Episode 41 Strictly - It Takes Two

Hello and welcome to Monday's It Takes Two. What a whopper of a

weekend it was when it comes to dance frolic. Who is on the show?

Tonight we say so long, farewell, what is it? To you and you and you

and you and you. Michael and Natalie are here!

Also, everybody's favourite tonight, we have an exclusive interview with

Michael Buble! Woo... Excited. And a man with so

many scores to settle. We've lost count of them. Craig Revel Horwood

is here. That is a view I do not need to see! This is it stakes two.

Put it away! Live from Television Centre, this

is Strictly It Takes Two. Please welcome your host, Zoe Ball!

Hello and welcome to Monday's It Takes Two. Our couples pulled all

the stops out this weekend to make sure they made it to the quarter-

finals. In case you missed any of it, here are the Strictly

headlines: Good evening, here is the news,

thank you, after facing weeks of criticism from the judges, a good

dose of personality and the charleston was just what the doctor

ordered as Louis finally got his first tens of the series. You've

got a personality and you've come out and performed! The making of a

true contender! Nine. Ten. Come on! James Jordan suffered a mental

breakdown, I mean block. Luckily, Denise, ever the professional,

carried on regardless. The professional dancers get just

as nervous as the celebrities and I went blank so I actually think you

did a fantastic job. I could stand here and say it was me so I

apologise. We really do have to blame you now, darling, this is

marvellous. Whoops. Lisa Riley showed off her comedy ending with a

spectacular somersault and no-one was more shocked than our Bruno.

loved the ending. Whoops. I busted my...

LAUGHTER What's that? That is for later!

love it! And finally, an exclusive insight into why Pasha always looks

so darn good on a Saturday night. He gets a little styling help from

Kimbles. You should keep it for the jive. And I'm set. We kind of

match! Those were the Strictly headlines - I thank you.

Now, if you want even more gossip from the weekend, take a look at

the exclusive footage from behind- Morning. It's show day, quickstep

time. I'm ready for jive. Can't you tell...

My ribs are very sore and I had a really sleepless night because I'm

in a bit of pain from James lifting me. Denise is doing lifts that no

celebrity woman's ever done before on this show. We just want to stay

in. You are so close at this point to the end. Let me tell you,

dancing with the stars is over. I'm back. I'm refreshed. Look at my

I'm not well and I've got to breathe. I've got to do the

quickstep. I'm awfully nervous because we've got to get through it.

No room for any mistakes, blunders. Any comedy, I think you have just

got to be a good dancer now. Me and Kimberley gave the

performance of our life there and there's a lot more work to do from

Pasha, I'm afraid. We've got a couple of tricks apparently that

have never been done before on Strictly. I think I'm going to

watch it back and think that I'm absolutely insane to even attempt

anything like it. It's what I'm used to isn't it, doing stuff like

that. All in a day's work eh! can all do that, all of us, all the

pros... Romantic. In Venice in the mind, what more do you want?

actually be in Venice. This is the best room in the building where all

the gossip happens. Yes. What's talked about in the make-up room...

Stays in the make-up room. That's my favourite bit. The clothes, the

hair and the dancing. Don't get too close. Everyone, it's Robo Judge!

Ben your, -- Bonjourno... I think this has come from Richard Arnold's

wardrobe, not his Strictly one, his normal one. Freezing hands. Two

away. I've only just warmed up. should try that. It's good. I like

your approach. Guys, five minutes, everyone. Thank you. Last-minute...

The celebrities are now backstage and looking a little more focused.

There is more of a competitive edge between them and I think it's

crucial now because they want to get to the big old final.

seconds until we are live. Here we go. Wish me luck... Good luck.

Fabulous night. I've loved it. It's been great. Every week, it gets

tougher and tougher and the pressure grows and the tension

builds. It just becomes so hard and so gruelling. I felt Michael

deserved to be in the dance-off. They both danced a little bit

better, but Nicky did dance stronger. The right one went home.

It's been wonderful so far and we'll see what happens next week

with the final six. Thank you, Leonard! After nine

weeks, he's had a good innings, it's fair to say. Please welcome

Michael and his partner, Natalie! Hello, you two! Can I just say well

done on a wicked Samba. Ironically, and somewhat cruelly, perhaps your

best Latin? Yes, I think it was. Did you like the shirt? Loved it. I

did say it was Richard Arnold's wardrobe but I question whether it

was Craig or Bruno's as well. The shirt was the making of me. As soon

as I put it on on the Friday, I knew it was party time. We thought

we'd bring a party to the studio and we did that.

You did do that! Natalie, Michael's definitely improved so much as a

dancer? Incredibly. Do you think the judges cut him a bit of slack?

