craig and Darcey were a bit more reserved. Two tens seemed rather generous, but then again Strictly are always looking to encourage younger viewers to stay watching the show…

Lauren’s out of her depth

After hoping last week’s low-scoring Argentine Tango was a one-off, Lauren Steadman was gutted to get underwhelming feedback for her salsa tonight. Public support saves her every week, however vulnerable her spot on the leaderboard, but she’s struggling to keep up with the competition now. Will her fans save her again? Pool enthusiasts certainly won’t be impressed after she and her partner, AJ, wrecked a perfectly good table by jumping on it.

So, who will go? This is a very different question from who ‘should’ go? While Lauren was by far the weakest dancer, dance-off regulars Graeme and Charles both find themselves on the bottom half of the leaderboard. One of them is bound to run out of luck tomorrow night….