Episode 33 Strictly - It Takes Two

Hello and welcome to Wednesday's It Takes Two. Have I got another

brilliant line-up for you tonight? They were the hottest cabaret act in

town on Saturday - it's Abbey and Aljaz!

APPLAUSE They jumped and jived their way

across the dancefloor and left the audience wailing - it's Ben and

Kristina! APPLAUSE

Mr Ian Waite is here to warm us all up.

CHEERING Plus the lovely Natalie Lowe joins me to tell us the latest

on our wedding couple, Mel and Gordon. This is Strictly It Takes

Two. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Cheer

Live from London. This is Strictly It Takes Two. Please welcome your

host, Zoe Ball. CHEERING

Hello and welcome to Wednesday's It Takes Two. We've got a jam-packed

show tonight, so we'd better get a move on. First up, it's a little on

the chilly side out there, so let's get toasty - it's Ian and his weekly

warm-up. Hello handsome. Please welcome Mr

Ian Waite! CHEERING So nice to have a welcoming

crowd like that isn't it? Have you been playing golf today darling?

Only nine couples left in the competition. We had to say goodbye

to Hairy Biker Dave, do you think it was the light decision made by the

judges in the dance-off or should it have been Mark? No, I think at the

end of the day David had a good run but he was probably the worst dancer

in the end. He came and had a great time. And he will be fondly

remembered. I miss him already. This weekend, everybody's going

Blackpool. How exciting. Have you danced in Blackpool? How many times?

Hundreds of times. Tell me later about the sprung floor. Let's talk

about Ashley and Ola I was really chuffed. I was screaming week after

week, get those shoulders down, get that head up right. I was pleased.

On Saturday he did a great job. This weekend he's doing the paso doble,

here he is in training with Ola. Some very nice straight, strong

walks from him. Some twist turns. He needs a little more strength in his

arms. And I want to point out this - we need to zoom in there. The hand.

No, it is not too bad. He's obviously been told by Ola to do the

Flamenco fingers, which is right, but he needs to curve it on the end

so he shapes the arm, and finish off with the curve of the hand. He's

doing that a little bit. It needs to come in. A simple thing and it will

be perfect. Patrick and Anya following from their American smooth

triumph at the weekend. Their first ten. He's top of the leaderboard and

this week he's doing a samba. A remarkable improvement. This will be

a great dance for him. He's got lots of rhythm. His Latin dances have

always been much better haven't they? OK. This is Monday's training

but already looking quite good. He's doing a love step there called the

court jacque. You go forward on the heel and back on the ball. And then

we turn. And oh hell. And then you do it. That seems quite

straightforward. That's a lovely samba step. OK. Charleston. Last

weekend, awesome. Abbey and Aljaz, talking to them in a minute. This

weekend it is the quickstep. From one fast dance to another. It is a

hard dance, the quickstep. So many moves, and a lot more choreography.

What I want to show you here, I'm going to stop it quite early on and

point out the hand. Obviously it is early days. She's trying to keep up

with the whole, with all of the quicksteps, but sometimes that hand,

if you leave the fingers. Do you need some help? If you leave the

fingers on my arm down, it looks like you are holding on. Put that

thumb and finger... Like that? And leave it off like that. Stunning.

And then it looks like it is always light. I were I had a muscle like

that. That sounds nice. Susanna and Kevin, wouzers last week. This week

they are doing the paso doble. Tell me what you see. I think Susanna

needs to be a little bit more, have a little more characterisation in

this dance, but it is very early on. I think she will do it. But to

create that, I have stopped it here, I want my magic wand. We've got the

shaping here, going out into a chassis, is she needs to finish off

with the me. And the foot. Foot to head, try and shape it. Mark and

Iveta will be doing the jive in Blackpool. How is it looking? Well,

Mark just needs to bring his body weight forward, because he's a

little bit in the middle of his feet. He needs to bring his body

weight forward. To do that he needs to pick up his centre, which will

make him light in the body and it will bring his body on to the balls

of his feet. Like we say on jive, you need to keep the weight on the

balls. Keep it on the balls, Mark, and he will be brilliant. As an

homage to Blackpool, a few buckets and spades. Aren't you clever? He'll

be back in a minute. Ian Waite, thank you.