I don't know, they're there to do a job and you did amazingly well and

it was our last dance and we went off on a high and I'm really,

really proud. What's done is done. Did you have a moment when they

told you last week that mieblg was doing a Latin -- Michael was doing

a Latin? No, I always knew we were doing Latin, it was either Samba or

paso and I wanted to use this song for paso and we got Samba instead

which is fine because I would rather go out with a happy dance.

think it was right week for us to go. If you look at the competition

and the standard, I think I drained every ounce of dancing ability out

of this, or this girl did, so it was the right week for me to go, I

had a great time. Was it tough being in the dance-off, your third

time, and you've been the comeback kid, but to go off against your

mate Nicky because your two are BFFs aren't you? You are in the

dance-off for the third time and it's the Samba, you know it's a

banana skin. Like it! You go for it, there's no other option but to try

and nail the dance. We did it a lot better and then Nicky on the night,

it was an incredible performance. It was amazing. How frustrating is

it to go out three weeks before the final though, argh? It's a shame to

have missed out on the Viennese waltz. We would have loved to have

done that. Yes, but at least we get the chance to go to a few more

parties. Let's two out and never come back in, I'm a cricketer -- go

out. You have worked the hardest of any other celebrity, 325 hours of

dance training. He's been consistently good. What was it like

today to not go to the dance studio? I'll be honest, I was

hungover. Was it an almighty party? The hours say it all. We trained

really hard, I had to to get better. Once it was over, it was time to

relax and have fun. Where was my phone call?! We are going to miss

you so much. The partner you will be bowling over is Natalie Lowe.

wanted a sportsperson this year and I got one. We've really connected.

I don't want to big her up too much, but she's a great girl, really

patient. He's got the Strictly bug. It's got me gripped. Let's have it.

Your butt stuck out like a hanging basket. Once you got into hold, it

was pretty good. Well done. He said my bum's sticking out. I don't

really have a bum. It's not that big. I don't think my body's made

for jive. This is all about quick feet, bouncing around. Argh...

Timing was so bad, it was good. are going to be my favourite.

you. I do feel like I've let Natalie down this week because I've

danced better than that. The cha- cha is cheeky. I'm going to try and

nail the basics and put in all the effort to hope that on a Saturday

night I produce something better than last week. Two and three and

four and now you're dancing... was so much happier with your

performance. You gave your all. was awkward all the way through, it

was plonky. Michael and Natalie... One mistake. You're out the

competition. I'm going to save Michael and Natalie. Live to fight

another week. Down, down, up. desperate not to be in the bottom

two, desperate to improve and get better marks. It's going to be hard.

That was more than magical. It was a miracle! I didn't really think I

had that in me. I saw a real change in Michael last week. I want to

keep that fighting spirit alive, yeah! Six weeks ago, I literally

couldn't do anything. Beautiful. You shine in ballroom. You are

elegant, graceful and you glide. We'll have that every week, please.

To think that I'm still in the biggest show on television, I've

worked hard but I couldn't have done it without my partner. He's a

trier, we are doing the hours, I can't ask any more of him. You had

great content. The lifts were excellent. Now we are on our way to

Wembley. Come on. It has to be all- or-nothing. I won't take mediocre.

I noticed that. Someone's been working hard in the rehearsal room.

It shows clearly. Fantastic. are such an attentive partner. You

concentrate on that. It's brilliant. Latin's the type of dance I

obviously have to work a little harder at. You can do more than

that. We are at the stage now where we have to nail every routine and

can't make a mistake. Really good to see you finally let yourself go

with gay abandon. Judges, time to decide. Nicky and Karen. Nicky and

Karen. Nicky and Karen. Natalie, I think you are the real winner. To

get me dancing for nine weeks on Strictly Come Dancing is quite

remarkable. You now are officially my best Australian friend - thank

you very much! Michael, I think you are the most incredible person. I

couldn't have done this without you and it's been my favourite series

so far, so thank you very much. Natalie, how proud are you of

Michael? Just speechless, my heart's racing now, sorry. Aw...

Honestly, like I said, it's been the most incredible series in every

way. The support that Nicola, his wife, has given us, to be allowed

to do 40 hours plus in the studio, your commitment, dedication to me,

the respect that you've had for me as a coach, a teach ever, listening

to everything I've asked. Stop! It's turning into a Gwyneth isn't

it! What's been your proudest moment, Michael? I think the whole

show's been great. I've loved every minute of it, I've given it

everything, Wembley, to dance last to New York New York, Frank Sinatra,

standing ovation, 6,000 people. Do the math on that, incredible. Craig

described it, I came from the gutter of dancing, he's absolutely

right and I became half decent because of this girl so I've had a

great time. Loved it. I have to ask you before we go, who do you want

to go on and win? They are all great. Give me a name? Nicky Byrne.

