Strictly semi-finals results show
Dec. 15th, 2025 07:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessThe biggest question, I suppose, was what dance Karen and Carlos and Balvinder and Julian would prepare to reprise, because they’d both got the same scores for their routines. Both had opted for their salsas. Claudia had returned to her comfort zone of black.
In the longer VT, Shirley was mostly right to say that the couples had handled the semis miraculously well. The line justifying Karen’s scores was that she hadn’t held anything back. The word ‘improvement’ was bandied about a lot. The other judges were happy that Craig had the casting vote, and he seemed fine with having it. (Maybe just give it to him next series.)
KYLIE performed. The group dance for her new Christmas song involved trolleys and tinsel, the latter handled best by Johannes. I did spend a bit too much time wondering if it was truly wise to have a song with dance moves spelling out the four letter title (flashbacks to YMCA being performed for a narcissist’s benefit in an overrunning programme that kept pushing back It Takes Two a week or so ago.) But there are two sets of moves (which the pros had to do), so that’s different, and it’s Kylie. It may well have been deliberate. And Neil briefly had a disco ball/bauble for a head.
The judges mainly waffled in the debrief, and I did not need reminding of this year’s karaoke running gag. But then, the producers turned the spotlight on Claudia and Tess, and Craig pitched his words very well, being a little snarky, but obviously genuine, before they were made to watch a VT of their time on the show and ITT that made Claudia, at least, sniffle. Keep dancing badly, indeed. Just right that they got their own glitterballs.
And then they (wisely) played a VT of the celebs in the presence of The Glitterball. Presumably TessnClaud had time to compose themselves, because goodness only knows how they make the sausage that is the results show.
The four couples were in a line, and oh so slowly we learned George and Alexis were through. Then Karen and Carlos. Called it! The two other couples, having been in the dance-off before (understatement for Bal and Jules), were surely prepared for this, and said they were going to treat it as an honour.
In the Clauditorium, Karen wass now playing the superfan card (oof, that’s mean, I think she’s probably more genuine than that.)
James were also performing and choosing to do their biggest hit, making it a night for viewers of around my age, although I thought that song about being just like Fred Astaire would have worked. Their lead singer is still in pretty good voice. A bit discombobulating to see ballroom + lifts to ‘Sit Down’, and the band themselves had to do actual sitting down on the raised stage. Partner swap worked for this song, and fair play to Lauren, she did end up sitting on Aljiaz’s leg at the end!
In the (last) dance off (of the series), Balvinder did it again, she danced her salsa visibly better and with more freedom. But then, Amber was also dancing with an impressive freedom and aplomb, and I don’t know if it was just me watching it a second time, but I saw some fresh new details that delighted me. Anton was right that Balvinder is a different dancer in the instant dance and dance-offs, but of course all the judges chose to put Amber into the final.
Really good speeches, as Julian said, it took six dance-offs and a full score to end Balvinder’s run. I loved that she was able to speak for all the superfans and get in a word about TessnClaud (and will even say that though Lewis was the better dancer, she’s been the better story to go out in the semi.) So, we have our finalists, and Amber and Nikita have to know they’re not winning it, but they do get to dance their hearts out.
The couples’ picks for the final were revealed on ITT Monday. Predictable that Amber and Nikita went for their jive (as the Charleston involved extra dancers), but the other two choices were a surprise. I thought George might do a ballroom (but the judges might ask for one) and I thought we’d see either the Peaky Blinders Argentine tango or the Couples Choice from Karen, but she’s going to be reprising her week 1 jive – which should improve, but will it really match Amber’s. George must be relieved that she’s not doing her paso again (although it would probably feel diminished if they reworked it for the studio), as they’re retrieving that, and it too was a fairly early dance, so the idea being to show improvement.
In the longer VT, Shirley was mostly right to say that the couples had handled the semis miraculously well. The line justifying Karen’s scores was that she hadn’t held anything back. The word ‘improvement’ was bandied about a lot. The other judges were happy that Craig had the casting vote, and he seemed fine with having it. (Maybe just give it to him next series.)
KYLIE performed. The group dance for her new Christmas song involved trolleys and tinsel, the latter handled best by Johannes. I did spend a bit too much time wondering if it was truly wise to have a song with dance moves spelling out the four letter title (flashbacks to YMCA being performed for a narcissist’s benefit in an overrunning programme that kept pushing back It Takes Two a week or so ago.) But there are two sets of moves (which the pros had to do), so that’s different, and it’s Kylie. It may well have been deliberate. And Neil briefly had a disco ball/bauble for a head.
The judges mainly waffled in the debrief, and I did not need reminding of this year’s karaoke running gag. But then, the producers turned the spotlight on Claudia and Tess, and Craig pitched his words very well, being a little snarky, but obviously genuine, before they were made to watch a VT of their time on the show and ITT that made Claudia, at least, sniffle. Keep dancing badly, indeed. Just right that they got their own glitterballs.
And then they (wisely) played a VT of the celebs in the presence of The Glitterball. Presumably TessnClaud had time to compose themselves, because goodness only knows how they make the sausage that is the results show.
The four couples were in a line, and oh so slowly we learned George and Alexis were through. Then Karen and Carlos. Called it! The two other couples, having been in the dance-off before (understatement for Bal and Jules), were surely prepared for this, and said they were going to treat it as an honour.
In the Clauditorium, Karen wass now playing the superfan card (oof, that’s mean, I think she’s probably more genuine than that.)
James were also performing and choosing to do their biggest hit, making it a night for viewers of around my age, although I thought that song about being just like Fred Astaire would have worked. Their lead singer is still in pretty good voice. A bit discombobulating to see ballroom + lifts to ‘Sit Down’, and the band themselves had to do actual sitting down on the raised stage. Partner swap worked for this song, and fair play to Lauren, she did end up sitting on Aljiaz’s leg at the end!
In the (last) dance off (of the series), Balvinder did it again, she danced her salsa visibly better and with more freedom. But then, Amber was also dancing with an impressive freedom and aplomb, and I don’t know if it was just me watching it a second time, but I saw some fresh new details that delighted me. Anton was right that Balvinder is a different dancer in the instant dance and dance-offs, but of course all the judges chose to put Amber into the final.
Really good speeches, as Julian said, it took six dance-offs and a full score to end Balvinder’s run. I loved that she was able to speak for all the superfans and get in a word about TessnClaud (and will even say that though Lewis was the better dancer, she’s been the better story to go out in the semi.) So, we have our finalists, and Amber and Nikita have to know they’re not winning it, but they do get to dance their hearts out.
The couples’ picks for the final were revealed on ITT Monday. Predictable that Amber and Nikita went for their jive (as the Charleston involved extra dancers), but the other two choices were a surprise. I thought George might do a ballroom (but the judges might ask for one) and I thought we’d see either the Peaky Blinders Argentine tango or the Couples Choice from Karen, but she’s going to be reprising her week 1 jive – which should improve, but will it really match Amber’s. George must be relieved that she’s not doing her paso again (although it would probably feel diminished if they reworked it for the studio), as they’re retrieving that, and it too was a fairly early dance, so the idea being to show improvement.
