:00:00. > :00:11.Last week on Strictly we were treated to a night at the musicals.
:00:12. > :00:18.It was full of rave reviews. Fantastic. Absolutely sublime. We
:00:19. > :00:26.had our first 40 of the series. Ashley had to face the music. But it
:00:27. > :00:31.was Mark's last dance. Tonight, our six remaining couples fight for the
:00:32. > :00:35.right to compete in the semifinals. They've come a long way. The
:00:36. > :00:43.pressure is on and nobody wants to go home. I don't know any of those
:00:44. > :00:52.steps. Every time I do it I get it wrong. I can't do this! Focus. Are
:00:53. > :01:44.you focussed? Come on, Brendan! I believe in you!
:01:45. > :01:55.Live from the Strictly ballroom, this is Strictly Come Dancing.
:01:56. > :02:09.Please welcome your hosts, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
:02:10. > :02:17.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING Good evening and welcome to
:02:18. > :02:22.Strictly. It's the quarter-finals! I am beside myself and you will be too
:02:23. > :02:28.after you have seen what's in store tonight. Oh, yes. Last week's
:02:29. > :02:35.musicals extravaganza saw Mark and Iveta in the dance-off, they proved
:02:36. > :02:39.no match for Ashley and Ola's Aladdin-inspired rumba. That leaves
:02:40. > :02:44.us with six couples. Not only will they be dance ago new routine,
:02:45. > :02:48.they'll be going head-to-head in the swing-a-thon. The swing-a-thon is
:02:49. > :02:56.back. There is a whole lot of dancing to be done. It's time to
:02:57. > :03:04.meet... Come on. Snuggle in. The stars of our show.
:03:05. > :03:07.Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her partner Brendan Cole. BBC Breakfast
:03:08. > :03:09.presenter Susanna Reid and her partner Kevin Clifton. Coronation
:03:10. > :03:13.Street star Natalie Gumede and her partner Artem Chigvintsev. Model and
:03:14. > :03:17.TV presenter Abbey Clancy and her partner Aljaz Skornajec. From
:03:18. > :03:21.Hollyoaks, Ashley Taylor Dawson and his partner Ola Jordan. And,
:03:22. > :03:39.Casualty star Patrick Robinson and his partner Anya Garnis.
:03:40. > :03:46.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING Don't let those smiles fool you.
:03:47. > :03:52.After 11 weeks of dancing they're all tired and emotional emotional so
:03:53. > :03:56.we thought we would cheer them up with a treat. As a gift from us, we
:03:57. > :04:01.are giving you two dances. Don't thank us, it's an early Christmas
:04:02. > :04:03.present. After each couple has danced once all our couples will
:04:04. > :04:07.take to the floor together and dance for additional judges' points in the
:04:08. > :04:12.swing-a-thon. I am exhausted even thinking about it. Let's start the
:04:13. > :04:17.dancing so I can have a lie down in your area. Let's do it. The first
:04:18. > :04:30.couple dancing tonight is Ashley and his partner, Ola.
:04:31. > :04:38.Last week Ashley and Ola flew through the dance-off on the magic
:04:39. > :04:42.carpet. Will Ashley be able to swivel his way through the salsa?
:04:43. > :04:46.Here's how they got on. Saturday night was a rollercoaster. The
:04:47. > :04:50.chemistry was there but you need to work more on your hips. 35 again!
:04:51. > :05:00.It's very, very frustrating. It would be nice to improve. At the
:05:01. > :05:03.moment I am plat toe eauing. It would mean the world to get to the
:05:04. > :05:13.semifinals. I have come this far, I don't want it to end now. Wow, the
:05:14. > :05:18.salsa. It's full-on. It's fast hands, fast feet, fast everything.
:05:19. > :05:27.The judges want to see more hips. I have to come up with something which
:05:28. > :05:44.will make your hips go crazy. Hi. What's going on? Dance around.
:05:45. > :05:56.Ashley! I organised one more surprise. A load of my friends from
:05:57. > :06:03.Hollyoaks. Terrifying thing, dancing in front of your friends like that.
:06:04. > :06:10.I would like to thank them all for coming. Three points. Come on!
:06:11. > :06:12.Getting through this week we are going to smash it and not give them
:06:13. > :06:24.a choice apart from giving us a 10. Dancing the salsa, Ashley
:06:25. > :08:14.Taylor-Dawson and Ola Jordan. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
:08:15. > :08:20.Yes, that's how you start a show! Great way to start the show. He is
:08:21. > :08:26.after a glass of water, he is worn out! Thirsty work this dancing. You
:08:27. > :08:30.know how to get the party started. Did it put the judges in a party
:08:31. > :08:36.mood? Let's say hello to the four people with the best seats in the
:08:37. > :08:45.house, except for Darcey. She's next to Craig. It's our judges! How was
:08:46. > :08:50.that for an opening, Len? That's a way to get the party started. Plenty
:08:51. > :08:53.of tricks. There was a couple of little moments but I am telling you,
:08:54. > :08:58.it's such a full-on routine. It's so fast. There was so much happening.