APPLAUSE On Saturday night ababand Abbey's Charleston searched their

highest score yet. Yippee! The enormous attention to detail was

incredible in that dance routine. The it was loud, my darling, and it

was proud. Well done, Abbey, a you have made a true dancer out of abab.

Did -- made a true dancer out of Abbey. You don't need if AA. I will

see you next week in Blackpool. Top score! Thanks to the fabulous

Aljaz yet again, we've done a great dance and hopefully we'll still be

here next week. She said, is you will left me

hanging there. Please welcome Abbey and Aljaz. You can't help but smile

when I watch that back. The coolest of cats and four nines. I was so

happy. The week before I was in the bottom two, so we reallied hard and

-- we tried really hard and made it the best we could and I think its

worked. Four nines. Fantastic. Aljaz, great praise for your Bob

Fosse-inspire dance. How much did you enjoy adding that twist to a

Charleston It wasn't a typical Charleston. As soon as I heard the

track I thought of it and I think it was a great addition, to do some

Fosse in it. It worked really well and it suited Abbey as well. As well

as upbeat and funny, putting Fosse in I think worked perfect. Huge

praise from Darcey. She was so impressive with how you handled the

hat. Props are tricky. The hat did misbehave, Zoe. It went over my eyes

and fell off. Aljaz said, if the hat falls off, just leave it. It slid

down over your eyes. And you carried on regardless. That was brilliant.

Very professional. Aljaz, no criticism from any of the judges.

Why weren't there any tens? What do you think was missing for that last

point. Definitely the hat. It was the hat's fault. No, there was so

much detail and continue tent. When something little -- And content.

When something little goes wrong it throws you off, but thank God it

didn't no throw Abbey off. She did a great Charleston. Hopefully next

week. I ask that every week, Zoe. But sometimes it is good. Karen was

saying this in choreography corner, sometimes you wait and wow! This

week in the training room you've been focusing mainly on one thing.

Over God. Oh, God. I don't like me hair. Right, left... This is the

only problem we have. Every single time we are dancing it is like 20

seconds of... O srurrup! -- oh shurrup! One and two, the When I was

a little girl I went to ballet dancing. OK. And I got thrown out

for not listening and just doing me hair in the mirror. Things don't

change eh? APPLAUSE Bless you. It is so hard

being in front of a mirror all day. Big mirrors as well. This week you

are doing the quickstep. It's a joyous dance but tough because of

the speed of the Charleston to the quickstep. This is the first week

I've come into training and gone, I'm dying. It is finally taking its

toll on me. I really want to give an impressive dance at Blackpool. I'm

just physically drained now. I'm trying to think and me baby was up

all night last night and the night before. She's got a new habit of

getting in our bed and kicking us all night, so I'm shattered. I'm

trying hard to keep going. In Er s, they do it all time. Keeping your

energy up is really tough. Your music is Katrina The Waves. You

can feel the speed of it. That's a brilliant track. Aljaz, how will the

spring floor help you on Saturday? Will it help or hinder for Abbey? It

is going to help, we need to find the correct timing so we don't

bounce against it. I don't think it is that bad. I danced on it before

when I was a kid doing Junior Blackpool. How old were you then?

Around nine. Oh bless. There must be photos. We'll find them. So you've

been there before. And for you Abbey it is not far from home. Have you

spent much time in Blackpool? We used to go there to see the

Blackpool illuminations and get in the car. My dad used to put the

seats down, put the seats -- we had loads of sweets. I can't wait to get

to Blackpool. Will the whole family be coming to watch you? Peter's

coming. Me mum's coming. Me brothers are coming. No baby, because she is

too young and she'll probably be screaming for me. Good luck with the

energy levels this week. You are not getting out here alive wearing those

boots. I'm having them. Good luck to Abbey and Aljaz! It is time now to

get our second dose of Ian Waite. Yippee!

Oh look. We've got four more councils to discuss with the

gorgeous Ian Waite. APPLAUSE You look like Gatsby today.

Let's talk about Fiona and Anton. This weekend they are dancing the

American smooth. Anton Du Beke dancing with Fiona in the Blackpool

Tower with the American smooth. What's not to love. At the beginning

of this routine she goes into a lift. I want to show you that. We

are going to slow it down. Anton's obviously told her to push down into

my hands, but the trouble is she's lost her neck in the meantime. She

needs to push down her shoulders as well to create a long neck and maybe

shape her head on to his shoulder, which would help the shape of the

actual line. OK. Be careful if you are trying that at home. I think it

will be a great dance. Lovely. Natalie and Artem didn't get to do

their jive. Hopefully we'll see it down the line. That will be good.