He's my pal. How about you, Nat? Kimberley. We've loved you, you are

brilliant. Total ballroom boy, great chemistry between the two of

you, we'll miss you, Michael and Natalie!

For those of you who think you know everything there is to know about

Strictly, see Hoy you get on with this teaser from the tease Bruno

Tonioli. Hell grow, you Strictly experts. --

hello. I am here to test your Strictly knowledge. I was once one

of Bruce Forsyth's dancers, is this Strictly true or Strictly baloney?

I wouldn't put anything past that man. You could find out the answer

later on. Michael Buble is appearing on Strictly at the

weekend. We caught up with him a few weeks ago when he was in town.

Here is a taster of one of his Christmas hits.

# I'm dreaming of a white Christmas # Just like the ones I used to

know... # Please welcome the one and only, Mr Michael Buble!

Come to mama, honey. Hello, darling. Nice to see you. Thank you so much

for coming on the show. Thank you for having me. We are just a little

bit excited about having you here, just a little bit. Me too. You are

here to record a very special performance for the big Strictly

show, a Christmas track from your Christmas album. Is it one of your

favourites? Which one have you chosen? I've chosen, it's beginning

to look a lot like Christmas... It's a beautiful song. We started

the record off because it felt like the arrangement was really sounded

like the starting of Christmas, it was really pretty. Do Christmas

songs make you emotional? They always make me cry in a lovely,

happy kind of way? In a happy tears of way - they make me sentimental,

growing up with my little sisters, mom and dad and grand parents made

it a special time for us so I'm very sentimental about it all. It

takes me back to being a kid. What people don't know is they used to

play bing cross birecords all the time and I loved it so much -- Bing

Crosby. It's what introduced me to great melodies. You got married

last year - broken hearts all around the world. Your wife is from

Argentina, I'm interested to know what was your first dance? At the

wedding? Yes. It was Fairytales can come true. Did you learn a little

dance? I just followed her, she's a better dancer than I'm ever going

to be. I'm really happy actually because she's here somewhere.

Buble hi. She's hiding. She just finished a movie after four months

- I was back-and-forth but now we get to be together. We do a stats

feature on the show every week and we did some adding up and worked

out that your songs have been covered by the Strictly band over

20 times on the show. Thank you so much for the record sales, yes!

I know! And you're only second to Frank Sinatra. How does that make

you feel? Unbelievable. That's really special. Someone thank med

for coming here today and I thanked them for having me on the UK's

biggest television show. It's not easy to get here and I was thrilled

to be book and so happy to be part of it. Now I've gotten to know a

few of the people on the show trbgs very comfortable, a lot of fun for

me. You have been on tour. Have you got any favourite performers?

haven't watched much of anything. I know a lot of the performers are

really good. Denise Van Outen looked pretty good. She's good.

Very good. I got the chance to meet and work with her a bit and I liked

her a lot so I guess I'll be pulling for her. I'm pulling for

everyone and I hope everyone has fun! You are so gorgeous! We have

got a fun game for you now on the show. We want to see how well you

know your own music. What we have done is taken three performances

from couples or all dancing to your music, we have removed the sound.

Tell me which of your tracks they are dancing to. Ready for this?

Put Buble under pressure. Here we go. I'm watching here? Yes, the

first couple is Karen and Artem doing an American smooth. Are they

dancing to moon dance, cry me a river or, just haven't met you yet?

Taking this very seriously? It's cry me a river. Is it? Let's find

out if he's right. He's right! Congratulations. You are good. Tune

the lovely thing about these two, they met in the show, fell in love

and they are still together. That's beautiful. A beautiful thing. OK,

the next one is Ricky and Natalie doing the quickstep from series

seven. They got the most tens ever. Wow. Are they dancing to down with

love, home or feeling good? Down with love, home or feeling good -

they are dancing to down with love. He's good, he's right. Let's have a

listen! Two out of two! OK, here we go. This is Nicky and

Karen doing foxtrot. Your three options are, everything, the best

is yet to come, just haven't met you yet. What do you think,

Michael? Best is yet to come. see if you're right.

He's right! Yes! Really? It's an amazing game. It's going to catch

on I think. Yeah. That just took so much concentration because the

whole time I was watching I was trying to count in my head and

remember the tempo of the record and that was hard. You were taking

it very seriously. Thank you so much for taking time to come and

see us. Thank you so much. You are gorgeous. Michael Buble!

APPLAUSE Isn't he lovely! I apologise for

being so like that in front of him! Craig will be here in a moment

giving us his views on the weekend's performances, but before

that, time to put you out of your misery with the answer to Bruno's

bamboozler. I've asked you, I was once one of Bruce Forsyth's dancers.

