Strictly Come Dancing week seven results – as it happened

Thanks for watching along with me, glittery gang. Our surviving nine pairs – assuming Jaime Winstone is back from injury – now progress to the eighth live show, which sees them bidding to make it through to the annual Blackpool special. It airs at next Saturday at 6.25pm on BBC One.

Meet you back here to see who deserves to be beside the seaside, beside the sea. In the meantime, you know what to do: keeeeep dancing! Nighty night and have a good week. Finally, Tanya92 says: “Wow! Did not expect that curveball from Shirley, given she marked Bethancy higher last night.

As much as I’m happy we’ll get to see Cach dance again, I’m absolutely gutted for Bethany. She didn’t deserve to be in the DDO tonight and I do think she deserved to stay over Cach, as much as I love watching him.” MikeMoonlight adds: I’m kind of hoping that Bethany goes full-on Game of Thrones during her farewell speech by turning to the panel and shouting ‘YOU KNOW NOTHING, SHIRLEY’.” catalyst36 says: “Pleased Cach is safe, though gutted for Bethany.

Cach has so much potential but please Maddie, we need much better choreography next week” MereMortal says: “I’m sorry to lose Bethany and Nancy, but I love watching Cach, despite anything the judges say. I find him so talented and instinctive, I’m glad he survived.

Just shame he was up against Bethany.” Aine183 adds: “A shame to see Bethany go. And I hope this is a wake-up call for Cach to learn the next dance properly.” YodaknowsAll says: “I really feel for Bethany as this DO is undeserved. Cach, on the other hand, was at the bottom so it’s not so far-fetched.

The whole of NI must be voting for John.” acanthe says: “I’m not surprised about the dance-off couple in that they’ve not had such a good public vote behind them but oh! I don’t want to lose either pair. We have reached that time when there isn’t anyone who is expendable.” fihema says: “Nancy’s face says it all.

They did not deserve to be the dance-off. Not sure that Cach did either (though who does at this stage?), but poor Bethany and Nancy. Enjoying watching them.” diamondcat says: “Well, I thought that Bethany and Nancy’s dance was a huge improvement on last night, whilst Cach was still dancing the-waltz-that-never-was.

Shirley, you really are rock-bottom in my estimation.” Northisbest says: “Ludicrous decision not based on dancing ability at all. How the judges can go from voting Bethany from halfway up the leaderboard to leaving the competition in the space of a single evening is beyond me.” MikeMoonlight adds: “Of course, it’s Shirley who has the casting vote tonight.

Two girls or the good-looking young bloke, it really is impossible to say which way she’ll swing. Oh, hang on a minute...” On the musical guest, LoveAretha30 says: “I love Gregory Porter’s velvet smoothie warm tone.” irreverentnurse says: “Lovely song, thank you, Gregory.

Could actually understand what you were singing.” Aine183 says: “Why can’t the BBC turn down the background music compared to the guest singers? It’s the same problem every Sunday. You can barely hear the singing over the accompanying music. They can get it right with the singers for the dance music, so why is this so hard?!” fihema says: “Goodness, Aljaz and Alexis dance well together!

What a pairing. Really shows how good a dancer Aljaz is. Alexis reminds me a little, as a dancer, of Janette, with her athleticism and gymnastic abilities, so I imagine Aljaz is good at tuning into that. Either way, I completely stopped listening to the singing and was transfixed by the dance.” SparklingDormouse adds: “Just seen the Aliajz and Alexis dance, which was really lovely.

However, cos of the biscuit chat, all I could think was that the lighting behind Gregory was made of iced party rings!” Elliene says: “What a lovely Remembrance Day dance, remembering everyone at war and at home.” EdiSteve says: “That’s not something in my eye, I’m crying.

What a wonderful opening dance from the pros.” Somersetlass says: “A more muted dance than the usual Remembrance Sunday commemoration, but beautifully done.” Pancake01 adds: “Nice to be reminded of women’s contributions to WW2. If it all goes tits up for WW3, I hope I get to have nice WRNS uniform before I get evaporated.” Time to take the temperature of your comments.

Somersetlass says: “Giggling at Lauren’s giant custard cream as motivation for Graeme. Josh is so much more comfortable in Jojo’s Dojo.” lester48 says: “Custard Cream? Nope, definitely not the best biscuit. It has to be a digestive with cheese on top, so dreamy.” MikeMoonlight adds: “Back in the early days, the upstairs/backstage room used to be called ‘Tess’s Area’ which, let’s face it, sounded a bit, er, ‘anatomical’.

Maybe we should continue in that vein and call it “JoJo’s Uh Oh”...” TV viewers can now stay on BBC One for Blue Planet III. At 9pm, choose from new travelogue Stacey Dooley’s Australia: Off the Beaten Track on Channel 4, gangster epic This City Is Ours on BBC One, cosy angling stalwart Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing on BBC Two or infidelity flesh-fest Adultery on ITV1.

Tonight’s film picks are Some Like It Hot (8pm on Sky Arts), Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (9pm on Film4), French Connection II (9pm on Great TV), Layer Cake (9.50pm on Great Action) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (10.45pm on BBC Two). I’m not a natural blonde.

I smoke all the time. I have a terrible past. I can never have children. And I’m a man. Well, nobody’s perfect… The top five on last night’s leaderboard were all women, while the bottom four were all-male. Talk about a table of two gendered halves. It means three of those male celebrities can count themselves lucky to have dodged the dance-off bullet.

John Nellis should be breathing the biggest sigh of relief. His plodding salsa notched his lowest score for a month and left John joint bottom with Cash Mercer. Viewer votes lifted him clear of the dance-off but pro partner Katya Jones now needs to work more of her choreographic magic.

Equally fortunate is Graeme Hall, who was left in the lower reaches for the second week running, It would have been harsh for the Dogfather to depart after that heartfelt Couple’s Choice but Graeme’s scores have dipped dangerously. He must arrest that decline fast.

The third escapologist is Will Best, who scored a point fewer than the eliminated Bethany and has the lowest average score of all last night’s couples. It could be time for the Big Brother presenter to be evicted next. After being undeservingly left on the subs’ bench last year, Chinese-born Latin specialist Nancy Xu was endearingly excited to form this year’s only same-sex couple.

Having previously been a semi-finalist with both Rhys Stephenson and Will Mellor, she might have hoped for a similar run with Strictly superfan Bethany Antonia. Their affectionate farewell showed what a bond the pair had formed. However, harsh marking and Bethany’s scores hitting a ceiling in the late 20s/early 30s mean they depart at the contest’s midway mark.

