Episode 14 Strictly - It Takes Two

Welcome to It Takes Two. It's Thursday. On the show - we could

have watched them dance all night long. It's Sophie and Brendan.

She has come down with a case of Latin fever. Rachel and Pasha are

here. Len called him the people's champion. What will his weekend be

like? Dave and Karen are here. Plus to give me a weekend run-down of all

the dresses, it is Nicky Gill and we'll have the latest training room

updates from all the couples. This is Strictly, it takes two. -- It

Takes Two. Live, from London, it is Strictly,

It Takes Two. Please welcome your host zsh Zoe Ball.

Welcome to It Takes Two. Time to get excited, as Saturday's showdown gets

ever-closer. Hoping to up the ante even more after their

highest-scoring samba at the weekend are my first guests, Sophie and

Brendan. They are here next but first let's look at how some of the

couples are getting on in training. This week we are dancing the

Viennese waltz. It's going to be beautiful. Slow. It's going to be

lovely. When I dance the waltz, you are supposed to keep your frame. But

when I start moving my shoulder comes in and my neck goes to the

side and it all looks skew-whiff. Look at your posture. Why is it

twisted? Look, look. He is kicking me with his knee. I'm being bruised

everywhere. You need shin pads. Today is about fine-tuning the

brain. It is a big test. The waltz is a slow dance. Any mistakes will

be seen. We are dancing the salsa. Hopefully

I can get a little bit of movement, the shoulder rolling and stuff.

Yeah, I mean, this is all knew to me It is like learning to flipping

walk. Ben has to push himself further. More hip rotation, body

action, faster feed, quicker line. Don't get lazy. . My big bottom is

moving. The hips are moving a bit. I'm trying to loosen them up. . It

is a social dance. There is not many rules. You can go for it and have

fun. Fingers cross it'll be good at the weekend. Dancing the foxtrot, it

is proper Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' territory. A good foxtrot is

of the position the lady holds, you should be telling a ro man take

story. Six, seven, eight. There is so much that has to be happening

with your feet and hips. It's a tricky dance, the foxtrot in

terms of the technical side of things. But I'm excited. I think it

is going to be a very good dance for her. Good job, Batman.

Stylisticically I think it is gorgeous, so I know where we are

aiming. I just don't know if I'll achieve it. Welcome Sophie and

Brendan. A superb samba from Sophie on Saturday. You didn't look like

you broke into a sweat. I love the way you look so cool when you do the

dances. Did you enjoy yourself? I enjoyed it when we were dancing it.

I stressed about it all week. It was the hardest dance for me, so far.

Why was it so hard? It is a really tricky technique, isn't it, samba?

Yeah. I could have done with a couple more days on it, really. I

felt we were using the last couple of days in the studio getting it

ready. So feeling not quite as prepared. There is a will the going

on all the time. It is very technical. Tonnes to remember. It

gets harder and harder. Wait until it gets to two dances. Panic. You

meany, you made her do all those moves facing the judges. That must

have been terrifying. Although she did it superbly. I have faith in

Sophie. She is a lovely dancer. She has a natural feel for that. Look at

that. Go on, girl. Challenge them. They are not here to

have a nice little holiday. They are here to really enjoy the experience

and get involved in it. I never push her too hard but I want to see where

the limit is, if you know what I mean. I'm liking it. How was it for

you to dance your wedding dance in front of millions of people

watching, with a man who is not your husband? A little bit strange! The

twisted folk. Richard really enjoyed it. He had come along to the

training. It is a song I love. It really helps if you love the song

when you dance with it. Of I I took strength from that. If you love the

song, costume and partner, it is perfect. Two out of three ain't bad.

We can only hope. Another mishap on rehearsals on Saturday, I hear. What

happened this time? Oh, yeah. Well, the thing that everybody doesn't

want to happen, falling over when you are dancing. I got my heel

spectacularly caught in my frock and went down not once but twice because

I couldn't get it out and landed on my bum. Dress rehearsal is the last

chance you get before the live show, you want it to go smoothly otherwise

you have uts do. The fact -- you have doubts.

