It’s Saturday, and that can only mean one thing…time once again for #StrictlyLiveBlogging. Our weekly live blog of the BBC’s hit celebrity dance series BBC Strictly Come Dancing, bringing you all the highs and lows of another weekend on the dancefloor. And as the final draws ever nearer, this week it’s time for Musicals Week.
We’ll get going with our warm up at 6:30pm as usual, before we go live with the BBC One show at 7:05pm. Don’t forget to swipe down or press F5 to refresh for all the dance floor action as it happens, and to leave your comments below or Tweet us using the hashtag #StrictlyLiveBlogging. Hope you can join us!
Alex 💃🎭📺🎉📝👍
6:30pm
Final weekend minus 2. Welcome everyone. So with just six couples remaining, tonight they are hoping to dazzle audiences in this, the quarter final, with Musicals Week. Here’s their dances this week – and most importantly the musical numbers they’ll be dancing to – from the BBC Strictly Twitter:
And here’s everyone after dress rehearsals finished earlier today:
6:40pm
25 minutes to go! Here’s some behind the scenes shots of Debbie, Joe and Alexandra and Gorka in their costumes before they tread the boards tonight…
6:45pm
20 minutes to go! There’s a special opening number tonight from the remaining couples…any ideas which musical they’ll be paying tribute to?
6:55pm
10 minutes to go! Tess and Claudia are backstage…hanging out with…some bloke called Lee?
7:05pm
Lights? Stage? Action!
7:06pm
Because of course AJ is playing Oliver! Please sir, we want some more…
7:08pm
Is it bad I only know like, three songs from Oliver? Joe is a very good Fagin mind!
7:10pm
We are loving Claudia’s epaulette style outfit! Atten-SHUN!
7:12pm
Dancing first tonight, it’s Gemma and Aljâz. Let’s see how they get on with their ‘Hello Dolly’ inspired Quickstep?
7:14pm
Well I’m not too sure about the Margaret Thatcher hairdo they’ve placed Gemma with this week! On a plus note though, very good dance this. Light, graceful, but plenty of energy and showing off how brilliant her core and hold is.
Our score: 9. Hello Dolly means Hello semi final for Gemma I’d say!
7:17pm
Shirley said she did well with such an iconic piece of music but she felt it required 20% more in the acting skills but she had swan like posture with an accurate frame. Bruno said she grabbed his attention and that he loved the Broadway diva entrance and that she held her own there but that it lost character in the quickstep sections. Craig said it needed to be lighter and less laboured and he thought her frame was bouncing around. Darcey said it was a cheeky quickstep and she really enjoyed the character and personality she brought to it but agreed with Craig it needed to be tighter.
7:19pm
Here come Gemma and Aljâz’s scores:
Craig: 6
Darcey: 7
Shirley: 8
Bruno: 8
Total: 29
7:21pm
Russell Grant is back! Not dressed as a Fabergé egg mind but still!
7:22pm
Up next tonight it’s Mollie and AJ – they’ve got a Grease inspired Rumba so will they sail through like Greased Lightning to the semi final?
7:24pm
Oh Mollie is a perfect Sandy, is she not? One of our favourite musicals is Grease. Very beautiful dance this – very romantic and believable for me – I could watch this again and again!
Our score: 10. We’re hopelessly devoted to Mollie and AJ!
7:26pm
Bruno said he could feel the fireworks and that her ability translated into all the emotion of the dance and the movement throughout the dance and that she improved so much. Craig said there was a lift that turned it into something special – back handed compliment – but felt she had good hip action. Darcey said she got Sandy down to a tee and it was just divine and it was very sweet and romantic. Shirley said she thought they embraced the characters beautifully and praised her for starting the dance by herself!
7:30pm
Mollie and AJ’s scores are in:
Craig: 6
Darcey: 7
Shirley: 9
Bruno: 9
Total: 31
7:32pm
Last week’s leaderboard champs Joe and Katya are next tonight – how will they get on with their Cabaret inspired Samba?
7:34pm
I’m going to say it outright now based on this and last week – we are looking at a winner here with Joe now I think! Perfect mix of dance technique and the musicality and acting!
Our score: 10. Dance magic from Joe and Katya!
7:35pm
Craig said he was ready for it to fail but that it was incredible and he loved it. Darcey said the characterisation throughout was wonderful and she loved it. Shirley said he took a challenging dance and that everything married together perfectly. Bruno said it was divinely decadent and slightly twisted and that it couldn’t have been better!
7:38pm
The scores for Joe and Katya are in:
Craig: 9
Darcey: 9
Shirley: 9
Bruno: 10
Total: 37
7:40pm
Duopoly part one ladies and gentlemen. Debbie and Giovanni are next with a Cats inspired American Smooth…
7:42pm
Well the musicality is captured well, inarguably so. Great hair and makeup for both her and Giovanni as well. The West End more than likely beckons for Debbie after this series.
Our score: 9. An American Smooth that will live on in many fan’s memories.
7:44pm
Darcey said she was stunning and that the fluidity of one move running into the next was exquisite and seamless. Shirley said it will be a memory etched in everyone’s hearts and that it was intimate and polished. Bruno said it was a smash hit and that she created a sense of pathos and that the storytelling was beautiful and mesmerising. Craig has just…well…purred. Make of that what you will!
7:47pm
Debbie and Giovanni’s scores are in:
Craig: 9
Darcey: 10
Shirley: 10
Bruno: 10
Total: 39
7:48pm
Time for Davood and Nadiya next – they’ve got an Argentine Tango this week from Phantom of the Opera – let’s see how they do…
7:50pm
Have to say this dance is playing to all of Davood’s strengths – he’s a commanding leading man, and really letting the acting shine through with the technique and finesse required for an Argentine Tango. Quite simply. A show stopper!
Our score: 10. Dark but delightful from Davood and Nadiya!
7:52pm
Shirley said she liked the characterisation and lifts but that she stumbled a bit. Bruno said he had powerful menacing presence and good imaging but that it was uneven. Craig agreed and said that it hampered him leading but that he loved the concept of the dance. Darcey said she believed the balance and control at the start but that she agreed on the balance problems.
7:53pm
Time to get the scores for Davood and Nadiya:
Craig: 7
Darcey: 8
Shirley: 7
Bruno: 7
Total: 29
7:55pm
Rounding off tonight’s Musical Week quarter final it’s part 2 of the duopoly as Alexandra and Gorka do a Mary Poppins style Charleston…
7:56pm
Oh Gorka’s pronunciation 😂😂😂
7:57pm
For a Charleston it’s a bit flat and well…uneventful for my liking! Doesn’t really suit the theme they were going for in my view.
Our score: 7. A spoonful of sugar won’t help this go down well with me.
7:59pm
Bruno has burst out into a more energetic Supercalifraglisticexpealidocious then they did. Craig said she had more swivel than Gorka and it was brilliant. Darcey said she couldn’t tell who the pro was up there and that it was absolutely fabulous. Shirley said it was stratospheric and that she was brilliant. Did I watch the same dance?
8:01pm
Alexandra and Gorka’s scores are in:
Craig: 9
Darcey: 10
Shirley: 10
Bruno: 10
Total: 39
8:02pm
And so the curtain comes down for tonight’s show of Musical Week. Who was your favourite tonight? Who’s got your vote? We’ll see you back here tomorrow at 6:35pm for warm up and 7:20pm for the results. See you all then!
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