Reality Bites
Strictly Come Dancing - Blackpool Week: As it happened
By Frances Taylor, Entertainment Reporter
Have you packed your bathers? The Bacardi? The 'Hens on Tour' sashes?
Good. Because we're all going to Blackpool!
In what has become as much of a Strictly rite of passage as sequins and spray tans, the show is packing up and heading to Blackpool Tower ballroom for one week only.
So join Digital Spy from 7pm as we whip out the scoring paddles and ponder if Judy Murray is ever going to leave...
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Good. Because we're all going to Blackpool!
In what has become as much of a Strictly rite of passage as sequins and spray tans, the show is packing up and heading to Blackpool Tower ballroom for one week only.
So join Digital Spy from 7pm as we whip out the scoring paddles and ponder if Judy Murray is ever going to leave...
20:30Right, that's your lot folks! Don't forget to join us back here tomorrow night to see which two celebrities fell fowl of Blackpool and landed in the bottom two - and which is going home. You can bet Scotland on it that it won't be Judy. Night, all!
20:27Wow, we never thought we'd see the like. Simon's at the joint top of leaderboard with Pixie! And we always see the like - Judy's at the bottom.
20:27Wow, we never thought we'd see the like. Simon's at the joint top of leaderboard with Pixie! And we always see the like - Judy's at the bottom.
© BBC
20:27Anyway, back to Flackers. She gets straight 9s from the judges, apart from Bruno who gives her a 10!
20:26Uh oh. An incorrect number was given for Steve & Ola earlier. Sabotage? And are there going to be cries of fix if he's in the bottom two this week?
20:24On second thoughts - everyone vote. In your droves.
20:24OK, no-one vote for Caroline. No-one. Because if she's in the bottom two, Len is naked diving off of Blackpool pier.
20:23We thought those Beafeaters weren't meant to even smile, let alone jive.
20:22Oh, our mistake. It's Caroline giving it, as Len would say, some welly. And what a welly it is.
20:22Taking to the Strictly dancefloor, it's Geri Halliwell!
20:21If Caroline really didn't realise that was Pasha, we're worried.
20:21The final dancer tonight is last week's shock bottom two - Caroline Flack. And she's got some life advice for us. "It's not about how you fall, it's about how you get up". Get that on a t-shirt, pronto.
20:19OK, this is the last time we're going to say it. Promise. But, simply, Zoe is just better at this than Tess.
20:17"It was a bit like a small man at a urinal" says Len. Probably the best analogy we've heard all year.
20:15It wasn't really passionate, Tess. It was pretty good, but again, not his best. He could be another celeb in danger tonight...
20:13This voyeuristic VT is all sorts of layers of creepy.
20:12Steve Backshall's up next! He's a personal favourite of ours, and it has nothing to do with his arms. OK, it might have everything to do with his arms.
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20:12We could make jokes about the wildlife in Blackpool. But it seems a bit harsh.
20:11Judy Moo, eh? Where the heck did that nickname come from Zoe?
20:10We think that would have been better if Pixie's dance was with the theme of the game show Gladiators instead.
20:08She is - obviously - an amazing dancer. And we hate to jump on the bandwagon, but we do feel it's a tad unfair that Pixie has been in the biz all her life and may well have been having dance lessons since she was a foetus.
20:07Pixie is dancing the paso tto an 80s synth pop version of the Mario Kart theme (that is what this is, right?).
20:06The two waiters from Jake's table face-off have changed into gladiators.
20:05This is what Blackpool's got to offer in November. Essentially freezing your bum off.
20:03Can we just take a moment to say Zoe Ball has been doing an amazing job these past couple of weeks? To step in at short notice and make the job her own deserves a big dollop of kudos. We think she's fab!
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20:02We're pretty sure Mark kissed Craig on the lips, too. Which probably bumped his score up a few points to a 9.
20:01First the f-word. Now he's said knobs. Control yourself, Goodman!
20:00It wasn't the most spectacular dance he's done, but it was very good. We like Mark more every week.
19:59This is good n' all. But it's nowhere near as good as Inbetweeners' Neil's body popping.
19:58We wish Magic Mark was more like Magic Mike.
19:57That was one of the worst yet. We could moan - a lot - about those links into dances from Tess. But if we start, this blog might just turn into a rant.
19:557s?! For that? They really are pulling out all the stops to get Andy in the studio.
19:54It was Judy's best dance, according to the judges! So we're predicting 4s all round.
19:53"It was more a 98 than a 99", says Anton. We're just bloody thankful it wasn't a 69.
19:52"If they can put a spaceship on a comet, Anton can teach Judy can dance!" says Len. Er, that spaceship on the comet hasn't exactly been a resounding success though has it? It got stuck down a hole.
19:51She just did an Up and flew away with the balloons.
19:50This is terrible. Stilted. Awkward. But for Judy, it's amazing!
