Strictly week 4

[shallowness]

The bottom of both Tess and Claudia’s dresses let them down, although Claudia’s overall look was better, but enter Shirley in luscious green and a cape, and Motsi in an ace metallic drape dress.

Chris’s jive embraced the style of the song and the outfit, and the ‘baseball hands’ label. Entertaining opening, and I thought he deserved his 6s and 7s. (He talks too much though.)

Can’t fault Jason Donavon’s commitment to Ts and Cs.

Emma gets sophisticated songs for her ballroom, doesn’t she? Interesting choice to act her way through the VW. I thought this snarkily during the VT, but after the number, I thought this was a good direction for Anton to take her in. Mainly because her dancing bits were good. I thought that when she was acting out of hold, it took away the flow of her movement, but overall, a step up.

Catherine (and Johannes) then gave us the campest Charleston we’ve had for a while. It was very entertaining, but I felt she was just a shade off Johannes. Stil, this destroys my speed not suiting her theory.

I saw a shade of improvement in Alex, but was all too aware that she’s the weakest lady celeb left, and I don’t think it’s expressing herself that’s the problem.

It is hard to take someone who is not an 8 to 13-year-old girl seriously when they praise The Greatest Showman like that. But, anyway, I did think David’s height told against him and was paying more attention to Nadiya, so the judges’ gushing came as quite a surprise to me (8, Bruno, RLY?)

Apart from disbelief at the storyline where Oti’s character wanted to and did leave Kelvin’s, that was a spectacular rumba from him. I was glad some of the judges got over their lust or sisterliness to comment on the quality of the dancing.

Claudia’s jab about the Americana of Viscountess Emma’s routine suddenly seemed spot on. But I loved the sense of a cool girl being drawn into having fun and the energy.

Michelle produced such a good-quality salsa, with so many nice touches to it. You could understand why Gio-in-character would want to dance with her, although the moments where she seemed to up her tempo did grind the gears a little. I hadn’t seen the mistake, which probably cost her points and hope she doesn’t carry around with her perfectionist self. I appreciated what the judges said about the dance seeming to be improved.

It was so weird to see a non paso Spanish-themed dance, right? I thought they’d done a good job in the VT of explaining Will’s specific physical difficulties with the foxtrot. There was a bit of stiffness and a lot of Janette winding herself around him.

I loved Katya’s dress, didn’t think much of the messing abaht. Mike’s actual quickstep was zippy. Katya got very much stereotypical Russian about dance. Mike, as ever, talked too much (and is less funny than Chris) I was more with Craig – 9??

Saffron’s contemporary was pretty good, though I saw one disappointing wobble. The constant lifts were predictable, AJ, and maybe the speed of it helped disguise the lack of control to produce the exaggerated lines Craig was talking about, but their synchro was good. And I speak as someone for whom that song means little.

Very good tango from Karim on the relative comeback trail, one moment where I exclaimed ‘NICE!’ and then I started wondering if he was leading, because it sure looked like it. Craig thought so. Motsi kind of had to give a 10 after what she’d said. Amy coughed and coughed.

Some shake-ups in the so-called night of miracles, certainly. (It’d be cool if Karim got the rumba next week and Kelvin the tango, no.) As MIKE GOT A NINE AND DAVID AN EIGHT AND DEV IS A BETTER DANCER THAN THEM BOTH, I got sucked into voting (for Michelle, actually). Up until the Kids in America overkill, I thought this was a strong episode visually for the routines.

Results

Both Tess and Claudia looked better in jumpsuits, although I had quite a think about how Claudia could have worn it in purple/aubergine. Like most women watching, I eyed the gold swathed around Shirley’s hips and thought ‘I could never wear that but I think I would like to wear that sculptured white thing Motsi is rocking.’

The recap sowed the seeds of Dev in trouble, a shocked Chris was given a quick reprieve, and it’s still so many that the couples were informed in three groups.

Keith Urban looked exhausted after really going for it, and I enjoyed Kevin and Katya dancing together – what they did was really dynamic.

I was amused by the sound of Katya through their routine, and Alfonso Not!Carlton was liked enough to ask to return in Bruno’s stead.

Emma was a shock, but while she did impressive stunts, she didn’t have a massive improvement arc. Maybe she should blame the American overkill from the production team? (I’d claim racism at this point, but the black celeb who should have been in the dance-off was saved over two mixed race celebs who probably shouldn’t.) I have no idea why the producers tortured Kelvin when most of the audience is in love with him. Like everyone, Alex and Neil were legit shocked they were saved. Then Saffron hilariously, but genuinely, told us that her followers didn’t use to watch the show, and Dev had to dance again.

He did seem less confident, despite getting more judges’ advice, so it was a less tough call than I thought it might be, but it’s the first ‘oh, that’s too early’, because at his best, he was the third best male celeb. No wonder Dianne sobbed, although I don’t think she let him down too much. It cost him that he was one of the few disappointments of the night, comparative to past performances, perhaps.