The fact that it didn't go as smoothly as planned shows how much

she is loving it and getting involved. She is like - never mind,

I'm getting back on it. I got out of doing the samba rolls. Hats off to

you, ole king kole. You put all of Len's favourite hits, we had core at

that backyas, and -- cortajackas and other moves. It is a great

opportunity for us, the pros to do what we think is best for our

partners. If we can find something in the mix which looks great and is

also technical and gives them a challenge. I liked the choreography.

It is a winner, showing off Sophie's ability but also in the training

room showing off your ability to impersonate a woman. Have a look.

Oh, no. We are here to play tennis, be the

elegant sexy woman you are going to be.

It looks a bit funny when I do it because I'm a burly, steely bloke.

You are looking good. I'm jealous I'm not doing this, to

be honest, as feminine as it is. Is that harder in heels? Not really.

Do I look like I have ever worn heels? Anybody who has photographs

of Brendan Cole wearing women's heels send them in. Foxtrot this

week for you. How is it going? You have an amazing piece of music. We

can play it as we chat. Cheek to Cheek. Are you in heaven? Are you

loving it? I'm chuffed. It is a lovely dance. My granny, Sybil is

coming on Saturday. I'm happy that she will see this. It is proper Fred

and Ginger territory. I have heard, also, you are keeping it simple. But

knowing you it won't be that simple? It is not simple. It is a difficult,

tricky routine but like I said, I want the best and I think this week,

we could have it. #2k3w50d luck. I'm -- good luck. I'm sure granny Sybil

will love it. Thank you. Back it the training room

-- back to the training rooms to see how Abbey, Deborah and Rachel are

getting on. This week I'm dancing the tanning

yoe. It is very strong and passionate. The only bit I'm

concerned about is giving it fierce attitude. I have the Gibbs.

LAUGHTER What is funny?

-- I have the giggles. I couldn't stop laughing. I think he

was getting annoyed with me. Come on, focus. Be dead serious. I

really, really need to go out there on Saturday and prove I can be this

strong, fierce woman. I'm dancing the jive. It is full of

loads and loads of steps. Step, knee, knee, step, hold.

Two, three. I am finding the jive steps very, very difficult to pick

up. Two, three, four, five, six. One of

the biggest challenges is that it is really fast I actually have to work

hard at it. I have to think about things. Two, three, four, it's not

hard. Got T I learn my routines by thinking about them, not just doing

them. -- got it. Knee up. And then kick. ! This week

Pasha and I are dancing the quickstep, unsurprisingly, it is

very, very quick. I want us flying, right from the start. Flying across

the floor. The good thing about the quickstep is a lot is in hold. I'm

going back to my original plan - hang on to Pasha and find out what

happens. If it is uncomfortable, it means you are in the right place.

Don't hang on to me. Fly away. She needs, speed, stamina and lightning

reactions. It is really hard. I have to really concentrate to bring it on

Saturday night. Love that - fly away, it's time.

Welcome Rachel and Pasha. Oh, dear. We'll talk about this week

in a moment but clever cats, you weren't looking forward to the

cha-cha-cha and look what happened, you went out and got 27. Brilliant

Yes. I was pleased. Much better than the salsa. Utter relief. Bless you.

There was r sort of like a Samsonesque transformation. I don't

know whether it was the hair extensions, which equals power. Did

that give you a character to pretend to be? It was weird. I didn't feel

like myself. As soon as I had that hair - I have never had hair that

long, I was doing all that. Even when they took it out, I was still

going. Have you kept in it in a box under your bed? No, they went back.

Zbloo that would be weird. -- That would be weird. You had double

Latins. Was it great it see Rachel finally got it? It was great to have

two Latin dances, we had to build on one after the other. The whole

thing, the character, the dress, the hair, I think it helped Rachael a

lot to get into the cha-cha mode. You went from 20 to 27. You saw

improvement in your girl. It was amazing improvement. I think

that's what it is call about anyway. Giving little tasks and pushing them

a little bit every single time. Did you feel the tingles that Bruno was

going on about? I'm not sure what they were, but I definitely have to

get into cha-cha, sexy mode. I took myself into the zone before I went

on and ignored everything else and tried to focus. It worked. Len could

not stop going on about your bionic bum. I'm in the really sure - I fell

on it today, it feels nice and soft. No metal in there. You were limping

in. What have you done? Well, bionic bum or not, it is your treat that

need a little bit of tlc. Have a little peek. The modern torture

twice of modern dancing. Every time Rachael wears them she gets nasty,

nasty blisters. I'm getting another blister. ! Shoes verses ravel. 1-0.