:08:59. > :09:05.You are entitled to have a tiny little slip during it. My main
:09:06. > :09:12.concern was, and it needed more hip action. I am sorry. Too big a step
:09:13. > :09:16.sometimes and because of that you are not being able to settle over
:09:17. > :09:23.your supporting leg. It lacked a little bit of hips but I tell you
:09:24. > :09:28.what the energy was incredible. Bruno, what did you make of it?
:09:29. > :09:34.Ashley, that was a salsa with so much bite. Ola, I am surprised you
:09:35. > :09:38.are still in one piece. I thought he was going to break you into two! My
:09:39. > :09:44.heart was pounded because I really thought he is never going to get
:09:45. > :09:48.through with this. It went from kind of subtle flirting to possession and
:09:49. > :09:53.domination. Down she goes, up she goes, in the air. There is one thing
:09:54. > :09:58.I really have to admire the fact that you approach this quarter-final
:09:59. > :10:05.with such intent. That is the way to do it. He is right, there were a
:10:06. > :10:13.couple of incidents and your hips still need to get more lubrication.
:10:14. > :10:18.But I am telling you, this is the right attitude. Craig, everyone's
:10:19. > :10:23.going to up their game tonight. Dance-off last week, what about this
:10:24. > :10:33.week? It actually put a smile on my face, darling. Someone's got to. You
:10:34. > :10:36.do have hip action, sadly it's only side-to-side. You need the rotation
:10:37. > :10:40.in the forward and back basic. It was a little frenetic for me and
:10:41. > :10:44.lacked a certain ease this dance should have. I thought it was a very
:10:45. > :10:54.ambitious routine, Ola. I have to commend you, those lifts were
:10:55. > :11:00.absolutely incredible. They were Incredible. Darcey. It was packed
:11:01. > :11:05.full of energy. You were going for it and very strong lifts. I did
:11:06. > :11:12.believe if the timing went wrong you would have decapitated Ola. The last
:11:13. > :11:17.one, to get the timing right, really impressive. Just quicken up the
:11:18. > :11:24.footwork. Make it more compact and cleaner. I get too excited. It was
:11:25. > :11:30.fast and fun. Thank you judges. Impressive comments. Great start.
:11:31. > :11:39.Well done, off you go to Claudia. Ashley and Ola!
:11:40. > :11:48.We were going nuts up here. Is that your favourite routine? Definitely.
:11:49. > :11:55.I loved it. Well done, Ola. Did you think I am being overambitious? I am
:11:56. > :11:57.happy I am still alive! And you made Craig smile. What a start. The
:11:58. > :12:23.scores are in. Are you OK with that? No Are you
:12:24. > :12:28.disappointed? I am going to have a word with them after. Huge
:12:29. > :12:32.congratulations. If you were shaking your body and doing the conga and
:12:33. > :12:40.just can't control yourself any longer, then vote.
:12:41. > :12:50.If you have already registered you just have to sign in. Calls cost 15p
:12:51. > :12:58.from a mobile and BT landline, please get permission from whoever
:12:59. > :13:04.pays the bill. The vote won't open until after all our couples have
:13:05. > :13:08.danced in the swing-a-thon. Tess, who is next?
:13:09. > :13:13.Our next couple tonight is Natalie and Artem. Natalie and Artem have
:13:14. > :13:17.been consistently high on the leaderboard, topping it no less than
:13:18. > :13:21.six times. It's not about past performances here on Strictly, it's
:13:22. > :13:28.all about tonight. It means it's time for them to get passionate in
:13:29. > :13:33.the paso doble. Last Saturday it was literally the
:13:34. > :13:37.best moment of my life. For me the dance got lost in the performance. I
:13:38. > :13:41.will take on any advice Len has to give because he is the King of
:13:42. > :13:46.ballroom but I loved the dance. To make it to the semifinal I would
:13:47. > :13:52.count myself very lucky. Going into Saturday I will dance it like it's
:13:53. > :13:56.my last. This week we are dancing the paso doble. I know Artem will be
:13:57. > :14:01.upping the ante. I think I will have a lot to take in. I don't know what
:14:02. > :14:05.I am doing, sorry. Did anyone tell you how pretty you look in a skirt?
:14:06. > :14:10.No, but thank you. After last week we need to impress Len. I am going
:14:11. > :14:16.to stick to as traditional as possible. It's all about flamenco,
:14:17. > :14:25.for to you get into character we will watch a performance. You will
:14:26. > :14:35.be like a sponge. It's like a training room. We will take notes
:14:36. > :14:40.and back tomorrow to dance. What you need to look for is the arm
:14:41. > :14:51.placements. Look at the hands. It's the continued rotation.
:14:52. > :15:00.If I can incorporate a bit of flamenco, who knows, maybe you can
:15:01. > :15:10.drag me into the semifinals. Come on semifinals!
:15:11. > :15:21.Dancing the paso doble, Natalie Gumede and Artem Chigvintsev.