Fan favourite Nancy deserves another promising partner next year. As the only Asian female in the pro troupe, she adds diversity as well as infectious energy and firecracker dancing. Hey, at least now we’ll likely get to see her strutting her festive stuff in the Christmas special.

The last time that Love Islander Cach Mercer danced ballroom – his stylish Frank Sriracha foxtrot in Icons Week – he notched a personal best 34 points to jointly top the table. Three weeks later, his technique had gone backwards. He duly plummeted eight points to finish joint bottom.

The judges were palpably frustrated by his waltz, which made lamentably little effort to adhere to proper technique. His footwork lacked heel leads. His posture was poor. At the midway mark of the contest, it simply wasn’t good enough. Cach is hugely gifted but this is a ballroom and Latin competition.

He has to perform the fundamentals and can’t fall back on his natural flair every time. The slow pace of the waltz exposed his flaws. If Cach hadn’t been generously scored eights by Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, he would have been cut even further adrift at the bottom.

His partner Maddie Ingoldsby should shoulder some of the blame. Is she drilling Cach hard enough in the basics? Is she coaching him through dances, like pros do with less naturally gifted dancers? At 21, Maddie is the youngest pro in the field. This is her debut Strictly series.

Maybe her inexperience as a teacher is starting to show. They should both consider this miraculous near-miss a wake-up call. If Cach doesn’t even make it to Blackpool, it can be considered a waste of his undisputed talents. Head judge Shirley Ballas has long been criticised for appearing to favour male celebrities over young women.

Such rumblings will only grow louder now. She scored Bethany Antonia one point more than Cach Mercer on Saturday night and was scathing about his waltz technique. Did she really see enough of a turnaround in the dance-off to reverse that? Especially when two of her fellow judges had already opted to save Bethany and Ballas was forced to overturn their decision with her casting vote?

During last week’s Halloween Spookatacular, ice queen Ballas was in frosty mood, issuing cutting critiques to the likes of Delta Goodrem and Jaime Winstone. She was almost as tetchy last night. If she was judging on potential and natural talent, sure, Cach had the edge.

But she should have been looking at this dance-off alone, not the past or future. Her fellow judges were equally erratic. Across last night’s nine routines, easy-to-please Anton du Beke awarded everything an eight or nine, while resident panto villain Craig Revel Horwood dished out a couple of fours and a five.

Overall, Craig gave an average score of 5.9 points, while Anton’s average was a whopping 8.4. That’s a drastic two-and-half-point variation per dance. Are they watching the same routines? And judging them on similar criteria? You can’t expect the panel to agree on everything, of course, but when they’re consistently marking so differently, it’s confusing for viewers and couples alike.

Our pro-celebrity pairs must feel like they’re at the mercy of all manner of moods, favouritism and random factors. The judges need to get a glittery grip. Sanity needs to be restored before further injustices are done. She never got to become a member of Anton’s Ballroom Boys Club but Bethany Antonia can consider herself hard done by in several other ways.

For a start, the House Of The Dragon actor shouldn’t have been dancing for survival in the first place. Having finished in the top half of the leaderboard with four male celebrities below her, it deserved to be an all-male dance-off. Once Bethany did tumble down in the bottom two, she had a four-point cushion over Cach Mercer.

Did he really improve enough to close the gap? Debatable, to say the least. The two more reliable judges voted to save her. Bethany was a Shirley Ballas curveball away from escaping. Having appeared in three of the past four dance-offs, Bethany clearly wasn’t quite connecting with voting viewers.

Best known for a paywalled cult drama, her relatively low mainstream profile might have been a factor. It pains me to say it but dancing in a same-sex couple with Nancy Xu arguably didn’t help her cause either. Bethany felt strongly about having a female partner and rightly so, because watching Nicola Adams dance with Katya Jones was a big part of her coming out story.

They formed an adorably high-energy partnership and swapped the lead to impressive effect, sometimes mid-routine. The side-effect was that this inadvertently highlighted Bethany’s weaknesses. Unlike with the other couples, viewers and judges could compare Bethany directly to her partner A champion pro is always going to look better than a plucky amateur.

That’s even before you get to some viewers preferring “traditional” male-female pairings, for reasons they usually decline to interrogate. Based on hoofing ability alone, Bethany deserved another week or three in the contest. She’s scored as many points as Graeme Hall, which might surprise many.

She’s outscored Will Best and has an higher average than fellow thesp Jaime Winstone, who missed this week through injury. Bethany was a better dancer than her often harsh marks might suggest. Her highlights were her Wicked paso doble, monster jive, history-making Argentine tango and that lovely, lyrical foxtrot.

She can also take pride from surviving two dance-offs, bouncing back strongly both times. Her scores finally broke into the 30s in the past fortnight and, despite those Sunday night setbacks, Bethany seemed to be heading in the right direction. A considerable consolation is that she formed the most successful female partnership in Strictly history, doubtless inspiring many at home.

Gone too soon but with her head held high. As the eliminated couple take a final farewell twirl around the ballroom to Take That’s Rule The World (tune), their castmates descend to commiserate and the credits roll. Please stay with us for analysis and reaction.

Asked how much she enjoyed partnering Bethany, pro dancer Nancy Xu says: “She’s come so far and I saw her grow in front of me. Don’t ever say you can’t do it. You can. You made a lot of girls proud watching you dance.” Bethany Antonia says in her exit speech: “It was our time and to go out on that magical dance means everything.

Nancy bought out a different side of me and I’m so grateful.” That’s a real shame. Bethany becomes the sixth celebrity to depart the Strictly 2026 dancefloor. And she chooses to save Cach and Maddie, saying “they had swing, sway and improved footwork”. Bethany and Nancy, saying “they had more musicality”.

Bethany and Nancy, saying “they showed whole-hearted commitment to technique and artistry”. Cach and Maddie, saying “they moved across the floor more powerfully”. Over to the paddle-raising panel. The female judges both scored Bethany one point more last night.

The gap was two-points for Craig. Erratic Anton scored both dances an eight. This could be close. Cach Mercer and his pro partner Maddie Ingoldsby have another go at their waltz to That Ain’t You by Mulaa Joans. The judges said last night that his posture was poor, heel leads were non-existent and his technique was lacking.

It scored 26 points – four fewer than Bethany – so Cach needs to show serious improvement to survive. Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu reprise their foxtrot to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. The judges said last night that Bethany led well with good footwork but it needed more drive, stretch, swing and sway.

It scored 30 points, four more than Cach, so if Bethany can avoid mistakes and even improve slightly, you’d imagine she’s got a good chance. The last two pairs puff out of their cheeks and progress to next week. Oof. Cach Mercer and his pro partner Maddie Ingoldsby are consigned to their first dreaded dance-off.