Who knows? This weekend they are doing a Charleston. What do you make

of it? Back to fighting fit this week. She looks phenomenal again.

Some lovely Charleston stuff there with the twisting of the feet. A

nice bit of survive el. And I stopped it here because they do some

really interesting choreography, which is - I don't want to give it

away, because it is something to look forward to. I think she does

need to in some parts strengthen her feet in this dance. Sometimes they

do look a little bit floppy or not toned, should I say? But ping

because it is Blackpool and I like them... Kiss me quick, squeeze me

slow. How lovely. Ben and Kristina will be during the American smooth

this week. How is our Ben looking? Again another Viennese waltz

American American smooth, like Rachel and poshia. I believe they

had done a Viennese waltz before-hand. Ben's not done that yet

I don't think. It is a big week for Ben. A big test. We've got one point

up there and one point down there. Sit his whistful dreamy look?

Amazing. What I would like him to do, as he steps to the side, is

shape his head a little more left to create a little more space between

him and Kristina. They have a bit of a height difference. And here he is

doing a natural turn and crossing his feet on the first part. Don't do

that on the natural turn but do it on the reverse turn. Can you show us

quickly? Natural turn you close your feet. On a reverse turn you cross in

front. But get that, Ben? Yes, he doctor. I hope so. Sophie and

Brendan are doing a quickstep this weekend. What do you make of it so

far? It is early days yet but I think Brendan's going through the

routine and they've just had a practise hold there. Sophie's

struggling a bit to keep up with him, as you can see. She's been

thrown around a ill little bit. They've got matching outfits on.

This does tend to happen. But what I thought would be quite nice, to show

the differences in hold. This is something everybody goes on about.

First of all a quickstep would be like a normal ballroom hold, like a

waltz, so a nice open frame. With tango we make it a lot more compact.

Lower the knees. Turn your head. I'm going to wrong way. It's been a

while! And in lat lain it is more relaxed. We have the hold with the

arms down. I like that one. Snazzy. Like a rumba. We should have

rehearsed this. It has been a while. I've been in the garage, with the

wheels off and everything. We'll see you next week gorgeous man in his

golfing outfit. Ian Waite! As you know, Natalie Lowe's been teaching

our wedding couple their first dance. Let's remind ourselves of our

Mr and MrsS to be. I'm Gordon and this is my fiancee Melanie. I'm a

massive Strictly fan. I have to go to sleep with a picture of my

fiancee with Anton Du Beke hanging above my head. Goodnight Anton. We

are getting married on 13th December. The guys I work with think

I'm going to embarrass myself on national television. I'm petrified.

To me it is going to make the wedding to be on the dancefloor and

do something like they do on the TV. I can't believe this is happening.

Please welcome Natalie Lowe! Hello my darling. How are you? Good. We've

been missing you. Very excited for Mel and Gordon. How is the foot,

before we start? Good, hopefully I get the go-ahead on Friday from my

doctor. If that goes well will you be able to do the pro routines?

After Blackpool. I'm hoping. It has been such a long process. We saw

them dancing the cha-cha-cha last week, Mel and Gordon. We found out

there is going to be a fusion kind of feel to their wedding dance. Tell

me more. Well, I decided to do an American smooth and a waltz at the

beginning. Nice. And cha-cha and salsa towards the end. Four styles

of dancing. I thought I would throw everything in there and go for gold.

You obviously think they are capable of that, so it is perfect. It is

only four weeks until the big day. What have you got planned for them?

We are going to tidy it up and make sure it is perfect to music. They

know the choreography. I know they won't forget it on the night. Just

clarifying the arm lines and the body contact. Just finding

themselves within something that they've never ever done before.

Finding their character and taking themselves out of them being Mel and

Gordon from Southampton and putting themselves into a role and a

character. That's what's going to make them shine on the night. OK.

Let's have a look and see how Mel and Gordon have been getting on.