19:49Anton Du Beke! A kite! A big woolly hat!
19:48It's just as well that Anton is so enthusiastic. Lesser professionals would have said "Look, sod this" in week four.
19:48Oh cripes. Here she is. Hold onto your tennis rackets, everyone.
19:47YES! Len has just cemented himself as our favourite judge on anything ever. Zoe confirms that he "got a bit carried away", so she's "sorry for the bad language". Which means our aged ears didn't deceive us and he did drop the f-bomb. Ledge.
19:46It took about two seconds for Simon to realise what was going on, but incredibly he's bagged THREE 10s! He's back. in. the. game!
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19:44Craig thought it was stiff and that Simon's hands were rubbish and he had a lot of complaints. Oh, and Craig also loved it.
19:43"Winner winner chicken dinner". Probably one of the most constructive things Len's said in a long time! And did he just mumble the f-word?
19:42That final lift was one of the most heart-stopping finale's we've seen on Strictly in flipping ages! Simon could be one of the biggest comeback kids the show's ever had!
19:41This is always a Strictly favourite! Crack on the Moulin Rogue version of Roxanne and flick your legs about.
19:39In training, he looked as sweaty and greasy and Kim Kardashian's bum.
19:39Simon Webbe's up next, and after a few dodgy weeks, he seems to be getting better and better.
19:38We wish Tess would leave the 'I'm kooky me' links well alone. Cringe city.
19:37"I've got an 8 for that?" gasps Sunetra. We've just spat out our Martini in shock. That was barely worth a 6.
19:35We have the feeling she could well be in danger after that performance. Do you agree?
19:35Bruno loves the bouncing bunnies. Probably not as much as Brendan, but still.
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19:34We've never seen someone looking so miserable wearing a feather boa as Len. Can someone gif it please?
19:33Everything - from the feet to the arms to the legs - is going wrong here. No amount of pink feather boas is making up for it.
19:32We hate to say it, but we don't think Sunetra feels like dancing.
19:31Is this a hen do that's accidentally stumbled into the ballroom?
19:30Sunetra is lovely and a great dancer - but for some reason, we just don't get too revved up about seeing her perform.
19:29We wish someone would get Jake a flannel for his head.
19:27Craig says something about Perky Lee Man. We're not sure who he is. But basically, Jake got amazing comments! And he still can't raise a smile.
19:24That was easily Jake's best dance yet. Heck, it might even be our favourite Strictly dance of the series! Is Craig going to wipe the cobwebs from his 10?
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19:23Sit down, lads. We wouldn't mess with Max Branning.
19:22Jake plus Strictly plus Buble. You might want to check that your mum's not hyperventilating at the moment.
19:21Quite a few steps and lot of lifts. That's Tess's naff long-winded way of saying it's Jake and Janette up next!
19:20Frankie gets TWO 10s! Amazing! Len makes a bid for freedom to accost Craig. We thought he might lean over and give him a whack with his paddle.
19:18Her best dance yet, apparently. Could it be from Len, a ten tonight? His head's in his hands while Craig's waffling his nonsense. Also: Darcey's obsessed with top lines.
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19:16Dave Arch has put on a sparkly tie! We love Dave Arch!
19:16Our only criticism? What the heck is with the backing dancers? This is NOT The X Factor. Ditch 'em, now.
19:15Frankie's back on form! This is a nippy little routine and she's totally rocking it.
19:14Dance Mat! In heels! We hope the Beeb have got insurance for that...
19:13Frankie Bridge and Kevin are up next, hoping to do better than last week's dis-ahhh-ster with a quick step.
19:12Here they all are! Seems weird not seeing them not coming down the stairs.
19:11Alison might have been voted off, but she's still in the audience. Maybe she already booked her Super Saver Advance train ticket and couldn't get a refund?
19:10Let's crack on now, eh? Here's the judges making their completely understated entrance. Bruno is doing the ultimate embarrassing dad dancing. And we bloody love it.
19:09She's spinning and spinning and spinning. We hope she didn't eat a lot of Haribo before she went up there.
19:08They're making a big fuss of the wee one. Who is she? Was she actually on Britain's Got Talent or A-Another TV Talent Show?
19:07We don't want to be mean... but we don't think we're going to be seeing this little girl on Britain's Got Talent anytime soon.
19:06Right, this is taking creepy Strictly time-wasting VTs to a whole other level.
19:05Wow, this is blowing the Elstree Studio out of the water. We sort of wish it held here every week.
19:04Are you clapping along to the intro titles at home? Come on, you are aren't you? Admit it!
19:03Evening everyone! It's Strictly time, and we're off to Blackpool! Steve has forgotten a shoe, Simon is going to rack up a huge bill to the BBC getting a black cab all the way there and Jake Wood has optimistically packed a bucket and spade.
