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shallownessTo whoever decided that the Pitch Perfect character who deserved a spin off was Bumper, seemingly based on the second film, and came up with Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin: no, just no.
On Friday’s It Takes Two, we learned that Graziano and Kym were staring at each other (at Graziano’s behest) for 15 seconds!!! On the Friday panel they had a Scot who’s name I didn’t catch who is a blind fan who relies on Audio Description, and clearly knew his stuff (they played a hilarious clip where the lady doing the AD described Tony going wrong and Katya trying to rescue it). Just a delightful insight into another way of experiencing Strictly (it made my heart sing as, and if we’re talking inclusivity and representation, then I hope they consider getting a partially sighted or blind celeb on the dancefloor next year.)
Week 8, but as the earnest VT reminded us, it was also the week before Blackpool and Strictly hasn’t been to Blackpool for a while. (The audience’s response was surely: ‘Yes, we know.’)
Tess in bright pink, Claudia in asymmetric black and fairly knowing about the drinking game. Shirley’s black dress was very dramatic, but the light blue accent on Motsi’s dress were always going to be more eye-catching when the judges sat down.
First up, Ellie T and Johannes doing a Charleston to a song called ‘Friendship’ so it was obviously much more comfortable for her. It was well performed (as expected) and played to her strengths. A decent Charleston, I thought the 9s were fair.
Tyler and Dianne had a paso for the comeback after last week’s blip. On the routine itself (hello Tyler’s mostly bare chest), it felt like it should be a Blackpool paso, and it seemed to have multiple endings. He was very commanding and handled the tempo changes well. Motsi then helped to explain what Craig was getting at, while Shirley made a point of getting Dianne’s name right
Kym and Graziano were doing the American smooth, and it was not the last ‘Don’t listen to your own VT’s of the night. It was a very emotive number. There was beauty and, of course, storytelling, but I felt it deflated by the second half, and the judges helped explain why – I’d noticed a hesitation before the big lift and then I’d started thinking about how much of it wasn’t in hold, which is never a good sign when I’m doing that in the middle of the dance.
At this point, all the celebs really wanted to get their pros to Blackpool, which I found an irritating throughline.
Helen and Gorka’s samba next, and I was all ‘Look how far she’s come, as she started on her own’, and she maintained her confidence throughout for me. The routine made me smile, although you could always tell who the pro was. There was a sense that the judges were offering her concrit and with some 9s, she got to the top of the LB, and said she wanted to go to Blackpool for her kids in a fairly jokey way, which made for a nice change.
Tony and Katya had the jive, and it went better than last week. He was game and mostly kept up, and then there was the very Katya gymnastic choreography, on top of the business with playing guitars/Katya’s leg. The judges picked at it – and I rolled my eyes at Anton giving it a 7 if he’d been so kvetchy about how positive Shirley was about it. Bottom of the leaderboard. Clearly, he’s not in the same league as anyone else, and shouldn’t be going to Blackpool on merit.
Molly and Carlos had a rumba. I thought she was very timid in the opening, and then we had quite a strong rumba, partly because of the music. It left me cold, I could see there were nice lines, but I was worrying about the length of Molly’s skirt, I thought she got lost somewhere in the choreography. But the judges loved it, and she got a 10 from Shirley (for a rumba with all that implies, and you thought that if the leaderboard stayed frozen, which it wouldn’t, it wouldn’t matter that she has no votes and that for them it’s a popularity contest, not a dancing contest.
Fleur and Vito had a samba, and it was smashing. Finally, a controlled Latin dance from her! She owned it and was always in control, and played it so haughtily around Vito but the routine was also fun. Deserved praise from all the judges, (and <3 Motsi). Claudia has to ask Craig to explain his 9 in the results show. I’m sure he had his reason, but he ought to have verbalised it.
In a complete change of mood, Will and Nancy were dancing a waltz, with another ‘it’s emotional’ VT. And it’s been a while since we had a lovely waltz, but that was one, and I appreciated how Will handled the changes of pace. The judges loved it, Will and Nancy were in bits, and he finally got a shining moment up at the top, snagging two 10s. Though it was interesting to see Anton restrain himself from going for the 10. FOR ONCE. (But frankly, I’d only vote for Will if he were up against Tony, so…)
To close, Hamza and Jowita and his couples choice. And it was gorgeous. It was fantastic to see Afrofusion. I thought you could see who the pro was, but he had rhythm in his body as ever, and THOSE LIFTS (though now I’ve calmed down maybe they were a bit similar to the ones in the salsa). I loved it, especially the ending, where it was like they didn’t want to stop dancing. Craig doesn’t often speak like that, and I think from the judges’ comments, it felt like a proper moment. Right that Motsi (who had a great night) got to speak so passionately and articulately about what the dance meant, and nice that she acknowledged Jowita dancing in a style she’s not familiar with. They made Hamza crumble to bits with the message from his grandmother and aunt.
So, a show of two halves, really. Kym suffered from emotion getting in the way of the dance in a way that Will and Hamza didn’t. I will get so cross if the English voting public put two women who don’t deserve to be there under the red lights. I’ve been trying to remind myself that the viewing public has a tendency to let entertaining duffers get to Blackpol and then drop them, but, I will still get cross.)
I voted for Fleur and Hamza and, after some thought, Helen, because that was the dance I enjoyed the most after those two, which were pure joy. (I understand celebs wanting to ‘get messages out there’ about losing babies and not being able to say goodbye to loved ones, and Hamza was very light touch about his family fleeing a country rent by civil war…but I went for the dances I connected with emotionally.)