:15:22. > :16:57.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING What about that for drama? Relax for
:16:58. > :17:06.a second. You deserve it. More air, more water! Let's welcome Dave Arch
:17:07. > :17:11.and his incredible orchestra and our show-stopping singers. They're the
:17:12. > :17:18.best in the business. Let's see if that scored a bull's-eye with the
:17:19. > :17:23.judges? Bruno. It was the essence of classic Spain, apart from a slip-up,
:17:24. > :17:26.it was such a shame. If you kept this down to a series of pictures
:17:27. > :17:31.everyone would have been a masterpiece. I would like to see
:17:32. > :17:38.that again done at the full potential because that tiny little -
:17:39. > :17:44.you slipped. It's such a shame. I am telling you it was fantastic. It
:17:45. > :17:48.really was. Don't beat yourself up. Craig, what did you make of it? I
:17:49. > :17:52.totally agree with Bruno. It was classy, it was clean. It was
:17:53. > :18:00.precise. It's almost too slick. I know that sounds bizarre. Is there
:18:01. > :18:04.such a thing? There lax an element of danger and surprise. You put too
:18:05. > :18:11.much weight on your outside leg and it went underneath you, which was a
:18:12. > :18:16.real shame. But that was just too much, brilliant. Darcey, was it
:18:17. > :18:21.enough to see them through to the semifinals? It was glorious, as the
:18:22. > :18:27.boys said, it was classic pure choreography. The shaping was
:18:28. > :18:35.superb. The arms and the body, I am being picky now because I want you
:18:36. > :18:38.in those finals. If we could have a stronger story and I know I have
:18:39. > :18:42.asked this from you before and it's just a relationship between you,
:18:43. > :18:47.especially from a paso, I would have loved that and it would have been a
:18:48. > :18:52.finished performance for me. But beautiful work. Len, they kept it
:18:53. > :18:57.traditional tonight for you, are you happy? No, they didn't. That...
:18:58. > :19:02.Listen, I like the intensity. I loved the passion. I loved the focus
:19:03. > :19:05.of the whole thing. There's no getting away, you are a wonderful
:19:06. > :19:12.dancer. I never thought you were going to touch her. There was so
:19:13. > :19:18.much, three - three-quarters, like you didn't want to each each other.
:19:19. > :19:23.I have this picture of you now, Natalie, swoosh around and past,
:19:24. > :19:29.then I thought, hello, he is going into hold. You teased me. You did
:19:30. > :19:35.one twist and turn and a hint and off like that. Listen, you know what
:19:36. > :19:51.I like. I like to see a little bit of what I recognise, twist and
:19:52. > :19:56.turns, capes, promenades. Too much apes Artem, I wouldn't lie to you.
:19:57. > :20:02.You have to up your game in the swing-a-thon. For me you are in
:20:03. > :20:06.jeopardy after this dance. The cards are on the table. You heard it from
:20:07. > :20:19.the judges. Controversial. We loved it here. Off you go to Claudia.
:20:20. > :20:28.Well done. Huge well done. You must be incredibly shocked. Len used the
:20:29. > :20:34.word jeopardy. You were trying to impress Len. You were going full,
:20:35. > :20:39.classic. Traditional, music and costumes. There were a lot of paso
:20:40. > :20:48.steps. There wasn't too much in hold. It was about a fight and... If
:20:49. > :20:52.you took any snapshot it was creating beautiful lines. Did you
:20:53. > :20:57.enjoy it? I loved it, loved being fires and fiery. Just for me, will
:20:58. > :20:59.you wear that for Christmas? I will. Just a small gift to myself. The
:21:00. > :21:22.scores are in. Are you all right? Disappointed with
:21:23. > :21:26.the 8? Well, Len has his own reasons. We will take the 8. Huge
:21:27. > :21:30.congratulations. I am thrilled. The judges think it's all about them and
:21:31. > :21:33.their paddles, but it isn't. Your votes could make or break Natalie's
:21:34. > :21:48.dancing dreams. Still to come, Sophie and Brendan
:21:49. > :21:58.are taking us back to the 80s with their tango and Abbey and Aljaz are
:21:59. > :22:03.dancing to Delilah. Result! Back to you, Tess. Next tonight is Patrick
:22:04. > :22:08.and Anya. Last week they were flying high with a Charleston to Chitty
:22:09. > :22:13.Chitty Bang Bang. This week they're cosy cosying up for an intimate
:22:14. > :22:17.rumba. Will it be enough to get them through to the semifinal? Here's
:22:18. > :22:22.what they've been up to. The Charleston is a real physical busy
:22:23. > :22:28.and energetic dance. You have to give it 100%. Getting a standing
:22:29. > :22:34.ovation was incredible. They were on their feet. You have set the mark so
:22:35. > :22:43.high tonight. It was fantastic. Patrick did an amazing job. 58 and
:22:44. > :22:50.you go right, that's the level -- the first was 8 and you go right,
:22:51. > :22:55.that's the level. I have been on theed aage of one dance at a time.
:22:56. > :23:00.This week we are dancing the rumba. I am worried about the rumba. It's
:23:01. > :23:05.one of the hardest dances for male celebrities. It's so random. The
:23:06. > :23:09.movement is so stable, like you have to look you are presenting your
:23:10. > :23:14.woman and dancing with her. I can't latch on to anything. For Patrick
:23:15. > :23:17.not to pick up as other dances probably a little bit of
:23:18. > :23:22.frustration, but I just need to snap him out of it somehow. I want you to
:23:23. > :23:28.remember your kids are out there supporting you. The rumba has been
:23:29. > :23:36.tricky, my children have come down to give me a spirited boost. Getting
:23:37. > :23:39.a text from you guys kept me going. It's impressive that you are 50 and
:23:40. > :23:44.going up against people in their 20s. Aren't you the oldest male
:23:45. > :23:48.celebrity to make it this far? You should be proud, we are. Getting
:23:49. > :23:52.support from my children is one of the most precious bits of support I
:23:53. > :24:01.can get, that hopefully will get me through the rumba this week.