I bet that got you thinking. It is Strictly true, it was in the 70s,

but don't tell anyone! Join me next time for another Strictly true or

Strictly baloney with me, the one and only, Bruno Tonioli, just for

you! I love that man! Don't worry, Bruno,

your secret is safe with us. Saturday's performances put the cat

amongst the pigeons. Who better to talk about it than a man who always

has his claws out. Please welcome, Craig Revel Horwood.

Oh rg darling! Beautiful! That's taken it out of you, hasn't it?

almost fell over. We are going the James Jordan shimmy there. We waved

goodbye to Michael and Natalie at the weekend. Michael said he

thought it was his time to go. Do you agree? I do. Thank you. It's

very gallant of him to say that because it is true in fact. He's

right, the competition has got really stiff now, you know, and

they've got to really work hard at getting this final. Only six left

and three weeks. So close. cannot call it can you? No. This

year we really can't call it. Nicky and Karen and their tango. Did they

deserve to be in the dance-off? I thought this was brilliant?

second time he did it, it was a lot smoother, there was a lot more

connection and more character. took all the points... That was

incredible because to try and turn it around like that just out of

thin air is very, very difficult, but he took all of that on board

and I commend him for it. Wonderful. Hats off to him. Lisa and Robin.

She has so much personality, everyone loves her energy, everyone

loves her. Is that enough to win this competition? No, because you

still have to be technical and she does suffer a little bit in the

ballroom stuff. You have to have much, much longer neck and grace

and more poise so she does struggle but what I think Lisa could

possibly win it on is her personality, her energy, as you say,

and if she's lucky enough to get a Latin dance. She's so good.

Kimberley and Pasha had the Latin dance, the jive. Fourth time in a

row that they've scored 34, they are getting so frustrated with that

darn number. You said you would take a point off for the clumsy leg

move. Would she have got a ten? Perhaps. I really loved it. She's

really starting to grow on me and I think she's a massive contender for

the final, I really, really do. She's got, you know, fantastic

personality as well that she's bringing to it. I thought she was

dull to begin with. Don't say that about Kimbles, - she says the same

about you. She's shy. With confidence, you know, her

personality's coming through her feet. She's coming out. You get

twinnically when you talk about her. Denise and James. James admit head

went wrong. What a big thing for him to do? Wasn't it a delight,

darling. Sorry, shouldn't laugh. Makes a change. But it happens to

the best of us. I've been on panto and stuff like that and may have

forgotten a line or a little thing and that does happen sometimes. You

just draw a blank and don't know what to do. I didn't know what had

actually gone wrong, it just looked like they were doing some terrible

fill, you know, and in fact that's exactly what they were doing, but

yes... Even with that, she's still amazing? She still got into the

lift. They missed the preparation for it and that's very difficult,

so to get out of it that, puts her up in the professional stakes.

Dancing better than your partner, you know, that's pretty good going!

Lieu wist and Flavia -- Lewis and Flavia and the charleston, you gave

them an eight. Bruno and Darcey went crazy for it? They did. It's

wonderful having all the acrobatic skills, perfect charleston, you can

put all that stuff in, high energy, he was brilliant, he had good

swivel which I go on about all the time. Yes, great swivel. I it just

lacked an element. What element? wasn't the personality, I think it

was the abandonment of step. In the charleston, you really have to look

a little bit quirkier. He was a bit placed. For goodness sake. There

ain't no pleasing you, is there?! But if you are comparing them to

other charlestons, they're better. Like Denise. Dani and Vincent. A

couple of heel turns here for Dani. You said sweet but it didn't blow

you away? No. Is it Dani or the dance? I'm waiting for the spark,

the thing that you can't describe. I know what you men. I want her to

go out on an edge and be more dangerous, that's all. Ofpblgt

That's what I meant by that. It's very difficult to explain all that

in ten seconds but it's a beautiful routine, she's a fantastic and

phenol national dancer. I want to see her walk the tightrope a bitle

more -- phenomenal. This weekend we have a little twist called dance

fusion. Have you all gone crazy town? What the devil is dance

fusion, please? It's where you have one track but you put two reverse

polarity style with it so you can mix the cha-cha-cha with the tango

and they don't really go together but it will create something unique

and fantastic. They are allowed to do one lift in it as well. If you

are doing an American smooth part of your fusion, you are allowed

three lifts. I follow you. Sounds like one of those things that it's

either going to be brilliant or argh... Or a disaster. We can't

wait. We are not going to see you on Monday because you are doing

panto. I am indeed. Oh no he's not. ALL: Oh yes he is. Craig Revel

Horwood! We love you. That's all we have