Can they see off Bethany and Nancy? Aww, not again. Bethany Antonia and her pro partner Nancy Xu are in the dance-off for the third time. But who will they be up against? Let’s screw in the Fireglow lightbulb of fate again and find out who else is safe – and who might not be.

Musical interlude now from Kangol-hatted Strictly regular and Grammy-winning jazz singer Gregory Porter. He’s preparing to hit the road for a UK tour, including four nights at the Royal Albert Hall, and here performs his 2013 single Water Under Bridges, which originally featured Laura Mvula.

Choreographic accompaniment is provided by Alexis Warr and Aljaž Škorjanec. Anton speaks at Emma, not to her, about high-level foxtrot footwork. Shirley coos over Dani Dyer’s bannister-sliding American smooth and declares her “one to watch”. Well, duh. “It’s sensationally important to see what you are selling.” Motsi can’t stop laughing and has lost it.

In a good way. Craig discusses Tabby Stoecker’s controlled paso power. Motsi admires Will Best’s showmanship. The judges boogie-woogie up to the balcony for a closer look at last night’s routines. Oh yes, sir, they do. If you play a certain song. What giant biscuit would you incorporate into your dance training regime?

A big old Bourbon? A huge Hobnob? Vito Coppola gets the song title on a tangle, bless him, but I think it’s Me & Mrs Jones. It’s Kai’s favourite. And a fan favourite too. Exciting. Her husband, footballer Jarrod Bowen, apparently keeps asking for dancing lessons.

Jojo volunteers to teach him. She might be back to ballroo but Tabby Stoecker still can’t tell her left from her right. Nor, it turns out, can anyone. Shambles. Up in Jojo’s Dojo/the Joahannexe/the Radebalcony/the Johannesphere/Jojo’s Mezzo (delete according to taste) with the happy couples who are safely through to next week, Graeme Hall reveals that he trains using an imaginary giant Custard Cream.

Don’t we all? So are Dani Dyer, Tabby Stoecker, Lacey Turner and Graeme Hall. He was joint bottom of the scoreboard, so looks mightily relieved. Strap in, the scarlet spotlight of doom is about to do its worst. The paddle-raising panel of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas assume their positions.

Slightly surprised Anton’s not still clutching his eight and nine paddles. He brandished them for every dance last night. Our nine nervous pairings wait to hear their fates. Flutterbies in their stomachs, I’ll wager. Roll a behind-the-scenes recap of last night’s live show.

Frocks! Fake tan! Trowelled-on slap! Sliding down bannisters wearing evening gloves! A notable lack of shirt buttons! Cameras! Action! Nurses. Land girls. Munitions workers. Lifts and ballroom steps. Lovely. Nice to see a central role for Welsh pro Amy Dowden, whose great-grandfather Bill served honourably in the First World War.

He earned a naval commendation after pulling survivors from the sea after a ship was struck by a German mine off the coast of Scotland Straight into an affecting group number from the Strictly professionals, commemorating Remembrance Sunday. Choreographed by Lizzie Gough and set to Peter Gabriel’s stripped-down arrangement of David Bowie’s Heroes, the routine opens with British soldiers leaving for war.

It’s inspired by The Monument to the Women of World War Two. Situated on Whitehall near the Cenotaph, the bronze memorial is based on Winston Churchill’s famous call to “‘Let the women come forward’. The routine focusing on the lives of millions of women during the conflict – both those who joined military services and those who kept the country running back home.

Here come our presentational triplets, so let’s do a quick gown reckoning. Emma Willis is in a one-sleeved black ruffled top (shades of Tess) with grey trousers. Josh Widdicombe is in a black suit. Johannes Radebe is in dark grey sparkles. Jojo wins. Cue clap-along credits.

Which of these oblivious couples will soon be packing up their dancing shoes and wheeling their suitcase towards the taxi of tears? Buckle up, footwork watchers. By the magic of broadcasting technology, we’re about to be beamed back to the Elstree Studios ballroom… The finale of supernatural sitcom The Reluctant Vampire just reaching its neck-biting climax on BBC One right now.

Our hero Valentine (Lenny Rush) is faced with a choice – live a double life or finally admit he’s a human, not a vampire. Hey, we’ve all been there. A mere five minutes to wait now… Musical guest tonight is Californian jazz crooner Gregory Porter. He’s something of a Strictly stalwart, having performed previously and soundtracked several couple dances down the years – memorably Layton Williams’ quickstep and Danny Mac’s Charleston.

Happy hoofing days. It’s a mere 10 minutes until we’re back in the ballroom… It was announced on last night’s live show that this week, the judge with the deciding dance-off vote is… drumroll please… dramatic pause… head judge Shirley Ballas. Like she normally would anyway.

So that’s all a bit pf a damp dancing squib. It’s 15 minutes until the sequin-spangled curtain comes up. We were batting around suggestions last night for the still-not-quite-satisfactorily-named ballroom balcony. Another idea just in from Jan Jones: How about “Jojo’s Mezzo” (as in mezzanine) for the Strictly balcony?

Thoughts, glitterball gang? This is starting to need a Boaty McBoatface-style national poll. Strictly traditionally marks Remembrance Sunday with a poignant annual group dance and will be doing the same this evening. Prepare for ballroom class and lumps in throats.

It’s 20 minutes until we pay our respects… Saturday night’s scoring was, frankly, all over the shop. In happy news, Dani Dyer notched her first perfect 10 for a stunning American smooth, becoming the seventh scoreboard-topper in as many weeks. Strictly has never seen the lead shared around like this.

Elsewhere, it meant some wild variations. Scores for a trio of celebrities – Lacey Turner, Bethany Antonia and Graeme Hall – differed by three points. Erratic enough but John Nellis and Cach Mercer saw a four-point spread, their marks ranging from four to eight points.

No wonder everyone looked confused about how they’d fared. How will this all affect tonight’s results? It’s 25 minutes until spangly showtime… Coming into this weekend, bookmakers’ firm favourite for elimination was Bethany Antonia, who has already survived two dance-offs.

In the absence of the injured Jaime Winstone, Bethany was strongly tipped for the exit door. Yet her foxtrot scored a solid 30 points, taking her to joint fourth on the leaderboard. Enough to keep her clear of danger? Half an hour until we get our first clues… Somebody’s about to get stuck in the middle.