:24:02. > :24:12.Dancing the rumba, Patrick Robinson and Anya Garnis.
:24:13. > :25:54.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING What about that then! Come on over
:25:55. > :25:58.you two. I think we all need a cold shower after that. Steamy! The
:25:59. > :26:07.audience loved it. Are the judges feeling the love? Craig. Yes, I am
:26:08. > :26:11.feeling the love. The hip action was very good, albeit economical,
:26:12. > :26:15.darling, but that's probably a good thing. It was understated.
:26:16. > :26:20.Fantastically strong framework there. You are in the right place at
:26:21. > :26:28.the right time for those catches and stuff. It was a little bit, dare I
:26:29. > :26:33.say, desperate and aggressive. I think if you had just calmed it down
:26:34. > :26:38.ever so slightly, it would have come across more as love, rather than,
:26:39. > :26:45.you know, you were having an argument with your wife, darling of
:26:46. > :26:51.ten years. Passion. You are passionate. That's me. Just a little
:26:52. > :26:54.sort of desperate. That's Patrick being passionate. The rumba is a
:26:55. > :27:03.difficult dance for male celebrities. Did Patrick deliver?
:27:04. > :27:07.Very much so. You were in pursuit of your lady. You were in control of
:27:08. > :27:11.your lady. I mean, the tension between you and the focus you gave
:27:12. > :27:16.Anya, it was like none of us existed in this room. I loved it. I loved
:27:17. > :27:25.seeing a different side to you. You really gave us something I haven't
:27:26. > :27:30.seen before. Well done. Len. I like the fact you were attempting to get
:27:31. > :27:35.light and shade in there, a bit of fast and then into slow.
:27:36. > :27:42.Occasionally I found it too intense, if I am honest. It all got... It's a
:27:43. > :27:55.ballroom, not a bedroom. He is an actor! Too sort of full-on. The
:27:56. > :27:59.rumba... My feeling is it's a developing romance. It's a romance.
:28:00. > :28:03.It's not too full-on. Having said that, you got your hip action going
:28:04. > :28:08.pretty good there. The bottom line, I thought you did really well with a
:28:09. > :28:15.dance that is very difficult for male celebrities. Well done. Indeed.
:28:16. > :28:24.Bruno. Well, I don't care what anybody else thinks, passion works.
:28:25. > :28:28.Take passion out of life you might as well shoot yourself now. Totally
:28:29. > :28:32.immersed in the role. You were intense, you had focus. You looked
:28:33. > :28:36.after her beautifully. And what it had, I thought it was extraordinary,
:28:37. > :28:42.it felt sometimes like you were watching a movie. It went into deep
:28:43. > :28:46.close-up and wonderful wides. Moments of intimacy and then a
:28:47. > :28:53.wonderful moment, it almost looked like a waltz. I thought it had light
:28:54. > :29:09.and shade. I said it had light and shade! Why don't you like it then? I
:29:10. > :29:19.think you got the feeling that I liked it. Thank you judges. Off you
:29:20. > :29:25.go. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
:29:26. > :29:31.Well done. You created a row with the judges. Yeah, that was good fun.
:29:32. > :29:37.Really passionate. Darcey loved it. Yeah, fantastic! I love the fact you
:29:38. > :29:43.were chatting to me, normally you have nothing to say. I have a bit
:29:44. > :30:01.more breath. Clever boy. The scores are in.
:30:02. > :30:10.Well done. Are you happy? Yeah, that's good. Beautiful choreography.
:30:11. > :30:19.These are the numbers to help keep Patrick and Anya dancing.
:30:20. > :30:29.Or you can vote online. Please do not vote until after the
:30:30. > :30:37.swing-a-thon. Look at Ashley and Ola. They're changed already.
:30:38. > :30:47.Adorable. They look 11! There is more dancing, thank good nsz. Ness
:30:48. > :30:54.-- thank goodness. Over to you, Tess. Our next couple is Susanna and
:30:55. > :30:59.Kevin. This week Susanna and Kevin are performing the Argentine tango.
:31:00. > :31:04.Not only is this a new dance for Susanna but Kevin has never
:31:05. > :31:09.performed the Argentine tango before either. Here's how they coped with
:31:10. > :31:19.this new dance. The quickstep on Saturday wasn't the one we planned.
:31:20. > :31:23.Something had gone out of sync. Susanna closed the show with a
:31:24. > :31:29.blockbuster of a quickstep. The footwork was rather sloppy. Never
:31:30. > :31:33.felt more like a non-dancer. To end up near the bottom of the
:31:34. > :31:37.leaderboard, we knew we were in the danger zone when we were left to the
:31:38. > :31:40.last two couples. There is a sense of relief. It would be terrific to
:31:41. > :31:45.get to the semifinals. I never thought I would make it this far.
