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Thank you and a ghoulish goodnight – for now
I’m closing my coffin lid now but will be rising from the dead tomorrow. The results show airs at 7.15pm Sunday on BBC1. I’ll reanimate the blog at 6.45pm for build-up, so I hope you’ll rejoin me then. In the meantime, I’m @michaelhogan on Twitter aka “X”, so please do creep past, covered in blood, and say hello.
Thanks for watching along with me and your deliciously devilish company. Meet you here tomorrow to see who’s being sent to their glittery grave. In the meantime, as is traditional: keeeeeep dancing! Take care and a ghostly goodnight.
Finally, Somersetlass says of Alex Kingston: “Wow! Dance of the night for me. Alex positively sizzled and Jojo was his most outrageously camp self. A. May. Zing.”
TiggyStardust says: “Johannes looked like he was living his best Kylie life.”
girlpanic says: “I love Jojo’s outfit. Alex looks great too. I’m not sure her hips were quite there for the salsa but she gave it her all as ever. Another fun dance.”
Heartticker says: “Love Alex. She throws herself into every performance and acts her way through every dance as a different character. I do think JoJo out-danced her a little. I enjoyed it but not as much as the judges. Hated the music with a passion, though.”
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PA
whoarethesepeople says: “I loved Amber’s dance, it looked fluid and flowy. Not to Shirley’s taste but that is the fault of the choreography.”
gladarvor adds: “Oh, that was a Viennese waltz with an edge. Very, very nice.”
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Updated at 17.04 EDT
IvanTiger says: “Excellent Argentine tango to superb music, brilliantly sung. Karen was brilliant at that dance. Impressed.”
paperview says: “Good Lord, Karen just smashed that Argentine Tango. She was absolutely brilliant. What a dancer! In bits of that, she was better than Carlos. Wow.”
SparklingDormouse says: “Generally a fan of a traditional Argentine tango but here in a big way for that from Karen and Carlos! Loved the styling and staccato of that. Really different and fab! Yes!”
fihema says: “That tango from Karen and Carlos just made me smile. So, so good. Great, even. Electric. Maybe even a better show than Peaky Blinders. She’s really changing the footballers’ rep on the dancefloor. Bravo.”
Vicc adds: “I wasn’t expecting anything particularly amazing from Karen’s AT as it is such a difficult dance. I was delighted to have my expectations smashed to smithereens. Fantastic!”
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Updated at 17.05 EDT
acanthe says: “Why does no one really mention Balvinder’s beautiful hands and arm movements?”
Sebnose says: “Loving Balvinder’s outfit. I do love a sequin. Will the paying audience remember to vote for this, though, in the shadow of Lewis and Katya’s brilliance?”
Somersetlass says: “An expressive, controlled rumba from Balvinder. She’s gained in confidence and has improved so much. Julian seems a great partner.”
Aine183 says: “Is Harry trying to be voted out? Ridiculous costumes, weird setting and a lacklustre dance.”
gliese says: “I feel like Happy-Go-Lucky Harry is dancing in a muscular straitjacket and is a bit bound by that. But lovely guy.”
Heartticker adds: “Now I LOVE an American Smooth but I didn’t really like that. I’m quite disappointed. I wanted to like it because Harry and Karen are a great partnership but think he might be in trouble this week. Maybe it was lost to the Halloween theme, music and costumes.”
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Updated at 17.07 EDT
Sparkling Dormouse says: “Excellent from La Voix! Loved that! The drama was brilliant. Didn’t expect that from her.”
Lidoswimmer says: “Well, that was rather good. La Voix (and Aljaz) are doing a good job of keeping her personality but actually bringing the dancing chops when it could all have just been a turn. Proper music helped too.”
LegTheory says: “Creep as a show tune? What would Thom say? I kinda like it.”
IvanTiger says: “Lewis is dancing better than Katya. Total joy to watch and a fab Couple’s Choice to show off his range with. Loved it.”
Miranda07 says: “Until now, I didn’t think anything would top the Gio/Faye Halloween Couple’s Choice. That dance from Katya/Lewis was A-MA-ZING!”
pubbore adds: “This is just musical theatre, so we are literally watching two professionals. They can’t even lean on the usual ringer excuse of ‘just because you’re a dancer it doesn’t mean you can do ballroom’.”
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Updated at 17.10 EDT
ACSCD1 says: “Bloody lighting, very difficult to see if Ellie and Vito were in sync all the way through, especially as they moved back up the stairs. Still looked good from what I could make out.”
Irreverentnurse says: “Well done, Ellie, that was a seriously serious face.”
LazyMillennial says: “‘This week we needed to be a bit more serious,’ says Vito, while dressed as a rabbit.”
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PA
MarkRoche says: “Mmm, well, Alexis Warr was astounding in that routine. George Clarke seems to have gone off the boil the last couple of weeks, but I’d like to think he’s still a contender.”
ReclinedPotato says: “George must have had a busy week, judging by the lack of content and effort. Surprising after his bottom placement last week.”
Pancake01 adds: “Alexis has new pro syndrome. Wants to show she is a good dancer, rather than showing off her partner and focusing on the basics. Fundamentals again. Sorry. Drink!”
George Clarke and Alexis Warr. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Updated at 17.11 EDT
On Vicky Pattison, paperview says “Vicki’s arms were great but her feet were all over the place.”
fihema says “I enjoyed that from Vicky, though either her feet were a touch shovel-like or the white shoes caused an optical illusion now and again. Possibly the shoes. Good, though. Very different mood from her previous dances, and easy to watch.”