Shoes are winning. Blister again in my ballroom shoes. Straight out of

them, straight into my slippers. Really? Looking good to move.

Comfie. Are you going to dance on the show in your heels? Not if I can

get away with slippers. I shi you should have a matching

pair. -- I think. That would be cool. We can slide

across the floor. This week it is ballroom. You were saying in the

training bit, you just want to hang on to Pasha. It's the quickstep. How

is it? I can see why they called it the quickstep. Everyone always says

that - the clue is in the title! It's not that it is quick, but it is

quick, and because it is quick, you can fit at least three times more

steps in, so so many more steps sto remember, and -- steps to remember.

And to count. Talking about counting, which obviously you should

be brilliant at. Because you are a mathematical genius but you have

discovered something about Rachel this week. Great with big sums, got

a problem with... Left and right. Nightmare with dancing. Spachl

awareness. Can I just get over this, no-one has noticed yet Can you put L

and R on her feet? We don't want her looking down. Let's hear your music.

A great track. Johnny Got A Boom Boom.

Pasha has a Boom Boom as well. What? You have had great success with

Kimberly and Chelsea. How is it working out? Are you pleased? As

usual, I put too much content into the quickstep so judges cannot

say... It is amazing, I love T when he does it by himself, it looks

brilliant. Whapts when you step in -- what happens? When Pasha does it

by himself, it looks brilliant. Have some faith in yourself. You needed

to build up some stamina. It is so fast. I believe you got sent out to

do some sport this week. We played squash. Do you play it normally? I

love it. Are you any good? Not bad but I haven't played for ages. He

keeps me busy. Who won the squash? Oh, yes, come on, Rachel. How can

you ensure your confidence stays up this week? I've loved T I couldn't

wait to get back to the ballroom. I love quickstep. I just wish we had a

joker card to play to have a bit longer, maybe next week. By Saturday

it will be awesome. Another day and a week! I can't give you that. Good

luck this weekend. Rachel and Paddy Ashdownia.

Let's head back to the training room to check up on some more of our

celebrities. This week we are dancing the

cha-cha. It's been pretty tricky. Cha-cha is a very energetic dance,

but there has to be a connection between two people. How am I getting

confused? ? What happens is sometimes I can follow it and

sometimes it is slightly tricky. When you are with me, it is easier.

I can't remember that bit. She said - do it together and it will be

easier. When she did, it was a bit of a Eureka. It was great fun! And

dancing the rumba, and Anton is throwing me about the stage a little

bit. It is an upbeat sort of fun, rum BA we are going to have some fun

with it. . We do a couple of big, crowd-pleasing manoeuvres I'm loving

the rumba but I'm finding it incredibly painful. I'm covered in

bruises. My wrist yesterday and my ankle today. There is a trick to

being thrown around in the rumba and that's the core strength you need.

That is the bit I'm stumbling with at the moment. The rumba is the most

dangerous dance I have done. I hope it is worth it in the end. This

weekend I'm doing a salsa. Very excited. I have always wanted to

learn it. I think Julien is going to do really well. He has a natural,

little, funny grove going on. Don't laugh. Things which look easy never

are. There is a lot of arm and twists and turns in it.

And we shimmy a lot. I'm going to teach Julien how to properly shimmy.

Salsa is a dance of lots of timing and so on. I need to focus on those

points and enjoy myself. This week we are dancing the

quickstep. At the moment it is all a bit frantic.

Just skipping along. It's impossible. Quickstep is probably

the hardest one out of all ballroom dances. Your timing has to be really

good. Things can go wrong in many, many places. More practice is needed

and crossed fingers. I literally feel a bit faint.