:31:46. > :31:50.This week we are doing Argentine tango. Which foot now? Not only is
:31:51. > :31:54.Susanna having to learn another new dance but so my. It's not a dance I
:31:55. > :31:59.have done. I am not afraid of a bit of danger. Quarter-finals is a
:32:00. > :32:04.tricky stage to be doing this. It's a dance that is outside the usual
:32:05. > :32:07.ten dances. Five ballroom and five Latin. This is a dance we are going
:32:08. > :32:12.to be performing for the first time. It's all about danger. It's a little
:32:13. > :32:16.bit of extra peril. On top of that, we are dancing to one of Kevin's
:32:17. > :32:21.favourite Michael Jackson songs. Kevin has to do signature moves. We
:32:22. > :32:26.got brilliant dancers from Thriller to help channel that spirit. I hope
:32:27. > :32:30.I can do it justice. A lot of people try Michael Jackson stuff and it can
:32:31. > :32:35.never live up to the King. It's a drag slide. You have got it. It's
:32:36. > :32:39.more difficult in heels. It's harder in heels. You have one chance to get
:32:40. > :32:46.to the semifinal. This is it, fingers crossed it comes together on
:32:47. > :32:48.Saturday night. Dancing the Argentine tango, Susanna
:32:49. > :34:43.Reid and Kevin Clifton. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
:34:44. > :34:57.Yes, how about that! A first for them both. Come on over. Well done.
:34:58. > :35:01.Who knew Michael Jackson? Smooth Criminals, have they stolen the
:35:02. > :35:05.show, Darcey? The Argentine tango, you have that eye contact and you
:35:06. > :35:13.gave that. I love that bit when you were stuck forehead to forehead and
:35:14. > :35:18.the passion and attack was there. Crisper maybe in the moves. There
:35:19. > :35:24.was plenty of arm moves around the dancefloor. I just missed that
:35:25. > :35:30.steamy effect an Argentine tango gives. I lost that flavour. That's
:35:31. > :35:35.the only thing that was missing. It's hard when it's that fast. Len.
:35:36. > :35:40.I wasn't transported to a sort of Smokey bar in Buenos Aires,
:35:41. > :35:45.unfortunately. The steps were there, but it lacked mood and atmosphere
:35:46. > :35:50.for me. Bruno, are you moved? I tell you, I think a lot of the time you
:35:51. > :35:55.were left there strutting your stuff and you did it well, my darling, I
:35:56. > :35:59.am waiting, Kevin. It has to have the feel of a conversation. It's all
:36:00. > :36:04.about action and reaction. It has to be surprising and unexpected, sexy,
:36:05. > :36:07.deeply felt. A lot of the time you did it, you placed it well but it
:36:08. > :36:12.was slightly a little bit mechanical. I would have liked to
:36:13. > :36:17.have seen it much more involved with each other. I think maybe it was...
:36:18. > :36:26.Sometimes things happen, you know. Craig, do you disagree? I disagree
:36:27. > :36:30.with the rest of the judges. There is something a bit strange seeing a
:36:31. > :36:36.newsreader run her hands up her legs, though, darling. That was a
:36:37. > :36:43.bit uncomfortable. But the adornments should be improvised and
:36:44. > :36:51.you should be looser of leg. You did a great job with that particular
:36:52. > :37:01.music. Well done guys. A great effort. Off you go to Claudia.
:37:02. > :37:08.Well done. Well done. A bit dispointed with those comments? I
:37:09. > :37:14.feel like I was in a different dance to the one that the judges were
:37:15. > :37:19.watching. I felt so kind of intense with it. I felt a lot of passion, if
:37:20. > :37:36.I am honest with you. Let's get the scores.
:37:37. > :37:42.That's OK. No, no, it's all right. You still have the swing-a-thon.
:37:43. > :37:46.Everything can change in the swing-a-thon. Don't have that
:37:47. > :37:51.disappointed face. I can't bear it. Cuddle her immediately. Did you
:37:52. > :37:56.think that was Smooth? It would be Criminal not to vote. It gets so
:37:57. > :38:01.much worse! Brace yourselves. Don't make them Beat It. They've been
:38:02. > :38:06.working Day and Night. Don't make them History. I have 20 minutes of
:38:07. > :38:14.this, do we not have time? Call me if you want more.
:38:15. > :38:23.Or you can vote online. Please don't vote until after the swing-a-thon.
:38:24. > :38:26.Tess, I have to be honest, the way you make me feel... Careful,
:38:27. > :38:31.Claudia, you are going to be starting something. It's time for
:38:32. > :38:39.our next couple. It's Abbey and her partner Aljaz. Last week they topped
:38:40. > :38:42.the leaderboard and achieved the first perfect 40 of the series.
:38:43. > :38:46.They're not going to improve on that but a week ahead of the semifinals
:38:47. > :38:54.can they maintain the standard? Here's what they've been up to.
:38:55. > :39:01.Salsa was amazing. I absolutely loved it. We had fantastic comments.
:39:02. > :39:09.That was great. Mesmerising performance. Amazing! I can't
:39:10. > :39:15.believe we are the first people to get 40. It completely blew me away.
