George pulls of an ‘Inbetweeners’-inspired Charleston
George’s second dance is a Charleston (my fave) to “We Speak No Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool.
George teased in his VT that it’s inspired by The Inbetweeners, which has to be a Strictly first.
This is a style that really does suit George’s silly and goofy side. And the lifts are *incredible*. Everyone is really bringing their A-game tonight, eh?
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:55
Karen praised for ‘magical performance’
Here are the judges’ comments for Karen…
Motsi: “I wish I could jump and join you. It feels like the final and it feels like you’re saying, ‘I’m not going home’. All those spins here! You were fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!”
Shirley: “You have to ask yourself what makes a magical performance. You’ve got grit, you’ve got determination. I loved it.”
Anton: “You have laid it all out there, you have not saved anything for the potential final. You’ve said, ‘This is it, I’m going to treat it like the final’.”
Craig: “For me, it was a little bit skippy. There was also a little hiatus getting up from the floor spin. Also, you do tend to dance ahead but it was clean, it was crisp, it was flashy, darling.”
Karen’s scores are in… 9, 10, 10, and another 10 – a total of 39.
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:50
Karen gives it her all in the salsa
Karen’s finishing on a nerve-wracking dance out of the way first – a salsa to “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson.
One of the former England player’s huge strengths in this competition has been the fact she throws herself into everything with so much energy and she’s doing exactly that with this.
I’m sure the judges will have something to say about her hips but her effort levels can’t be knocked.
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:45
Nikita makes emotional plea to viewers
Each of the remaining pros is being asked why their partner deserves to win and Nikita has given an emotional answer.
He told Amber: “You had so much hate from the moment you joined. You’ve had so much hate this week, but you come into the training room every day and you give so much love.
“You’re so kind, you’re so caring. You’re such a lovely, positive person.”
Addressing viewers, he continued: “I think sometimes, and I speak to the audience at home, please, please be kind because it costs nothing.”
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:43
Amber lands another 40 after Couple’s Choice
Motsi and Shirley are on their feet! Amber is on the verge of tears too.
Here are the judges’ comments…
Craig: “Hollywood all the way. Glam. Gorg. All that jazz, darling. Unbelievable. You’re just ah-may-zing.”
Motsi: “We have to appreciate every single thing you did on that dance. This dance was phenomenal, out of this world.”
Shirley: “We’ve seen you work really, really hard. Even if you have a dance here and there, it’s nothing like ballroom and Latin. It’s absolutely beautiful in every way.”
Anton: “You remind me of an actress in White Christmas. You were spectacular. I thought last week was good but I even prefer this one.”
Amber’s scores are in… it’s four 10s, another 40 in the bag!
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:40
Amber performs her Couple’s Choice
I’ve had such high hopes for this too – Amber and Nikita are performing their Couple’s Choice.
This couldn’t have come at a better time for Amber, who last weekend managed the incredibly rare feat of landing a 40 *and* ending up in the dance-off.
In her VT, Amber and her family are reflecting on her time in the spotlight so far, with her mum saying she “lost her way with what her dream was” after she left Love Island.
Set to “Fly Me to the Moon”, this routine is as action-packed as you’d expect and a total joy. The lifts are ambitious and being pulled off effortlessly. Bravo!
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:36
Watch: Julian bursts into tears over special surprise
It’s been an emotional episode! Karen and Carlos aren’t the only ones who have shed a tear…
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:31
Craig spots a slip-up in Balvinder’s waltz
Here are the judges’ comments for Balvinder…
Shirley: “It was lovely and I’m really happy that your mum gets to see you, Jules. Balvinder, you set the most beautiful mood, it was really stunning. Very sincere in everything you did. Lovely sense of line. Thank you for that.”
Anton: “I completely agree. There’s a naturalness about the way you dance. Your timing and your general feel of the dance is of the highest quality and I enjoy it enormously.”
Craig: “It lacked a little bit of finesse and I thought the footwork needed to be fine-tuned. Getting up from the floor was disheveled. What I love is the chemistry you both have. You have now formed a solid partnership, so congratulations.”
Motsi: “I’m impressed with your spine. Because there was a slip on the skirt, the way you used your body to get up was impressive. This was so beautiful and detailed. Well done.”
Balvinder’s scores are in… 8, 9, 9 and 9 – a total of 35.
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:30
Balvinder and Julian are dancing a waltz to “At This Moment” by Michael Bublé.
They’ll surely have been feeling good about this as they landed 35 – their highest score yet – for their Viennese Waltz just last week. FYI, the difference between the two is that the Viennese is faster and involves a lot more spins.
This is great, but it’s not on the same level as Karen’s, which was so emotional that I’m pretty much still crying. A solid routine, though.
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:25
George leaves the panel speechless with his samba
George’s comments from the judges are…
Craig: “You certainly let loose, darling. And I’ve never seen tighter trousers to be honest, I was losing all sense of focus. There were a few problems within the dance. What it lacked in technique, it made up for in entertainment. Congratulations.”
Motsi: “It was just perfect in the entertainment sense and somebody told you, ‘whatever goes wrong, shake those hips’.”
Shirley: “My one tiny negative is the posture got too out of line. But you did some rolls we’ve not seen on the show, that was spectacular. Your hips were going ten to the dozen. You really embraced the full samba. This choreography was not easy.”
Anton: “I hardly recognise you, that was tremendous. You had a lovely twinkly bottom action. It was magnificent to behold, just like you in that outfit. Great job.”
George’s scores are in… 8, 9, 9 and 9 – a total of 35.
Rachel McGrath13 December 2025 19:19