Episode 2 Strictly - It Takes Two

Hello and welcome to Tuesday's It Takes Two. A soap star who got the

judges in a bit of a lather, it's Natalie and her partner Artem. A

golf legend getting into the swing. Natalie and her partner Artem. A

And a Dragon and her partner, Robin. Topping it off, Karen Hardy is back.

This is Strictly: It Takes Two. . From London, this is Strictly: It

Takes Two. Please welcome your host Zoe Ball.

Hello and welcome to It Takes Two. It's only Tuesday and our couples

are already back training hard for their next dance. This time they

have that added burden of knowing the first elimination is looming. I

will be seeing if the pressure is getting to Natalie and Artem. First

a reminder of how they brought some Russian flair to Borehamwood. You

are going to go far, be careful with your foot placement on the cha-cha.

I can't wait to see what you will bring out next, it's brilliant. You

were a brilliant dancer and so far our frontrunner.

Yeah! That was absolutely terrifying and amazing all at the same time.

There was a standing ovation after that. I know, that was pretty

mind-blowing. The support was just electrifying. Please welcome Natalie

and Artem. Oh, Natalie, welcome to the show. Lovely to have you here.

Second place on the leader board in the first week. Craig called you a

frontrunner, you must have been thrilled. I think I was more

intimidated because it's quite a tall statement for week one, you

know. It means we have a lot to live up to now. I know. You wanted them

to go yeah, you could be all right. You have that label now, better do

good. But the judges did mention about hip action. A lot of people

don't know you have had a couple of injuries. How much has that affected

- had an impact on training? None, I can't blame that at all! You could

have gone with that! But I am going to be... My injuries are a different

story! No, I think it was just so wild on the night and you are so

overwhelmed and shocked and disorientated by the lights and the

audience that a lot of technique flew out the window. You are allowed

that on the first one. Was it nice to have Russian influence on the

show on Saturday? I think I am forgetting something today. What

could it be? My costume! Was that all your idea? Should I be honest

with you? Absolutely. Is that what you wear at home? All the time,

shopping, at home. If you see me on the street, that's the costume. We

have to mention the tan. Did they double dip you this weekend? I don't

know what was wrong with it. Normally it's never that dark. For

some reason that day I looked at myself and thought oh, bless you. We

kept... A double take. Your teeth are so white. A contrast. The one

coating next time. That end move you did, so ambitious. What was your

reaction when he first told you he wanted to do that? Running away. It

must be wonderful for you to have the confidence in Natalie's ability

to make her do tricky things? Absolutely. It's a blessing. Thank

you for trusting me. Yeah. At the moment! Hopefully it lasts. Early

you for trusting me. Yeah. At the days yet, it can all change! The

good thing about Natalie is she can definitely handle him. Look at this.

And step and step. He wants to work hard and so do I. He might have met

his match. I think she wants to work harder than me. Lucky me. Here's

where you start paying in sweat. One more time? Yeah, lots more times.

It's really hot. Again, again, again! Again, Artem. There's no

relaxing. I am going to have a heart attack. Winner! He is going to have

a lie down. In a dark room. You could be the end of him. You have

the waltz this weekend. Nice change of pace. Very much so. I have heard

you have taken to it like a duck to water. It's difficult to contrast

between such a fast-paced dance and to go to something that's controlled

and everything is against everything you have been taught so far. Also I

think against all my instincts, all the turning out and going to the

knees, it's nothing that I know. I am struggling a bit at the moment.

He is nodding. He looks quietly am struggling a bit at the moment.

confident. Obviously you have to follow Abbey's incredible waltz.

Does that add pressure to you? I don't think so. Only in the sense of

I don't believe in comparing yourself to anybody else, everybody

has different qualities. Except this is a dance competition. Well, I am

not thinking about that yet. It's all too much to take in. I want to

enjoy our moment on the stage. It's about putting the work into what we

do. Their waltz was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't do what they

do. I can open do what we can do. Yeah. He agrees. Good luck this

weekend. Loving your partnership. Natalie and Artem! With an epic 15

couples performing this weekend we were treated to a feast of dancing.

Here to give us choreograph food for thought is Karen Hardy.

Here to give us choreograph food for -- choreography.

With all new titles, welcome back to It Takes Two. I really missed you.

So good to see you and we are off. It Takes Two. I really missed you.

We are. How impressed were you with all the couples overall? Absolutely

Fabulous. What an awry from classical, to hilarious, to ovly

intense. Full awry of celebrities. Let's start with Julien and Janette.