:39:16. > :39:18.Wasn't expecting that. It would be sensational to get to the
:39:19. > :39:22.semifinals. Just don't want this experience to end. I am having the
:39:23. > :39:34.time of my life and I want it to keep going on and on.
:39:35. > :39:43.We are dancing the Viennese waltz to Delilah by Tom Jones. It's Stoke's
:39:44. > :39:49.anthem, the team my husband plays for. So I need to do it justice.
:39:50. > :39:53.Will we go to a Tom Jones concert? I didn't have that in mind. We thought
:39:54. > :39:56.it would be a good idea to go to Stoke City and experience the song
:39:57. > :40:00.for ourselves and get in the mood for Saturday. This is the tunnel
:40:01. > :40:03.where the players and my hubby come out every week. We thought it would
:40:04. > :40:11.be a great idea to have a little practice on the pitch while Delilah
:40:12. > :40:14.played throughout the stands. After having a dance on the pitch we
:40:15. > :40:25.needed to see what the song meant to all the fans of Stoke. Good luck
:40:26. > :40:30.from all the Stoke fans. # Why, why, why Delilah. I hope our waltz is top
:40:31. > :40:36.of the league on Saturday and doesn't get us relegated.
:40:37. > :40:48.Dancing the Viennese waltz, Abbey Clancy and Aljaz Skorjanec.
:40:49. > :42:28.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING My, my, my, what a waltz you two.
:42:29. > :42:33.Trust you two to make a Viennese waltz sexy. What are they like?
:42:34. > :42:38.Let's see if it got the judges in a spin. Len? I love the fact there's
:42:39. > :42:41.no gimmicks, it's a proper waltz. There was one or two issues with
:42:42. > :42:45.your footwork which I haven't time to go into. If you come up to my
:42:46. > :42:53.dressing room after... I will explain it fully. You old smoothy!
:42:54. > :42:57.Bruno. Delightful Delilah, totally charmed. Ask anything you want, you
:42:58. > :43:06.shall have it. You look like a movie star and dance like a goddess. Have
:43:07. > :43:10.the A-team done it again? Yes, I have to say you are the biggest
:43:11. > :43:17.surprise of this competition. Brilliant. Thank you. High praise.
:43:18. > :43:22.Darcey. That was perfection. The arch you created in that top line
:43:23. > :43:26.was beautiful. You get better and better. Just beautiful. Thank you.
:43:27. > :43:34.Great comments from the judges. You must be a lucky charm, Stoke City
:43:35. > :43:41.will want you down again, they beat Chelsea and your hubby scored. Go
:43:42. > :43:47.and celebrate with Claude -- with Claudia. Off you go.
:43:48. > :43:51.Huge congratulations. Are you over the moon? A lot of
:43:52. > :43:55.pressure, you did so well and then it's your husband's football team
:43:56. > :44:01.song, did you love it? I love it. I love the ballroom dances. Gorgeous.
:44:02. > :44:25.I know, quite. Twirling. Scores are in.
:44:26. > :44:33.Are you so happy? I am so happy. Well done. Does that leave your head
:44:34. > :44:46.spinning in a Goodway? Then why, why, why wouldn't you vote?
:44:47. > :44:52.That swing-a-thon is getting closer. My excitement levels are reaching an
:44:53. > :44:56.all-time high. Luckily, I can internalise all of it. One more
:44:57. > :45:02.couple to go. Who is it? Our final couple this evening are
:45:03. > :45:06.Sophie and her partner Brendan. After the dizzying spins of last
:45:07. > :45:12.week's Viennese waltz this week's routine has Sophie starting off
:45:13. > :45:18.standing dead still. She's even been practising by pretending to be a
:45:19. > :45:25.shop window mannequin? Mannequin. Can she pull it off? Of course she
:45:26. > :45:28.can. Our Sophie's no dummy. Bruce gave me that gag. Here's what
:45:29. > :45:32.happened when Sophie and Brendan gave Christmas shoppers more than
:45:33. > :45:37.they bargained for. Musicals week for me was lovely. It felt kind of
:45:38. > :45:40.incredible. I could see the studio lights whizzing past and I could
:45:41. > :45:46.hear the crowd. I was like wow, this is quite a moment for me. The
:45:47. > :45:50.chemistry was fantastic between you. Four 9s, that feels pretty good.
:45:51. > :45:55.Reaching the semifinals would be incredible. I would feel very proud,
:45:56. > :46:02.very dpieted -- excited. The stakes are higher than ever, I suppose.
:46:03. > :46:07.There's not really room for error. This week Brendan and I are doing a
:46:08. > :46:11.tango to Material Girl and we begin and end with me in a shop window as
:46:12. > :46:14.a mannequin. The trick is holding this still for the first few seconds
:46:15. > :46:20.while the music is going and the audience are going. What if I get
:46:21. > :46:29.the giggles? That's not good. We need to get an audience to practise
:46:30. > :46:33.on. I have brought you to your window. We will get you to stand in
:46:34. > :46:39.there and try and convince everybody that you are the mannequin. I was
:46:40. > :46:44.able to go into the shop window and practise being a mannequin. Happy?
