Strictly Come Dancing live: Blackpool week gets competitive ahead of Tasha Ghouri and Pete Wicks’ performances
Only eight couples remain in the BBC dance competition
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
Amy Dowden ‘gutted’ to be missing Blackpool Week of competition
Amy Dowden has admitted she’s deeply disappointed not to be performing in Blackpool.
The professional dancer was forced to quit this year’s Strictly series due to injury, which is the second time she has been prevented from dancing in the competition as a result of health complications.
Speaking to Christine Lampard on Lorraine, Dowden said: “It’s the goal, everyone wants to make it to Blackpool there’s something so special in there. I’m just so gutted I won’t be dancing there this weekend.”
She continued: “It’s definitely not the way I wanted it but I’m so proud of JB, Lauren’s doing a great job. Obviously I planned the series for him to have his best numbers towards the end to get him to that final as he’s so talented.
Dowden added: “I’ve seen the quickstep, everyone’s in for a treat, I think there’s more tens coming!”
Read more here:
Strictly star Amy Dowden’s health journey as she’s forced to exit competition
Dancer has been replaced by Lauren Oakley in this year’s competition
Strictly pro predicts couples who will be in the bottom two after Blackpool performances
Hours ahead of Blackpool week former Strictly star Ola Jordan has predicted which celebrity is most likely to leave the competition this weekend.
“I think Wynne and Montell will be in the bottom two this weekend, or Wynne and possibly Jamie,” Jordan said in a new interview with Mecca Bingo.
Evans and his pro partner Katya Jones survived the dance-off when they faced Shayne Ward and his partner Nancy Xu last week. For week nine, they will perform a Charleston to “Carmen Suite No. 1: 5. Les toréadors” by George Bizet.
Jordan continued: “I don’t think Pete Wicks will be in the bottom two yet, but he’s got a tricky dance so he might not do that well. I’m still thinking he’s going to get votes though so for me, Wynne and Montell or Wynne and Jamie will be in the bottom two this weekend.”
What is the most successful Blackpool week dance?
In the history of Strictly’s Blackpool Week, the Quickstep has been the highest scoring dance with 22 10s awarded suring the series’ 20 year long run.
Meanwhile, the American Smooth comes in second for points with 15 10s and in third place is the Charleston with 13 10s.
There have only been five couples to ever score a perfect 40 at Blackpool: Fleur East and Vito Coppola in 2022, Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse in 2016, Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani and Jason Donovan and Kristina Rihanoff in 2011.
After scoring the first 10s of the season and topping the Strictly leaderboard for multiple consecutive weeks, Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri is this year’s favourite to be awarded a perfect score.
Nancy Xu calls out Strictly judges for treatment of Shayne Ward after shock exit
Strictly Come Dancing pro Nancy Xu has called out the show’s judges what she deemed to be “unfair” treatment of her celebrity partner Shayne Ward after his surprise 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].”
Read more below:
Strictly pro isn’t happy with how judges treated Shayne Ward
‘You deserve something better!’ Ward’s partner Nancy Xu said of result
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:
Strictly Come Dancing reveals songs and dances for Blackpool week
Here are all the songs and dance routines to expect when ‘Strictly’ returns to Blackpool on Saturday
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