You have a creative man here, give him a vision and he will take it to

the extreme. That's what happened on the night. Nerves definitely kicked

in there. He needs to settle down, deliver the goods, not at such an

extreme level. He will be gorgeous, has a great body and mind. He will

be stunning. He was like an has a great body and mind. He will

overexcited puppy. Rachel and Pasha and their waltz. Someone said it was

too careful, would you agree? Look at the arms there. I wanted to pick

up on straightaway. If we were going to dance that, we would want to

overexaggerate it. That message has to go through the TV to everybody at

home. It was sort of a bit of a woof of an arm. That's an official term

you will find! One extreme to the other there. We find that it's more

difficult to boost someone than it is to calm them down. Pasha is going

to have to do a lot of work there. is to calm them down. Pasha is going

Choreography beautiful. Fiona and Anton. Did we see a lot of tango

steps? There was a lot. Look at this. The drag and she's going to go

to wonderful twisting actions. I am secretly excited about this.

Everyone at home is going to love this partnership because this lady

can dance. That pelvic floor of hearse I think is rather strong.

Anton is going to have to keep up with Fiona actually. It makes a

change. About time. Vanessa and James. D'Arcy said this dance didn't

suit her. Do you think she was right? Look, here, we have this

moment of gorgeous indeed and -- gorgeousness and then we are just

standing and plodding. I hate to put it. Most importantly, I would like -

I am going to stand up for one moment, it's early on. Come on.

Right. Try this at home, ladies and gentlemen. When one is exposing

one's legs we must keep knees and ankles together. What we tend to see

is we have these high heels, legs get open and this is where a lot of

lady celebrities, not a nice loo Knees, ankles, especially if we are

next to Bruce and Tess, please. Keep your legs together. Perfect.

Something boys might not teach you. Great, we will remember that. Sophie

and Brendan and the waltz. Judges loved this. Why was it impressive?

It's beautiful. For the first time for a very long time Brendan was not

carrying. Look at the brushing of those feet. That got completely

overlooked. That tells me she's on her feet. Doing her own steps. She

can move. He's going to be a very happy bunny. He will be. Happy

can move. He's going to be a very Brendan makes us all happy. Ashley

and Ola. It was a difficult routine that the judges didn't pick up. They

said the hip work wasn't great. Should he have been given more

credit? It was a red herring. Ola spinning around. He was really

rather stiff. What we need to do, get those hips moving. I am going to

have to get up one more time. You know what, I havants in my -- I have

ants in my pants tonight. The hip and knee are family. When you

release the hip you can release the knee. If you lock your knees you

can't release your hips. If you bend your knees, you can't release the

hips. So, hip and knee are family. Do you like that? I like that one.

We need a little bit of hip and knee release from all of them that are

doing the straight-legged dances. Ben and Kristina. Some judges

commented he lost timing. Where did he go wrong? The song was really

difficult. It's a song with cross rhythms. He is following her all

around the place because there wasn't a strong beat for him to pick

up on. That said, being a mad rugby fan myself, he better sort himself

out otherwise I will be sending some of his boys down there. He needs to

- we have seen it with the sports boys before. They start off quietly.

He needs to feel his feet on the ground. He needs to throw a few arms

out. Once he has got that we know mojo is going to kick in. He will be

brilliant. Robin and Deborah. Where did she go wrong and how does she

recover? She doesn't want to let anybody know she might have gone

wrong. A mistake there, but look straight back up with the head.

Absolutely first-class. A little birdie told me she's excited to get

into the Latin. I am excited to see that. It was the registering of

what's going on in the mind didn't get to the feet quick enough. We

have to hold on for next week. She's ready and loving it. Don't you go

anywhere young lady. We will be back to speak with Karen about the rest

of the gang. For now, Karen Hardy! My next guest was all prepared for

his tee-off on Friday but the judges deemed his waltz below par. Here is

a reminder of how Tony and Aliona got on. Sentimental, romantic,

floaty and soft. I didn't see much of that. It was littered with

mistakes. A disaster, I would say. Come back the confident Tony and

show us many moves that I know you have up your sleeve.

It was the nerves that got me in the end. I got out of the sequence. Then

it was very difficult. Hopefully we will get it better next week and

it was very difficult. Hopefully we move on. Oh! Let's hope that result

hasn't driven a wedge between them. Please welcome Tony and Aliona.

Welcome guys. Can I say it was such a sweet performance that you did.

How much did you enjoy yourself? I loved the dress rehearsal. I got it

right. The satisfaction in there, in the work is getting it right. I

misstepped early on when it really mattered. I suppose I was half back

there and half really where I should have been. It was a lovely number. I

have to say that. My choreographer, have been. It was a lovely number. I

my boss here did a great job. Did you think the judges were a little

harsh? Craig gave him a two. I know, yet I think we were definitely on

the score, the number was so sweet. Tony was such a gentleman in the

dance. I think the whole nation actually noticed his beautiful hand

movements and his perfect lines and the footwork was great. Yes, he wept

wrong a couple of times. A couple of hiccups, he calls them brain farts.