:46:45. > :46:50.Yes. Going into the shop window felt a little bizarre. Lots of shoppers
:46:51. > :46:56.stopping and having a look. I just seen these people and it's like
:46:57. > :47:00.Sophie there, wow. There she is dancing with Brendan, what could be
:47:01. > :47:05.better on your way home? Having a practice and posing in front of
:47:06. > :47:10.these lovely shoppers will hopefully have given me that bit of traeks
:47:11. > :47:14.confidence for Saturday night. -- extra confidence for Saturday night.
:47:15. > :47:21.Dancing the tango, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Brendan Cole.
:47:22. > :49:09.APPLAUSE AND CHEERING You certainly looked the part,
:49:10. > :49:14.that's for sure and you sold that routine. Let's hope the judges are
:49:15. > :49:18.buying it, Bruno. There's plenty of life in that mannequin. It's so good
:49:19. > :49:22.to see you performing at full steam. It was quirky, it was campy, it was
:49:23. > :49:27.different. It was a really unexpected treat of a tango. The
:49:28. > :49:34.choreography, Brendan, that was fantastic. So original. So original.
:49:35. > :49:38.You stumbled a few times, Sophie. Because I can see you... You work
:49:39. > :49:42.very hard and put the performance level in but there was a few
:49:43. > :49:48.stumbles in the routine. I am sure you can do it better. But I loved
:49:49. > :49:51.it. Craig. Missing a little bit of the shaping but that choreography,
:49:52. > :50:01.Brendan, I absolutely loved that routine. Darcey. I wanted attack
:50:02. > :50:08.from you and you gave it, you came out and the intent was there. Same
:50:09. > :50:12.as Craig, I would like to see more V between you, just lean away. It's a
:50:13. > :50:17.little bit too upright and the shoulders move around. Fix that, but
:50:18. > :50:24.otherwise, well done. Great attack. Good to see a feisty Sophie. Len?
:50:25. > :50:29.The performance level was higher. It lacked a little bit of toning. You
:50:30. > :50:32.wouldn't quite be with him... I am very strong, can't help myself. But
:50:33. > :50:37.the one thing we have been asking for is a higher performance level
:50:38. > :50:38.and that you gave. High praise from the judges. Congratulations. That
:50:39. > :50:54.was wonderful. We loved it. Well done. Well done. Are you happy
:50:55. > :50:58.with those comments? I am really thrilled. They adored your
:50:59. > :51:02.choreography, does that feel fantastic to end the quarter-finals?
:51:03. > :51:06.It does. I have had an amazing series with this girl and the
:51:07. > :51:10.choreography is down to her, she's an inspiring girl. You still have
:51:11. > :51:29.the swing-a-thon to go. First, let's have the scores.
:51:30. > :51:38.Is that OK? Can I just tell you how much I love Ola, every time there
:51:39. > :51:46.was an 8, I can hear her saying, come on! Has that left you pining
:51:47. > :51:57.for the days of big hair and the Betamax, put down your Rubik's Cube
:51:58. > :52:02.and call: You two, off you go. Please go and get ready. Three
:52:03. > :52:04.minutes to get ready for the Strictly swing-a-thon. While they
:52:05. > :52:10.get into something more comfortable, let's see how the leaderboard looks
:52:11. > :52:14.before we start swinging. OK, up at the top Abbey and Aljaz.
:52:15. > :52:24.At the bottom, Susanna and Kevin. With a maximum six points up for
:52:25. > :52:28.grabs the endurance task that is the swing-a-thon could change all of
:52:29. > :52:32.that. What exactly is the swing-a-thon? We need rules, we are
:52:33. > :52:35.going to need diagrams and someone intelligent to explain the
:52:36. > :52:41.intricacies of this dance battle. Hopefully for everyone concerned
:52:42. > :52:46.that person isn't me. OK everyone. Settle down I am here
:52:47. > :52:53.to give you a masterclass on how... Right, I have had enough of this.
:52:54. > :52:57.Please, Sir, what is a swing-a-thon? I am going to explain it now! The
:52:58. > :53:03.main thing about the swing-a-thon, you are all on the floor at the same
:53:04. > :53:09.time. At the same time in Yes. And mind that lip, Gumede. All at the
:53:10. > :53:17.same time fighting to be the last one dancing. It's based on lindy,
:53:18. > :53:20.jive and swing. What is a lindy hop? What do you think I am? A
:53:21. > :53:24.professional dancer. We are looking for kicks, flicks and tricks. Lifts
:53:25. > :53:30.are allowed, anything goes. What are the rules? No rules. No rules?
:53:31. > :53:36.Sorry, Robinson, that's the beauty, there are no rules. Get out there
:53:37. > :53:40.and dance your socks off! But, Sir, what's it all for? This, the
:53:41. > :53:43.swing-a-thon, this is the battle of the ballroom. You are going to be
:53:44. > :53:48.judged by me and the other judges. We are going to see you side by
:53:49. > :53:52.side. If you are not working hard enough, you will see the judges'
:53:53. > :53:59.paddle come up and then you are out of the swing-a-thon. Out of the
:54:00. > :54:05.swing-a-thon? Please, Sir. Oi! Hush, this is all about points. The first
:54:06. > :54:10.couple out gets one point. Yes, Sir. The second couple oat gets two
:54:11. > :54:16.points -- couple out gets two points. Who can work out what the
:54:17. > :54:21.last couple gets? A million. 15. Seven? I hope your dancing is better
:54:22. > :54:28.than maths. The last couple gets six extra points. All right, everyone,
:54:29. > :54:38.off you go. And remember, it's each couple for themselves.