Somersetlass adds “:I love Total Eclipse but it’s very hard to dance to. Still, Vicky was appropriately smooth and beautifully yearning. I rather loved that.”
ShareReaders’ verdicts are in
Time for a vox pop of your petrifying thoughts. pretentiouspenguin says: “I miss when they used to dance to music from horror films or horror-themed tracks for Halloween week. Now it’s just like a normal week but in fancy dress.”
AndyPandy21 says “A big thank you to the whole Strictly team for a fabulous Halloween. You threw the kitchen cauldron at it and I for one was under the spell!”
ReclinedPotato adds “Shirley plugging her dancing school! Shameless self=promotion. You may however be interested that our beloved blogger has recently written a book.”
Funny you should say that, ReclinedPotato! My debut novel The Dogwalkers’ Detective Agency has been chosen as a Kindle Monthly Deal for November. This means the ebook is available for a wag-ulous 99p for a limited time only. You can order here. Canine cosy crime! Ideal autumnal reading! Commercial interlude ends!
ShareGolden Glitterballs: Ghoulish Ediion
Who’s taking home the skull-shaped prizes on fright night? Here are this week’s grateful gong-getters…
Best dance: Lewis Cope was spectacular but Karen Carney’s was arguably even more of an air punch moment.
Worst dance: For me, a tie between George Clarke and Nitro off of TV’s Gladiators.
Best music choice: That big band version of Radiohead’s Creep.
Worst music choice: Charli XCX would be turning on her grave if she was dead. And less of a Brat.
Best outfit: Karen and Carlos’ androgynous Peaky Blinders costumes were pipped at the last by Jojo’s drapey devil number.
Worst outfit: Nitro and Karen Hauer weren’t done many favours with that Bacofoil.
Best VT: Either Ellie’s family surprising her in training or Lewis visiting his huge family in Hartlepool.
Worst VT: Nitro and Karen, er, eating ice cream. Seemed to be phoned in.
Best judges’ comment: Anton to Tess: “Don’t you start. I’ve told you before, they’re my own teeth.”
Best Claudia quip: When Amber expressed nerves about closing the show: “I won’t mention it again. You dance whenever you want.”
Updated at 16.32 EDT
From glitterballs to girlbands
You can now stay on BBC1 for Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, head to ITV1 for The 1% Club or flip to BBC2 for Girlband Night – the centrepiece of which is new docuseries Girlbands Forever at 9.20pm.
Also at 9.20pm is Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue on BBC1, Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Evening on ITV1 or The Meghan Effect: How She Shook Up the Royal Family on Channel 5. There’s also a rerun of classic 80s drama Edge of Darkness at 9pm on BBC4. I’d recommend treating yourself or recording it if you’ve never had the pleasure.
Tonight’s film picks are Minority Report (8.30pm on ITV2), M3gan (9pm on Film4), Out Of Sight (9pm on Great TV), Tremors (10.50pm on ITV4), Trainspotting (11.20pm on Film4) and One Fine Morning (12.50am on BBC2). We call him Mother Superior on account of the length of his habit.
ShareHalloween Spooktacular standings
Lewis Cope tops the supernatural scoreboard after the first perfect 40 of the series. Cheeky, peaky Karen Carney is in second spot. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey languishes way down at the bottom, with Ellie Goldstein just above.
As always, though, the public vote helps decide which two pairs will face tomorrow night’s dance-off. It could also be a nervy wait for Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke and Amber Davies.
ShareShirley gets tomorrow’s casting vote
You know, like the head judge normally does.
ShareCredits roll
“Keeeeeep dancing,” howl Tess and Claud at the Hertfordshire moon. As the jack-o-lanterns are extinguished and the pumpkins repurposed as soups/curries/compost, please stay with us for analysis, reaction and a round-up of your comments.
Tonight’s spookacious routines get rewound on-screen. Which scarily good duo are you voting for? Which terrifyingly bad pair are you certainly not?
ShareAnd the vote is… open!
Online-only, remember. Don’t come around here with your old-fashioned “phone vote”, you dance dinosaurs. Prop-heavy pandemonium ensues Elstree Studios.
Judges’ scores: 9, 9, 8, 9 for a total of 35 points. Joint third. Nikita takes blame for the choreography.
Judges’ comments: Motsi says “storytelling on point, absolutely beautiful”. Shirley says “you executed it well but it was American style and too open”. Anton says “extraordinary piece of theatre, tremendous fleckerl and exquisite movement but shoulders were a problem in hold”. Craig concludes “don’t listen to old witchy-poo and grandma down there, I loved what you did with it”. Well. Scores could range from eight to 10.
ShareAmber and Nikita’s Viennese waltz
Amber Davies got an early Halloween fright in last week’s dance-off but she’s going from red light to Red Riding Hood. Forest setting. Pro partner Nikita Kuzmin is the big bad wolf and whips off her crimson cape, then into hold for a spinning, floating waltz. Twirling romantically around the floor. Decent frame and footwork but with such a gifted dancer as Amber, the judges are bound to be pernickety. Lovely storytelling and loads of drama.
Song: I See Red by Everybody Loves An Outlaw. The Texan duo scored a viral hit when this was featured on the soundtrack to Netflix “erotic thriller” 365 Days. The famously bad film was compared to 50 Shades Of Grey but worse and nominated for six Golden Raspberry Awards.
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PAShare
Judges’ scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 35 points. Joint third with one number to go. “As camp as Christmas,” says Jojo. “My horns ended up in some dangerous places,” says Alex.