Good evening and welcome to the sixth elimination of Strictly Come Dancing 2026. I’m Michael, your speed-typing dance partner for tonight’s results show. You are warmly invited to watch along with me as another couple gets sent home, bowing out at the precise midway mark of the contest.

After the thrills and chills of the Halloween special, it was back to ballroom basics last night. A topsy-turvy leaderboard was headed by Dani Dyer, blossoming into a dark horse, with the resurgent Tabby Stoecker in second spot. The judges’ scores have now been combined with the public votes and tonight the bottom two will dance-off for survival.

So who’s in danger of halfway heartbreak? Well, it was all the boys down the bottom, with Cach Mercer and John Nellis tied at the foot of the scoreboard. Graeme Hall and Will Best were just above. All four fellows could be in for a nervy night. It’s results showtime at 7.10pm on BBC One.

I’ll be liveblogging from 6.40pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, reaction and quizzically raised eyebrows. So snuggle in, turn up the TV volume to drown out the fireworks and I’ll see you on the sofa. As always, I’d love to hear from you too. You can tweet/“X” me @michaelhogan, contact me on Bluesky or Threads @michaelhogan100, email me michael.hogan.freelance@guardian.co.uk and the comments section below is back open for ballroom badinage.

I’ll waft lyrically down there whenever I can to see what you’re all saying and relay your sage comments up top. Someone’s set to miss out on the contest’s home stretch. Nearly time to staaaaaart eliminating! That concludes Saturday’s hot hoofing action but we’ll be back on ballroom duties tomorrow.

The results show airs at 7.10pm Sunday on BBC One with a Remembrance Day routine and musical guest Gregory Porter. I’ll boot up the liveblog at 6.40pm for build-up. Hope you’ll rejoin me then. In the meantime, I’m @michaelhogan on Twitter/X, so please do flerkerl past, say hi and execute a classic contra check.

Thanks for watching along with me and your excellent company. You truly do make my weekends several times more sparkly. Meet you here tomorrow to see who’s next down the dance dumper. In the meantime, because it would be churlish not to: keeeeeep dancing! Goodnight and god bless.

Finally, on Delta Goodrem’s cha-cha, VelvetinaB says: “Loving the green! Didn’t need the superfluous robe at the beginning, though. Delta is a great dancer. So many different steps and she really seemed to be enjoying herself.” Strictlylounging says: “Is a wind machine now obligatory for Delta?

She looks great in green and this is a real party dance.” YodaknowsAll says: “Delta is a class act. Being picky, her legs in that cha-cha could have been a touch straighter and her upper body more fluid, but such a good job.” Somersetlass says: “That colour is gorgeous on Delta!

She always performs beautifully, but maybe not her best dance? Mind you, Latin Kai is my favourite Kai, so I’d forgive a lot.” SparklingDormouse adds: “Looked like a good cha cha but for some reason, I’m not blown away by their dances. Delta seems lovely and probably the best dancer - perhaps too good?” On Lacey Turner’s rumba, ladyglencora says: “I was about to say all the costumes this week are gaw-juss but then Lacey came out with her nan’s tablecloth attached to her shoulder.” MollyintheFolly says: “Well, I didn’t hate that, which is the best I’m ever going to say about a rumba.

To be fair, I would watch Vito taking out the bins so I’ll even put up with my least favourite dance as long as he is performing it!” catalyst36 says: “For someone who appeared so nervous at the start, Lacey looked like she loved dancing that rumba. It’s her dance.” Lidoswimmer adds: “A couple of slips but that was gorgeous, and I usually find the rumba a bit meh.

And Lacey has pins to die for.” On Bethany Antonia’s foxtrot, IvanTiger says: “Bethany is graceful as ever, but not much foxtrot content and too much umbrellography, alas. Nancy should have more faith in her abilities.” catalyst36 says: “Think it works better for Bethany and Nancy when they don’t swap the lead, but Bethany does need to lead a bit more strongly.

That said, I really liked it.” ReclinedPotato says: “Eye’s definitely a bit moist after that from Bethanancy. Such a positive to have this charming couple in the competition. Will be getting a bloc vote from me tonight.” wtrukus says: “I thought Bethany and Nancy were gorgeous/ So floaty and romantic.” LoveAretha30 says: “That was sweet and romantic from Bethany and Nancy.

Thank goodness Bethany was able to wear sensible shoes and not stilettos!” Somersetlass adds: “A tender, understated foxtrot, with beautiful storytelling from Bethany. I love their connection, and doesn’t Nancy look gorgeous tonight?” On Tabby Stoecker’s paso doble, fihema says: “I somehow feel I need more power from Tabby in this.

More sharp energy and sass.” paperview says: “That paso was my favourite dance of the night thus far. Tabby is a real fighter. She’s determined to be in the final.” Haigin88 says: “Tabby comes across as a perfect human being. So serious and ‘on it’ when doing fierce dancing;.

Nicest person in the world when chatting with people. Here for the final.” diamondcat says: “No fire in this paso for me, I’m afraid. All a bit tepid and careful and an awful choice of music. I can’t see what the judges are raving about.” IvanTiger adds: “Tabby has sass and Mark has ass, as Trump’d say.

She moves well and hits lots of Spanish lines. Good but not earth-shaking. She’s so versatile.” On Cach Mercer, YodaknowsAll says: “Cach’s posture was all over the place in that waltz and there wasn’t enough dance in hold for me. Good in places but could have been so much better.” SparklingDormouse says: “Cach was good.

Needed a bit more top line and swaps between good and clumpy movement. Still has real potential and defo improving, though.” DancingMom says: “Cach is just a darling. Love his drama. Yes, he is elegant. Such a connection with Maddie. Love them.” catalyst36 says: “Craig was much too harsh on Cach but as usual, he has a point.

I think Maddy’s inexperience on Strictly is not helping. Cach needs someone who will choreograph the basics, while allowing Cach to show his flair.” Gardener_Maidhc adds: “I am not sure if it is Maddie failing to actually teach him properly or Cach not doing it properly but he still isn’t doing the actual dances in the actual dance styles.” On Will Best, VelvetinaB says: “Apart from Will’s open mouth, that was a very enjoyable quickstep.” SparklingDormouse says: “Ooh, great fun quickstep.

Much better from Will and tails are a fab look!” YodaknowsAll says: “Having not really warmed to Will, I was proper impressed with that quickstep. Not much gapping and very light on his feet. Posture still needs refinement but much improved.” paperview adds: “I wish Will would shut his mouth from time to time.