Today we had to finish rehearsal early because of the pain that

Natalie had in her back. It is quite nerve-wrecking. If it is serious,

she might not be able to continue. Poor Natalie. She has really been

struggling with a back injury. She has missed out on training. She is

going to the doctors and we will have more of an update from Natalie

herself on tomorrow's show. Fingers crossed she will be OK. Time for my

one of my favourite parts of the show, where I get a peek at the

costumes. Welcome back Vicky Gill. We are four weeks into the

competition. At this point, to make it clear, how many costumes do you

thou I this you have designed and made this series so far? -- do you

think? About 250. All on her own! No, no, no. Incredible. It is the

fourth year of you being head of costume. Do you ever run out of

idea? Or is your brain crammed with them? Ideas is not a problem. It is

how we get through the week and think - are we going to make the

live and get everything finished. The creative, that's the fun bit. It

flows. Let's talk about this week. Walk with me.

If I do this, imagine what that dress is going to look like? Who is

going to be wearing this? Susannah. She is doing the samba. With Kevin

from Grimsby. He is in tonight, by the way.

Moving with Indiana Jones' theme. An Indiana Jones' them to this. Very

excited. Is it going to have a whip? Maybe. And a hat. Talk me through

the design of this. We went with a chocolate brown base but to liven it

up we created an Aztec print all done by hand by the wonderful

stoning and embellishment department. I like that grand title

as well. I think the colours are rat great.

We have mat crystals - AB crystals, that's what they are called. The

official title. So we get lots of shine. The fringing, of course -

this gets cut once Susannah is wearing the dress. On Friday we will

do our fitting and I'm 100% sure that the skirt, the hemline will

come up. Hopefully we'll reveal more cover from the underskirt. And it'll

swish. As the weeks go on, the ladies get more confident and the

dresses get shorter. Look at this. This is Fiona's. It is work in

progress. We are going to do our fitting again tomorrow. She is doing

a rumba She will decide, really, how high she would like the splits to go

on the side. How much leg to show on the centre front. You will have to

watch this space to see how much is revealed. Remember it now. When you

see it on Saturday it might be tucked in more and up She has lovely

pins. Let's talk about Deborah. I loved her quickstep dress on

Saturday. Is she was one of my favourites. This week she is doing a

jive to Bucks Fizz Making Your Mind Up. I think we all know what is

going to happen. We are going to have the big rip-off. Fantastic.

What is your frock like? We'll start with a red number. The neckline and

silhouette will be there to make her feel comfortable. I hope when she

does her fitting, she will be happy. When she does the reveal, it'll up

to her whether she will have silver hotpants or a frilly skirt. Abbey is

doing a tango. We have two red dresses here. On the live it'll not

be so red, within the show. Abbey's dress is quite sheer with a crystal

underbody. Strictly Sparkle is not too far away. They will be dance g

to a number which was the inspiration to the beginnings. I

like the back Very low. Two high splits over each leg. Although it

looks covered at the moment I'm sure when you see it... Her lovely long

pins will come out. I have heard Ben, very kroe. That is he a all I

needed to know. That means something is coming off. -- velcro. There will

be a reveal of sorts. Watch this space. Mark, more the excitingly is

dancing to MC Hammer. We definitely have Hammer pants. Whether they are

gold or black we will have to wait and see. I love this show.

Fantastic, you are doing an amazing job.

Give it up for Vice Gill. We -- Vice Gill. We know some of our

celebrities are working hard but do they know what they are doing? This

week we will be dancing the Choo cha. It is good fun, a fun routine.

-- cha-cha. I was made for cha-cha. You were made for dancing. I'm

struggling getting the timing of steps.

He has really connected to this dance. We are just having a great

time learning it. That's what you want to see. That'sm not very fast,

is it? Although it is really complicated. I'm enjoying it. I

wouldn't describe it as a straight cha-cha. Yvette at that has put a

couple of other bits in that hopefully the audience will really

enjoy. We are dancing the samba.

This is in your face, party, Latin, shake everything you have got kind

of dance. Oh, I can't do that I'm terrified by the samba. Silly. There

is a lot of rotating of the hips. At times it can be close and intimate.