So many other couples and that's OK, it's week one. Everyone is nervous.

If you go wrong doesn't mean you danced bad. Take that to heart

there. Lots of messages of support for you online. Charlotte said, Tony

did very well for a man of his age. He was dignified and should feel

proud. Yeah, I mean that's nice, too. Obviously the key to this is

that I am limited with the time I can - I can't put seven hours a day

in like some of these kids. These whipper snappers! You are the oldest

contestant on the show. There is always a broad range of ages. You

are 69. You will not be able to do something perhaps a 22-year-old

could. Four hours a day of this, which for me who's led a quiet

could. Four hours a day of this, lifestyle for the last ten or 15

years essentially, is - four hours lifestyle for the last ten or 15

is tough. They're very intense four hours. I don't give Tony any breaks.

Don't mess with her. Occasional water break. That's about two

minutes. He works really hard. Again it's the word I once - again it's a

word I want struck from the dictionary. Again, again! Sometimes

it can be a balancing act. I thought I had good balance. Hold it. Hold

it. Hold it. I just lost balance. I had good balance. Hold it. Hold

Looking there. Up, up, up. Hold it. I need bigger feet. I need a pair of

boots. Divers boots. One of those safety bars. Stay up. Don't go

anywhere yet. I am stuck. Balance is hard. Can I have a drink of water?

Brilliant. Stay with me. Next weekend you are doing the

Charleston, how is it going? Well, I thought the waltz was difficult, you

know. We are into it, let's put it thought the waltz was difficult, you

that way. It's a bouncy number. I just want to get it right, like

always. You will this time. Last week Tony was telling me how

fast-faced the waltz was. Now to Charleston, hold tight everybody,

could be an interesting week. Good luck. I am sure it will be great

fun. Lovely to have you on the show. Now this year we are making it even

easier for you to keep your favourite couple dancing. We are

easier for you to keep your giving you the chance to vote for

free online and it starts from this weekend. All you have to do is head

to our website and register your details. For fun we would thought

the -- we thought we would start the ball rolling. Voting for this

question closing at midnight on Thursday. We will reveal the results

on Friday's show. It's just for fun. We are not really going to make them

do it. It's time to revisit the weekend's performances, with the

second round of choreography corner. I love those titles. Welcome back

Karen Hardy. You love them. Let's start off with Abbey and Aljaz.

Highest score of the weekend. It was beautiful. Why was it impressive? It

was exquisite. What we were saying earlier, the belief in each other.

This is week one. This could have been a final dance. Beautiful. It

was the movement across the floor and what I picked up there was the

way she can change direction so easy. We try week one is push our

celebrities forward and hope they keep going. Oh, no, change, change,

around we go. Exquisite. Pure glamour and beauty. Proper gasps

there were from our household. Natalie and Artem. Second on the

leader board. Craig said she was one of the frontrunners. Does she

deserve that and why? Not only her dancing, her personality. Everything

is beautiful. I have chosen a step, something I want her to start

working on. She's performing like a dancer but her back is too stiff.

Earlier on in the choreography she did all these movements where she

was moving it around. She's got to get that movement through the body

and the legs. We don't want it get that movement through the body

looking too stiff. Dave and Karen and their cha-cha-cha. Boy, did he

go for it. Was there enough cha-cha for you? There was a lot of

something. I was laughing so much. I want to pick up here. Five, six,

seven, eight. Then he goes, no, I will do cha-cha. Two, three. No, I

shouldn't be doing that. I am off time. So I will sing. We had

everything. Steps, hair, counts of eight. Cha-cha. And singing, as

well. I was laughing so much I couldn't even look at the

choreography. It was first-class entertainment. I don't think Karen

even saw that coming. We are going to love seeing him here for a while.

Tony and Aliona. Joint bottom of the leader board. Do you think he was

judged harshly for week one? He was. Beautiful arm extensions. He

mastered the one-two-three of the waltz. A gentleman. He would have

lost marks because there were too many errors. Master the

lost marks because there were too choreography, nail the timing. You

will stay above the fives. Mark and Iveta. A dramatic dance. Mark was

such a hit. Did he capture that? He did. I am shocked with here is the

amount of great tango steps he carried out. The twisting here. Even

heel leads early on. I didn't expect that from a man of his stature.