He was gurning so much in that dance, I expected the Batmobile to come racing out of his mouth.” On Graeme Hall’s Couple’s Choice, YodaknowsAll says: “Beautifully moving with just the right amount of sentiment. It felt more like Lauren’s dance than Graeme’s but that’s being picky.” llanelliboy says: “69 Love Songs might be one of the all-time great achievements in pop music.” Tanya92 says: “Back in week two, I wasn’t expecting Graeme to last this long, but I’m so glad he has.

Really enjoyed that.” VelvetinaB says: “I just love that Graeme is so obviously enjoying himself. That was heartfelt and moving. Lauren is such a beautiful dancer.” Irreverentnurse says: “Really like Graeme, genuine fella, not OTT but encouraging others to have hope despite setbacks.” Somersetlass adds: “OK, that may have been mainly contempo-waft but it was hugely moving.

Graeme is a wonderful partner, and Lauren is the epitome of elegance.” On John Nellis’ salsa, Phoebe says: “Wow, is there anything Katya cannot do? That was sensational! She was like a snake the way she twined herself around John . Such incredible lifts! They fortunately drew the eye away from John’s rather plodding steps at times.” EmmyHarb says: “I didn’t like that from John and Katya.

Quite stompy and some awkward lifts I thought Poppieshen says: “Katya was so busy in that salsa that I’m not sure how much John actually did.” fihema says: “Hope John’s not in the dance-off. I’m not sure I want to see that lift again. I have way too powerful an imagination *insert several laughing emojis*.” LoveAretha30 says: “At the end, all I could think was ‘put her down now John!’ Clever choreography from Katya to attempt to cover his lack of salsa steps.

He was a bit stiff and needs more musicality in his body. I agree with Craig, ballroom is John’s forte.” severin adds: “Was that a bit of leg rubbing halfway through John’s dance? Reminded me of Vic Reeves.” On Dani Dyer’s show-closing American smooth, fihema says: “What a great Hollywood entry from Dani and Nikita!

Old-time silver screen energy throughout. Maybe a little stumble early on but lovely number to watch!” ReclinedPotato says: “You can’t go wrong with a bit of ballroom to It Had To Be You. Top tune, beautiful costumes, a great routine and Nikita is no slouch behind the vac, as Danny Sr might say ‘Go on, Dyson’.” Haigin88 says: “Dani has the most dangerous run.

Nothing more admirable than the one who goes up, up, up, week by week.” acanthe says: “Ahh, that was just lovely. Pure Hollywood. I really hope she enjoyed it because what a terrific chance to do a dream movie dance.” whistledownthewind adds: “Dani has really improved this series.

I didn’t rate her a few weeks ago but if she can build on tonight’s really entertaining performance, she’s headed for the final.” Time to take the temperature of our glittery community’s comments. emilyscatnaps says: “Shall we just throw all the scoring panels in the air and see which ones land first?

Might make more sense.” Lushattic adds: “‘Don’t think about his scores, John, think about his words’. Quite right, Jojo.” A couple of emails just in. Iain Crofts in Montreal says: Hi, Michael. You asked for comments on Radebe’s Balcony. If you condense it to Radebalcony, you might be onto a winner.

Meanwhile, Elaine Topping says: What about Radebe’s Realm? Strong contenders, both. Thoughts? Feelings? Just in case you were missing the shameless self-promotion, a brief plug for my new novel. Death At The Dog Hotel, a festive-set sequel to The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency, is published in two weeks and can be preordered here.

And in case you want to catch up with the previous instalment, my debut is just 99p on Audible and Kindle for a limited time. I believe the phrase is “just saying”. Any support would be hugely appreciated. Thank you all for indulging me. Right, on with the show.

TV viewers can now stay on BBC One for Wisdom Of The Crowd or flip to BBC Two for 40 TV Theme Tunes At The BBC. At 9pm, there’s the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance 2026 on BBC One, Yaga on Sky Atlantic or The F Ward on Channel 4. At 10.20pm, Greatest BBC Music Moments is on BBC Two.

Film-wise, Dune: Part One just started on ITV2. Tonight’s other picks are The Taking Of Pelham 123 (9pm on 5Action), Bohemian Rhapsody (9pm on Sky Arts), The Bride Wore Black (9.10pm on BBC Four), The Taste of Things (11.50pm on BBC Two) or Knock At The Cabin (12.05am on Channel 4).

Spare him his life from his own cup of tea. Whose mantelpiece will be groaning under the weight of this week’s liveblog baubles? Here are tonight’s lucky gong-getters… Best dance: Take your pick from Dani or Tabby. Worst dance: Sorry to say it was Cach Mercer for me.

With men occupying the bottom four places on the leaderboard, I’ll be cross if it’s not all an all-male dance-off. Best music: It Had To Be You and Bleeding Love both worked a treat with the dance. Worst music: That creaky karaoke rendition of Yellow. Best outfit: Nancy, Dani and Katya’s frocks all scored highly for moi.

Worst outfit: Lacey’s drapey affair looked a little like she’d refashioned her mum’s best tablecloth. Best VT: Cach and Maddie’s instructional waltz film, just edging out Graeme’s moving retelling of his backstory. Also a shout-out to the Craig David cameo in Delta’s and Kai being endearingly starstruck.

Worst VT: Always a treacly treat to see Danny Dyer but that caravan park nonsense was just a plug for his Sky show. Best judges’ comment: “Have you also taken a happy pill tonight, Craig?” “No.” Best Widdicombe witticism: Asking Nikita after he’d slid Dani down the bannister: “But can you slide her up to Jojo”?” Also enjoyed his rumba with Shirley.

We have our seventh leaderboard-topper in seven weeks. Show-closer Dani Dyer tops the scores, with Tabby Stoecker in second spot. Great week for the girls, bad week for the boys. Cach Mercer and John Nellis are tied at the bottom, with Graeme Hall just above. As always, though, the public vote plays its part in deciding which two pairs will dance again for survival tomorrow night.

It could also be a nervy wait for Will Best and Bethany Antonia. “Keeeeeep dancing,” chorus our hostly trio. As the sweat-infused fake tan is mopped up, please stay with us for analysis, reaction and a round-up of your comments. The deciding vote in tomorrow’s dance-off goes to… head judge Shirley Ballas.

Has this become exciting yet? I fear it totally hasn’t. Tonight’s nifty nine routines get recapped on-screen. Faves? Least faves? Ones that left you colder than a penguin pecking at a bag of frozen peas? A long-suffering sigh from Craig there. Jowita snips the ribbon and the public poll is officially on.

A fancy-dressed farrago erupts. Judges’ scores: 8, 10 (the what now?), 9, 9 for a total of 36 points. Top of the scoreboard, her first maximum and the highest-scoring American smooth of the series. Dani and Nikita play adorable tribute to one another. Judges’ comments: Motsi says “classy, beautiful and made me smile”.