At other times you are on your own. There is nothing about it that

doesn't frighten the life out of me. It is notoriously difficult. We have

a lot of work to do. Snooft it stresses me out slight. I'm not sure

I can pull it off. Karen and I will be dancing the waltz. Sometimes it

is a cacophony of confusion. Look at me, don't look at me. I never told

you to look away. We have to work on our technique and posture. You are

driving like a madman. I do not want to be a passenger. She has got cross

with me a few times but justified. She cares. The waltz has to be

accurate. She relies on me having a nice frame. A nice frame, where is

your frame? Where you are your frame? I'm making sure he has

everything from his finger nails to his toes, everything has to be

perfect. Dave and Karen.p

We love it, we love it. I love it so much. A beautiful whistle you are

wearing. I think the waltz. I'm trying to improve my posture and

live this dance. I feel a suit is quite appropriate for tonight. Very.

Look, I'm sitting up straight. We are all being good. Let's talk about

the paso doble. Everybody loved it on Saturday night. How did you enjoy

it? We loved it, didn't we? It was brilliant. We did it with passion.

Tried to give it everything we could. We got those messages from

Meatloaf as well in the morning. That was the best, you know. What

did he say? Well, he wished us luck. I tweeted back, "If I can do the

dance with 10% of the passion you have, I have it made." He said,

"Dave, (he said) well, he didn't say Dave, he didn't know my name. He

said - get into character forget you you are ""I did. I imagined I was a

rhinoceros that was transfused with Steven Siegal's blood and went out

there like an endangered species. I'm still catching up with that. It

worked. Glorious. Before you went on to do the dance, Karen, we picked up

on your microphone, obviously everyone is listening to you 24/7.

You said, "This is going to be epic." It was. The audience and

everyone at home loved T you go to the judges and they are critical.

How confusing is that? Well, we are not confused. The judges - I love

the judges but they are a bit confusing sometimes. I mean

everybody loved it. I mean this one, he was out there for blood. He was.

That face again. He was scared half of the time. All of a sudden I

thought I was doing faces as well. I was attacking him as well. Help me?

We were violent to each other. I feel like I'm at the zoo. It's

brilliant. A mat adore, you are trying to kill a bull. ! Well, Len

said watching it. He said it was like being waxed. Seems cruel.

Smooth. When you have worked so hard, does it hurt to get comments

like that? Were you disappointed? I was gutted, not disappointed. On the

other hand, it was the ovation that we got from the audience. They said

on the show it was one of the biggest standing ovations e they had

had on Strictly. -- ovations they'd had. We were ten feet high. Nobody

is going to take us down. You have to look at Bruno watching you.

He looks like he is in some sort of pain. Have a look. I think he

swallowed a fly there. I love Darcey's face as well. Suddenly, off

he goes. But, Craig, look how seriously Craig is taking the whole

thing. What is he like? Anyway, the great thing s we come back to Len

and he says People's Champ Yorks, positive, hooray. -- people's

champion. He has said some brilliant things. The American smooth. He said

it was like a budget airline, we are bumpy in the air but we get there in

the end. A change of pays from paso to waltz. -- pace.

You are getting there. This is your paso face. It has to turn into a

happy face. Paso face, happy face. Paso face, happy face. Paso face,

happy, waltzy face. Good.

LAUGHS I love it. Happy waltzy face is so

good. Happy face. You are dancing to the Eagles, which we can hear.

How is it going to be for you on Saturday, Dave? Is it going to be a

good one for you? Do you feel it? I do. We have kind of cracked it. I'm

walking upright for the first time in 35 years. She has made know ander

tal man stand up. -- made knee ander tal man stand up. It is a work in

progress. Every day he is progressing. Small steps make big

victories. How will you make the judges say more positive things? Do

you think this week will be it? I think we can turn the judges around

this week. He has got - we have been workings. We are out of time I'm so

sorry. We have been working really hard.

Good luck, Dave and Karen. It gets to you after a while, this show.

Join me tomorrow here at 6.30pm. Ashley and hola and Deborah and

Robin. And we'll catch up with Artem. Plus a Friday Panel which

features Jenny Faulkner, Tom Fletcher from McFly and Christopher

Biggins.