:54:39. > :54:43.To recap, whoever stays dancing the longest will score six. The second
:54:44. > :54:48.couple eliminated will score two points and so on. The scores will be
:54:49. > :54:55.added to the leaderboard. As always, head judge Len will have the
:54:56. > :54:59.deciding say. What advice? This is a gruelling thing, you have to
:55:00. > :55:04.maintain your energy. It's no good thinking I will start easy and build
:55:05. > :55:08.to a frenzy near the end, because we are watching from the moment they
:55:09. > :55:13.start. They've got to come out and attack every moment. This can be the
:55:14. > :55:20.difference of going home or going on. The leaderboard can be totally
:55:21. > :55:24.changed by it, you can be bottom of the leaderboard or wherever, and six
:55:25. > :55:28.extra points. It's exciting, right? Up they go. It is, I love your
:55:29. > :55:31.excitement. Darcey, this is your first time watching the
:55:32. > :55:35.swing-a-thon, are you excited and who have you got your eye on I am
:55:36. > :55:38.excited about getting them all on the dance floor together and that
:55:39. > :55:43.competitive spirit and just seeing the standards. It will be so clear
:55:44. > :55:47.to us as soon as they start moving. I don't want them to hold back. I
:55:48. > :55:51.think it is, exactly as Len said, it's about extra points. Anybody
:55:52. > :55:57.that's at the bottom, I would love to see Susanna go for it. Throw
:55:58. > :56:01.herself into it. Come on. Thank you very much judges. Thank you. The
:56:02. > :56:05.time for talk is over. It's time for hot dance action. Right, let's
:56:06. > :56:10.welcome our six stars back on to the dance floor for the Strictly Come
:56:11. > :56:12.Dancing swing-a-thon! Would all couples please take to the
:56:13. > :56:22.floor for the swing-a-thon. Winning tonight's swing-a-thon are
:56:23. > :58:50.Natalie and Artem. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
:58:51. > :58:54.That was brilliant. They look tired! The last couple standing with a
:58:55. > :59:02.maximum score of six is Natalie and Artem. Come on over. If you can
:59:03. > :59:06.still walk that is. OK, get your breath back. Please just breathe.
:59:07. > :59:11.Take in air. Bruno, what did they have that the others didn't?
:59:12. > :59:19.Stylistically they were spot on. In this dance you can have jive, lindy,
:59:20. > :59:22.hop. They kept the transitions well, it was precision and timing and
:59:23. > :59:26.standing out and maintaining it all the way through. It's the... You
:59:27. > :59:31.know somebody has an awkward moment it catches your eye. Oh, that went
:59:32. > :59:36.wrong. They really maintained it beautifully all the way through.
:59:37. > :59:41.They stood out. Congratulations. Len, I have to ask you why were
:59:42. > :59:47.Susanna and Kevin asked to leave first? I am a huge fan of Susanna
:59:48. > :59:53.and Kevin. I wanted them, more than anyone, to get out there and really
:59:54. > :59:59.give us a great score. But, you know, it's seconds that you have.
:00:00. > :00:04.It's not a skien fantastic thing -- scientific thing. You look and who
:00:05. > :00:07.is it, and I have these three shouting in my ear. Unfortunately,
:00:08. > :00:13.Susanna was the first to go. Thank you very much judges. . While our
:00:14. > :00:14.couples recover. Let's look at how the swing-a-thon affected the
:00:15. > :00:32.leaderboard. Remember, you can change all of that
:00:33. > :00:35.by picking up the phone or going online and voting for your
:00:36. > :00:39.favourite. There is no time like the present. The voting lines, can we do
:00:40. > :00:43.this together, I am going to hold on to you, the vote lines are now...
:00:44. > :01:00.Open! You can vote online, where you will
:01:01. > :01:04.also find full terms and conditions. I fell in love with terms and
:01:05. > :01:11.conditions once. We went to Rome. There's no time to discuss it. It's
:01:12. > :01:21.not the time. Lines will close at 8. 40pm tonight. To help you decide who
:01:22. > :03:11.to vote for here is a reminder. I love you, Claudia.
:03:12. > :03:24.Amazing. Voting closes at 8. 40pm. Please don't dilly-Daly.
:03:25. > :03:30.All our couples want to make it to the semifinals. In tomorrow's
:03:31. > :03:34.results show two of these couples will face each other in the
:03:35. > :03:37.dance-off. Nobody wants to leave. Our couples' fate now lies in your
:03:38. > :03:41.hands. If you want to ensure your favourite makes it through to the S
:03:42. > :03:45.semi semifinal unscathed, then pick up the phone or go online and vote.
:03:46. > :03:51.Join Tess and me tomorrow night in the results show at 7. 20pm. We will
:03:52. > :03:55.also have a performance from pop Princesses The Saturdays. Tess, I
:03:56. > :03:58.can't wait. It's that time. Ready? I am always ready for you, Claudia.
:03:59. > :04:00.Let's do