Shirley give her a mini standing ovation and says “exceptional, be proud”. Anton says “a number I wish I’d done, pizzazz and showbiz, everything I love”. Craig concludes “this is a smirk, not a smile, but I’m stealing your entrance for panto, darling”. “You’ve got to enter every room like that,” says Emma.

Nikita is “relieved it worked, it could have been a disaster”. Last dance now. Dani Dyer notched her highest score for Halloween’s doll-themed Viennese Waltz and is keeping it ballroom here. For that crucial wow factor, they slide down the bannisters onto the floor.

After pointers from the judges, her pro partner Nikita Kuzmin has been working hard on Dani being up on toes and getting the right body position. Looking chic in evening gloves, bringing the Hollywood glamour. Flowing around the floor with clean footwork. Musicality, jazzy mood and lovely, leaping lifts.

Dani is blossoming as the series progresses. Better out of hold than in it but cute as a button and all-round sensational. Song: It Had to Be You by Harry Connick Jr. The 1920s jazz standard has appeared in films from Casablanca to Annie Hall, from A League Of Their Own to Tomorrow Never Dies but most famously, When Harry Met Sally.

I’ll have what Dani’s having. Judges’ scores: 4, 8, 6, 8 for a total of 26 points. More wild scoring. Joint bottom. Jojo reassures Cach that he was great. Bless that man. Judges’ comments: Anton says “keep working on your hold, I love that whole old-meets-new style”.

Craig says “totally disagree, not a single heel lead and posture was poor, feet turned in”. Motsi says “light on your feet and elegant, it’s theatrical and magical to watch you dance, just don’t forget the technique”. Shirley concludes “you found the poetry inside the music but there were way too many basic footwork errors”.

Love Islander Cach Mercer and pro partner Maddie Ingoldsby do their first ballroom number since his Frank “Sriracha” foxtrot in Icons Week. Slow start with him sitting down but once it gets going, it’s smooth and gliding as they attach their hips for close contact and flow around the floor.

A few footwork fumbles and hold wobbles, plus some gapping, but plenty of musicality. Elegant rise and fall. Romantic mood. Sweet despite the technical flaws. Song: That Ain’t You by Mulaa Joans. The hotly-tipped 19-year-old singer-songwriter rose to fame on TikTok and released this soulful break-up ballad a mere three months ago.

How modern. Judges’ scores: 7, 9, 8, 9 for a total of 33 points. Top as it stands. She’s back indeed. Mark’s mum is in the crowd and looks about 25. Good genes. Judges’ comments: Craig says “need more arch and oval body shaping but that was connected and fantastic”.

Motsi says “I wanted less [ower, got a bit more tight, but you’re back with a vengeance, adore the way you hold your body, focused and magnificent”. Shirley says “theatrical and fierce, loved the way you went from flamenco to caping, just wanted clearer footwork”.

Anton does the noises again and concludes “you are back on form”. Winter Olympic gold medallist Tabby Stoecker and Canadian pro Mark Karmalita got a scare last week, plummeting from the top to the bottom of the leaderboard. The quickstep wasn’t their dance, it seemed, but the paso just night be.

Tabby looking fierce in a red-and-black traditional dress with full skirt. Little stutter at the start and timing off in places, with Tabby looking hurried. Lacking urved line but strong and powerful with Spanish flavour. Dramatic, intense, fiery, olé! Song: Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.

The 2006 anthem mixes alt-rock guitars with a funky electronic beat, inspired by Matt Bellamy’s visits to New York clubs. It was used in Twilight, Doctor Who, Black Mirror and as the wake-up music for Space Shuttle Atlantis astronauts on the vessel’s final day in space.

Bong! THIS IS THE MUSE. Ginger Neil does a link. Well, he’s got to do something, I guess. Keep him busy or he’ll just get bored. Start running with a bad crowd, smashing up phone boxes and getting himself in trouble. Judges’ scores: 5 (boo!), 8, 7, 8 for a total of 28 points.

Yet another uneven verdict from the panel. Graeme just hopes his dancing is helping somebody out there. Lauren pays sweet tribute to his emotional, softer side. Judges’ comments: Motsi says “we only have one life and I’m glad you’re here with us today, emotional and moving, although I want more stretch and extension”.

Shirley says “you powered across the floor and shifted your weight, keep extending but I’m all emotional”. Anton says “a theatrical, lyrical American smooth, the perfect number for you, you danced with Lauren beautifully, swept her around and lifted her well, a joy”.

Craig concludes “not a technical masterpiece but you were reliving a moment in time and bringing someone to life, emotion is just as important”. Josh has goosebumps and his voice wobbles with emotion. Canine expert Graeme Hall has scrubbed off the green face paint from his Halloween zombie samba to deliver something altogether more heartfelt.

Graeme had a stroke in 2019, caused by a hole in the heart. He recovered fully but realises he’s one of the lucky ones. He received lots of supportive messages from viewers, reassuring him that there’s life after such health emergencies, and this dance is dedicated to them.

Lyrical and floaty contempo-waft with ballroom touches which play to Graeme’s strengths. Intertwined with pro partner Lauren Oakley and leading well, although she’s dancing around him at times. Slight falter mid-routine. Emotional and tender. Full of hope and connection as leaves fall.

A life-affirming reminder that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Something in my eye, how about you? Song: The Book Of Love by Peter Gabriel. This 1999 tune was originally by US indie band the Magnetic Fields, from their legendary triple album 69 Love Songs.

After Gabriel joined them on-stage to perform it for a live encore, he recorded his own cover version. Judges’ scores: 4 (boo!), 7, 7, 8 for a total of 26 points. A four-pont spread which is just plain silly. Bottom as it stands. John is as game as a pheasant.

Love that for him. John shimmies up the stairs and even Craig cracks a smile. Judges’ comments: Shirley says “loved the lifts and choreography needed more rotation in the basics and musicality in the body”. Anton says “you’re so secure and don’t flinch, need more groove and rhythm but otherwise great”.

Craig gets a long round of boos says “the wiggles were like a toddler having a tantrum, too place and ploddy, stuck in the mud”. Motsi concludes improved on your last Latin dance, good leading bit you stopped dancing in between beats”. “I spent half of that dance talking into your bum,” says Katya.

Enduring image. Football content creator John Nellis worked up a helluva sweat during his latex-clad Halloween tango and will be glad to wear something more airy. Pro partner Katya Jones has been worried that John’s had too much fun in training, such is his relish for the salsa.