Beautiful. He also brought the acting to the dance floor, that was

fabulous. For me, I think - I don't even know who they're going to knock

fabulous. For me, I think - I don't out of this, it's going to be very

tight. Kevin and Susanna, first time a jive in week one. A tricky dance.

Did it have enough energy and drive? It had energy for about five people.

And with style and great taste. Fantastic choreography. We have

twisting and shaking. We even have presentation and performance. So

confident. I have to say I put it out there on the radio, she was

confident. I have to say I put it going to be a good one because one

important thing, she listens. Her job in the news is to listen to

detail. That's exactly what she does and what I would stress to all

celebrities, listen to your professionals and they will make you

perform like stars. That's what she did. Well done. Patrick and Anya and

their jive. Another energetic one. How could he have improved on his

technique? Upstairs absolutely brilliant. A very handsome man. Has

all the acting. Downstairs very flat-footed. He was even cheating on

the chassis How? You miss a step out. It's hard. A jive in week one,

that was really hard. He will be very happy that's out of the way.

But we want to make sure that the technique - the building blocks of

great performances, the technique. The building blocks. He must make

sure he understands the technique of each dance. Overall, well done. We

got through them all. So glad to have you back.

Despite all the money, money, money, Deborah and Robin discovered the

judges weren't willing to invest top marks with their tango. I thought it

was a good pitch from the Dragon. I liked your attitude. You gave it

plenty of snap, crackle and pop. Great attack and attitude from the

beginning. You messed it up in the middle. You do in your frame, have

to pull up from your waist. Don't sink into Robin. It's hard not to

sink Robin. -- not to sink into Robin. I loved it. It all went so

quick. I told you, enjoy that minute-and-a-half, it's over before

you know it. Here's to next week! Please welcome Deborah and Robin.

It's so much fun watching it all back. Great performance on Saturday

night. A great score. 24. Were you pleased? I mean, I had - I couldn't

have dreamt of 24. Although actually, of course I have had him

teaching me for days, of course I was going to get 24. How nervous

were you before the performance? We know you as being very confident. I

could say I was probably more terrified than I have ever been in

could say I was probably more my life. I was going over in my

brain, I am terrified, I am terrified. And then put your left

foot forward. Terrified. We get just as nervous as professionals,

especially on the first live show. You don't know what your partner is

going to do. It's the first time I have had Deborah in that live show

experience. She could have done anything, fallen apart, could have

just stopped. I was thinking about running away. Your fans thought you

were great. Loads of messages. I thought Deborah did brilliantly and

looked lovely. What a classy lady. How lovely. I will take that. Darcey

said you had great attack. How did How lovely. I will take that. Darcey

Robin help with the tango persona? Robin said to me, you need to

channel... I said I don't understand channelling and I can't act. We had

some fun. Did we have fun? I had a lot of fun. Not sure about Deborah.

It did work. The face, you had a great tango face. Once I got into

the dance I heard this Robin's voice saying keep that, keep that attack.

It worked. A tango first week, that's got to be difficult for a

celebrity. It's a tricky dance. Were you worried? A little bit. At the

same time, the dance would be suited to Deborah. I didn't really know her

too well then. I saw Deborah as this kind of ice-Queen from Dragons Den.

As we have all seen, she's wonderful and everybody's fallen in love with

her. You are being a sweetie. Look at this. I really do like that

dress. It's lovely, isn't it? Love that! I love you for that.

# Isn't she lovely... You did your homework too, that's great. Good,

good, good. Marvellous! That felt so lovely for me to dance with you at

that point. You really feel the lovely for me to dance with you at

groove. Great! That was brilliant. Great. I don't often give a

brilliant, that was brilliant. Chuffed. You are chuffed, I am

chuffed. Fabulous. Oh! He's - I love it. You are going

to blush now. Are you seeing any of Deborah's no-nonsense attitude? A

little bit. Deborah's where she is today in her private life and career

because of how much hard work and determination and enthusiasm,

everything she's put into it over the years and she's bringing that to

the dance floor and training room. I have never known anybody work so

hard and couldn't ask for any more. You are up at 4.00 am, looking at

notes I have been banned to the spare room because my husband says,

my feet are twitching. From the tango to the cha-cha-cha. Quite a

different style to the tango. How are you finding it? I love the

cha-cha-cha. I love it. Doesn't mean I am good, it means that I love it.

The tango, I felt like I was dancing to instruction. The cha-cha I feel

like I am dancing. Wow. You are out there on your own, feel confident?

Oh, a problem there because when he leaves me, it's like can we take

that step out? Can I do that can you -- can I do that with you. Lovely

partnership. That's it for today. A big thank you

to all my guests. Tomorrow I will be joined by Kevin a and Susanna and

Brendan and Sophie. See you tomorrow, good