[Edited for typos 13/7/25.]
On Friday’s It Takes Two, we learned that Graziano and Kym were staring at each other (at Graziano’s behest) for 15 seconds!!! On the Friday panel they had a Scot who’s name I didn’t catch who is a blind fan who relies on Audio Description, and clearly knew his stuff (they played a hilarious clip where the lady doing the AD described Tony going wrong and Katya trying to rescue it). Just a delightful insight into another way of experiencing Strictly (it made my heart sing as, and if we’re talking inclusivity and representation, then I hope they consider getting a partially sighted or blind celeb on the dancefloor next year.)
Week 8, but as the earnest VT reminded us, it was also the week before Blackpool and Strictly hasn’t been to Blackpool for a while. (The audience’s response was surely: ‘Yes, we know.’)
Tess in bright pink, Claudia in asymmetric black and fairly knowing about the drinking game. Shirley’s black dress was very dramatic, but the light blue accent on Motsi’s dress were always going to be more eye-catching when the judges sat down.
First up, Ellie T and Johannes doing a Charleston to a song called ‘Friendship’ so it was obviously much more comfortable for her. It was well performed (as expected) and played to her strengths. A decent Charleston, I thought the 9s were fair.
Tyler and Dianne had a paso for the comeback after last week’s blip. On the routine itself (hello Tyler’s mostly bare chest), it felt like it should be a Blackpool paso, and it seemed to have multiple endings. He was very commanding and handled the tempo changes well. Motsi then helped to explain what Craig was getting at, while Shirley made a point of getting Dianne’s name right
Kym and Graziano were doing the American smooth, and it was not the last ‘Don’t listen to your own VT’s of the night. It was a very emotive number. There was beauty and, of course, storytelling, but I felt it deflated by the second half, and the judges helped explain why – I’d noticed a hesitation before the big lift and then I’d started thinking about how much of it wasn’t in hold, which is never a good sign when I’m doing that in the middle of the dance.
At this point, all the celebs really wanted to get their pros to Blackpool, which I found an irritating throughline.
Helen and Gorka’s samba next, and I was all ‘Look how far she’s come, as she started on her own’, and she maintained her confidence throughout for me. The routine made me smile, although you could always tell who the pro was. There was a sense that the judges were offering her concrit and with some 9s, she got to the top of the LB, and said she wanted to go to Blackpool for her kids in a fairly jokey way, which made for a nice change.
Tony and Katya had the jive, and it went better than last week. He was game and mostly kept up, and then there was the very Katya gymnastic choreography, on top of the business with playing guitars/Katya’s leg. The judges picked at it – and I rolled my eyes at Anton giving it a 7 if he’d been so kvetchy about how positive Shirley was about it. Bottom of the leaderboard. Clearly, he’s not in the same league as anyone else, and shouldn’t be going to Blackpool on merit.
Molly and Carlos had a rumba. I thought she was very timid in the opening, and then we had quite a strong rumba, partly because of the music. It left me cold, I could see there were nice lines, but I was worrying about the length of Molly’s skirt, I thought she got lost somewhere in the choreography. But the judges loved it, and she got a 10 from Shirley (for a rumba with all that implies, and you thought that if the leaderboard stayed frozen, which it wouldn’t, it wouldn’t matter that she has no votes and that for them it’s a popularity contest, not a dancing contest.
Fleur and Vito had a samba, and it was smashing. Finally, a controlled Latin dance from her! She owned it and was always in control, and played it so haughtily around Vito but the routine was also fun. Deserved praise from all the judges, (and <3 Motsi). Claudia has to ask Craig to explain his 9 in the results show. I’m sure he had his reason, but he ought to have verbalised it.
In a complete change of mood, Will and Nancy were dancing a waltz, with another ‘it’s emotional’ VT. And it’s been a while since we had a lovely waltz, but that was one, and I appreciated how Will handled the changes of pace. The judges loved it, Will and Nancy were in bits, and he finally got a shining moment up at the top, snagging two 10s. Though it was interesting to see Anton restrain himself from going for the 10. FOR ONCE. (But frankly, I’d only vote for Will if he were up against Tony, so…)
To close, Hamza and Jowita and his couples choice. And it was gorgeous. It was fantastic to see Afrofusion. I thought you could see who the pro was, but he had rhythm in his body as ever, and THOSE LIFTS (though now I’ve calmed down maybe they were a bit similar to the ones in the salsa). I loved it, especially the ending, where it was like they didn’t want to stop dancing. Craig doesn’t often speak like that, and I think from the judges’ comments, it felt like a proper moment. Right that Motsi (who had a great night) got to speak so passionately and articulately about what the dance meant, and nice that she acknowledged Jowita dancing in a style she’s not familiar with. They made Hamza crumble to bits with the message from his grandmother and aunt.
So, a show of two halves, really. Kym suffered from emotion getting in the way of the dance in a way that Will and Hamza didn’t. I will get so cross if the English voting public put two women who don’t deserve to be there under the red lights. I’ve been trying to remind myself that the viewing public has a tendency to let entertaining duffers get to Blackpol and then drop them, but, I will still get cross.)
I voted for Fleur and Hamza and, after some thought, Helen, because that was the dance I enjoyed the most after those two, which were pure joy. (I understand celebs wanting to ‘get messages out there’ about losing babies and not being able to say goodbye to loved ones, and Hamza was very light touch about his family fleeing a country rent by civil war…but I went for the dances I connected with emotionally.)
[Edited for typos 13/7/25.]