A bouncy party mood, in contrast to last week’s moody intensity. Booty shaking, shoulder shimmies and changes of rhythm. Hip action and rhythm in his body. Spicy and saucy with some of Katya’s trademark tricks. He’s a bit ploddy in places but huge fun and a spectacular upside-down finish.

Song: Get Lucky by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell and Nile Rodgers. The 2013 disco-house hit topped the UK chart for four weeks, selling 1.3m copies. No less than Stevie Wonder joined them to perform it live at the 2014 Grammys, where it won two awards. Motsi & Shirley.

Not to be confused with Pepsi & Shirley. Wham, thank you ma’ams. Josh is in a better club: Motsi & Shirley’s Latin Ladies. It involves fruit on hats. Consider this my application. Judges’ scores: 6, 9 (woah), 7, 8 for a total of 30 points. Second three-point spread of the evening.

Bethany wants to join Anton’s ballroom boys club. Come on, Tony Beak, let her in. Judges’ comments: Anton says “beautiful hold as a leader, amazing footwork, just cover more space”. Craig says “pretty, wanted stronger leading and drive, more swing and sway but exceptional storytelling”.

Motsi says “be proud of yourself, that was your best dance, loved the lightness and musicality, soft but present, best dance of the night so far”. Shirley concludes “lovely footwork, I wanted more breath, stretch, fluidity and emotional, use the space”. House of the Dragon actor Bethany Antonia and her pro partner Nancy Xu survived their second dance-off last week.

She could do with a strong showing to prove herself and restore confidence. After Halloween’s monster jive, they’re slowing it right down and back in hold for her first ballroom number for four weeks. Both looking lovely in pale blue. The judges will be after heel leads and a beautiful topline.

Brolly-ography to begin. Romantic mood and light on their feet. Bethany is leading – no swapping roles, like in previous dances. Technique not perfect but elegant glide and a strong performance. Confetti falls. Aww, lovely. Song: Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. The X Factor winner’s signature tune topped the chart in 35 countries and was the world’s bestselling single in 2008.

Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 7, 9 for a total of 31 points. Top but we’re only a third of the way through. Anton seems to have mislaid all his paddles except the nine. “You are on fire tonight, baby,” says Jojo, leading a dance-along in the Johannexe/Dojo’s Dojo/Radebe’s Balcony (just invented that, thoughts?).

Judges’ comments: Motsi says “love it, I hope J-Lo is sitting at home watching, could see the energy and the hard work, just need more coordination, you put your heart on the dancefloor, love the spice you bring”. Shirley says “lively and syncopated rhythms but I wanted more rotation and earthy action, arms were loose”.

Anton says “I thought it was spectacular, great footwork but fix your spins”. Craig concludes “too square, needed an exaggerated hip but amazing rhythm and incredible performance”. Delta Goodrem looking fab-u-lous in a green beaded frock, inspired by J-Lo’s famous Versace dress.

This is one of Delta’s favourite songs and she says it always reminds her of fun times on the dancefloor. Her pro partner Kai Widdrington has choreographed a cardio workout of a cha-cha. Podium action, disco vibe and the wind machine that Delta seems to have as part of her rider.

Leg action, hip wiggles, sharp timing and cheekiness. Solo sections, fast feet and flirty feel. She’s good at these pacy Latin party numbers, but this feels a little like her others and she loses timing in a couple of places. But bags of fun, obv. Song: Let’s Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez.

Co-writer Gloria Estefan initially planned to record this 1999 Latin pop banger herself but passed it to Lopez, believing she would have “more fun with it”. Judges’ scores: 6, 7, 8, 9 for a total of 30 points. A three-point spread. “She’s an aamazing student,” says Vito, his bare chest glistening with sweat.

Not that I noticed. “A leg that Angela Rippon would be pleased with,” says Emma. And now the news. Judges’ comments: Shirley says “a nervous stutter at the start but lovely timing, handled a difficult routine, lovely leg action, give me more confidence because you’re much better than you think”.

Anton says “the sort of rumba I like, melodic and fluid, a lovely dance with a beautiful story”. Craig says “too stop-start and watch your free arm but amazing connection and that extension was absolutely gaaaaw-jus”. Motsi concludes “lyrical and beautiful, loved the togetherness but be more independent in the Latin dances”.

EastEnders actor Lacey Turner is improving each week and was the Halloween leaderboard-topper. Slowing down the pace after that Charleston for the ever-tricky rumba. It’s less of a sensual, seductive number with pro partner Vito Coppola, more of a celebration of Lacey’s relationship with her husband Matt, her childhood sweetheart since 15.

This song holds fond memories for them. Connection and intimacy. Hip action, controlled turns and spins but the odd unsteady bit of footwork. Rumba walks, lifts and drops. A bit fast for a rumba in places. Needs more continuous movement flowing through her body and some lumpy transitions but she’s doing well.

Leggy lift to finish. Lovely. Song: Yellow by Coldplay. The band’s 2000 breakthrough hit was inspired by the band star-gazing one night in rural Wales, where they were recording their debut album at Rockfield Studios. Chris Martin originally sang it to his bandmates as a Neil Young impersonation, not taking it seriously.

Struggling to finish the lyrics, he saw a copy of Yellow Pages lying around in the studio and realised the word fitted. Josh does a bit of rumba with Shirley. Fun, if mildly terrifying. Judges’ scores: 6, 8, 7, 8 for a total of 29 points. He’s fallen out of the 30s.

Early call but possible dance-off danger? Health and safety alert. Pearls fell off Di’s dress onto the dancefloor. “You were basically dancing on ball bearings,” says Josh. Judges’ comments: Craig says “slight improvement on your last ballroom but little bit bouncy in the top half, but great energy and totally watchable”.

Motsi says “you felt light and were on the road the whole time, moving in unison with musicality and I saw a bit of showmanship”. Shirley says “going in the right direction, sir, nice shift across the floor, keep paying attention to the footwork and one or two errors here and there”.

Anton concludes “you’re an older version of me, superb footwork, get your shoulders down but wonderful performance, loved it”. Big Brother presenter Will Best notched his highest score on Halloween with that puppet-style Couple’s Choice. Can he keep his scores in the 30s, where he’s been for the last three weeks?

The quickstep is pro partner Dianne Buswell’s favourite dance. No pressure, Will. He’s dapper in a classic tailsuit, she’s looking glam in a beaded coral and gold frock. Jazzy Hollywood opening, then dynamic and energetic as they hop and skip around the floor.

Charleston flicks and kicks. He could be smoother and lighter on his feet but Will is keeping up pretty well. Stylish fun, although his frozen facial expression is distracting. Song: This Love by Maroon 5. Frontman Adam Levine wrote the 2004 hit after splitting from his girlfriend, describing it as “most emotionally trying time in his life”.

The vintage R&B rhythms were influenced by Stevie Wonder and the guitars by James Brown. MTV edited out sexier lines like “Keep her coming every night” and “Sinking my fingertips into every inch of you”. Oo-er, matron. The nine couples come out for a staircase welcome wave.

Dani Dyer is pretty in pink. Tabby and Mark are in full red-and-black paso regalia. Moths have eaten the sleeves of Cach’s suit. Vito’s shirt buttons have fallen off AGAIN. We welcome the paddle-raising panel of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke.

Craig and Motsi are resplendent in matchy-matchy burgundy velvet. The panel awarded three perfect 10s so far this series (one for Delta, two for Tabby). Could we see some more tonight? Here come our presentational throuple, so let’s do a culture comparison. Emma Willis has borrowed one of Jojo’s suits.

Josh Widdicombe is in a black suit. Johannes Radebe is in a baby blue suit with MC Hammer trousers. Emma wins, clinched by her hair being on-point. Cue clapalong titles. Five of these grinning couples have already bitten the ballroom dust. Who will be will be falling at the halfway hurdle?

Close your curtains on any fireworks and concentrate on the dance pyrotechnics instead. We’re about to be beamed over live to Elstree Studios… Tomorrow night’s results show includes an annual and much-admired Strictly tradition: a poignant group dance for Remembrance Sunday.

The musical guest is Gregory Porter. Just five minutes until that ba-ba-das theme tune… You wait ages for the Celebrity Inner Circle to finish and another ropy gameshow fills its slot. Currently drawing to a close on BBC One is The Famous Finish Line. The VIP players include a pair of Strictly alumni: 2022 finalist Molly Rainford and La Voix, who made it to mid-series last year until she was sadly forced to withdraw with injury.

Not long to wait now… There are no overlaps for a change this evening, with all nine couples tackling a different dance style. This week’s Couple’s Choice will be performed by Graeme “The Dogfather” Hall and is set to be a heartstring-tugger. We’ll also be treated to a rumba from Lacey Turner and a paso doble from Tabby Stoecker.

It’s 10 minutes until the glitterball starts spinning… This series has broken the Strictly record with a different couple topping the scoreboard for the first six weeks. Of our remaining couples, only Dani Dyer, Will Best and Bethany Antonia are yet to top the standings.

Will one of this trio take their turn tonight? We’ll get our first clues in 15 minutes… Eyes down, dibbers out, pets’ ears covered for any loud bangs from outside. Here’s your 10-point spotter’s checklist for tonight’s show: Struggling celebrity plays the cute kid/nanna card in their VT Shirley Ballas overpraises everyone to make up for last weekend’s tetchy mood Johannes graciously lets a celebrity take over the “Emma and Josh” handover from the balcony Somebody blows kisses to Jaime Winstone and wishes her a speedy recovery Wobbly lips and damp eyes after Graeme Hall’s Couples’ Choice Anton du Beke coos over a classic ballroom number and says he would’ve loved to dance that First mention of the B-word (Blackpool in a fortnight’s time) Jojo leads the excitable balcony crowd in a Latin dance move Someone sagely notes that the quickstep is “quick with a lot of steps” Dave Arch’s band do well with a classic tune but make a right mess of a recent pop banger Bethany Antonia is the clear favourite to be eliminated, according to bookmakers.

She joined Jaime Winstone in the triple dance-off last week and with Jaime missing this weekend through injury, Bethany is now odds-on for the exit. Dani Dyer, Cach Mercer and Will Best are next in line. At the other end of the betting, Lacey Turner is now tipped to win the glitterball trophy, narrowly ahead of Tabby Stoecker.

Will that be borne out on the dancefloor tonight? It’s 25 minutes until the sparkly curtain comes up… Due to Jaime’s absence, you might have noticed that tonight’s live show has been shortened by 10 minutes. With nine dances rather than 10, the start time has been bumped back from the previously scheduled 6.30pm to 6.40pm.

That means there’s half an hour to wait… It was announced on Wednesday that Jaime Winstone will miss this weekend’s show due to injury. She has a torn abdominal muscle and has been advised by doctors to rest. In line with the rules of the show, she and her pro partner Carlos Gu will receive a bye through to next week, when it’s hoped they will be able to dance again.

Jaime says: “I am absolutely devastated not to be dancing this weekend but I am in considerable pain and my doctors have advised complete rest to give my body the best possible chance to heal. As frustrating as it is, I have to put my health first and follow their advice.

“I love every moment of dancing and performing with Carlos, and I am praying for a speedy recovery so I can continue this magical journey. I want to thank everyone for their incredible support so far. It means more than you know. Wishing everyone luck on Saturday night.

I hope to be back on that dancefloor very soon.” I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Jaime the very best for her recovery. Someone won’t make it past the contest’s midway mark. But whose half-term report will say “see me”? Good evening, one and all, and welcome to the seventh live weekend of Strictly Come Dancing 2026.

I’m Michael, your virtual dance partner for tonight’s mercifully non-themed live show. You are warmly invited to watch along with me as nine (not 10) pro-celebrity couples reach the halfway point of the contest. Last week’s Halloween Spooktacular saw Lacey Turner top the scores with her chilling Charleston.

After the frightening format twist of the first ever three-way dance-off, it was Ghostbusting Lawrence Robb who went to his glittery grave. We came, we saw, we kicked its ass – and then we headed home. Ten couples now remain but only nine take to the floor tonight because three-time dance-off survivor Jaime Winstone is injured.

More on that shortly. The rest are bidding to pass the midway point and enter Strictly’s home stretch. Yes, we’re just two weeks away from Blackpool and it’s all downhill until Christmas. It’s showtime at the slightly-later-than-advertised time of 6.40pm on BBC One.

I’ll be liveblogging from 6pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, analysis, reaction and ooh-aah verbal fireworks. So light a sparkler on the hob, get your dentures stuck in a toffee apple and I’ll see you on the sofa. As always, I’d love to hear from you too.

You can tweet me @michaelhogan, contact me on Bluesky or Threads @michaelhogan100, email me michael.hogan.freelance@guardian.co.uk and the comments section is open for choreographic conversation. I’ll rumba-walk down there whenever I can to see what you’re all saying and quote your wise words up top.

So please don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts. It’s week seven and we’re going to hoofing heaven. Nearly time to staaaart halfway point dancing!