Hello. Hello! How are you? Good. Come in. A little birdie told me

that you don't like watching yourself and you haven't seen any of

the It Takes Two shows yet. I'm going to make you watch yourself and

show you how far you've progressed and how well you're doing. OK. Brace

yourself. Let's meet the very lucky bride and

groom, Melanie and Gordon. Here we go. The I look so nervous. You've

seriously come such a long way. We were very stompy there. You were

just learning the routine and now you know the routine. It is

extraordinary how much you've improved. There's plenty more work

to get done. Shall we get into the studio? Yep. Now they know their

routine they know what they've got to do within that, now I can just

make it a lot sharper and make it feel better so it doesn't just feel

like steps. Watching the footage from the TV made me a bit more aware

today of my posture. I think it helped with my posture. Now I'm

standing a bit taller. Honestly, the song, and you two having a little

smile in the middle of that waltz. It gets me every time. Today's

session was extremely promising. We finished all of the choreography

last session, so today was about just getting them feeling it,

getting it a bit more flowing. Today was extremely promising for me. We

can really start to visualise what it is hopefully going to look like

on the night Now we are putting in the arms and trying to look at each

other in the right moment, so we are dancing it more rather than walking

it through I think. It's just the way he looks at her. Absolutely. So

dreamy. Mel and Gordon, I can't believe it. Brilliant. And they are

doing that piece that Anton is doing with Fiona. I saw you getting

emotional. There There was a moment in the first part of the dance where

he looked and grinned at her and she was being led by him, between away.

It is quite emotional. It is, dancing. And they are getting

married. What do they need to work on the most in the next four weeks?

Just confidence. Knowing that they can do it and getting out there and

give expecting it all they've got. Let all their inhibitions go and

giver it their all. Confidence. Yes. And repetition in rehearsal and

making sure that things are finished and they've got that chemistry and

enjoying it. OK. And are you going to be giving them any more tricks in

their routine? No, I want them to be wherer in at and go through the

process and get as good as they can. They've still got four weeks to go.

We are doing two or three time as week, three to four hour as night in

rehearsals. Have you got your hat? Not yet, but I did get my invitation

yesterday. You are going to have your Cilla moment. In the meantime

good luck to Mel and Gordon. Lovely guys. Good luck with your foot.

Fingers crossed. Back to our dancing duos now. On Saturday night they

sailed their way to Blackpool with a naughty nautical number. We'll be

catching up with Captain Cohen and his shipmate Kristina in a moment.

But first let's look at their weekend story. Anchors away I tell

you and mostly smooth sailing. Fruity up top and a bit of sponge

down the bottom. Well I don't know why but I had this irresistible urge

to join the Navy. For me it was a bit too leaden and laboured as I

anticipated and expected. Well done, I'm so proud of you. It's

not really something you can get down the the dumps about. It is what

it is. I want to go to Blackpool. She wants to be in Blackpool. What

the lady wants she normally gets. Please welcome Ben and Kristina!

Hello. Hello sailor. I have to say, I did love that. A few people have

said that. I hope you've kept those trousers. Absolutely. Anyway, well

done on your brilliant jive on Saturday night. Thank you. You went

from 32 the week before to a 26. Was there a bit of a gulp moment after

you did the dance? I half expected a bad score after his comments. It was

such a difficult week for me. Such a high-energy dance. There's a lot of

footwork and timing, so I was really happy, we were happy to be able to

complete it. In rehearsals I messed up so bad, I was thinking, oh, no, I

hope I can do this on the live show. Which we did and we managed it.

There was a moment when you thought, I might not even get through. This

you did -- through this. You did brilliantly. Len gave you an 8 and

Craig gave you a 4. It was so sweet of Len to stand up for us and give

constructive criticism. Are it was a really good dance I think. It is a

tough dance and he's a tall guy. The back flip took a lot out of him, to

be honest. But that 4 is really naughty. I don't think it is a good

one. It can go and sit in the corner. Yes. I still love you, by

the way. I love him too. Is it confusing for you when you get a 4

and #24e7b an 8. What do you focus on? I think the work you put in, you

always wants reward for effort. If it's the consistent you really know

that actually you've got something to work on. I'm far from the

finished article, that's for sure. But it was such a camera diction in

the scores it was a bit confusing. Sometimes you don't know whether you

are coming or going but you have to put the work in training and go out

and do your best. I always say, you can't control what they are going to

do or what the public do. You have to do your best on the dancefloor.

And you are going to Blackpool. Kristina looks after you on the

floor and you look after her in the training room. Do I have to run like

that? You don't have to run like me as if you are on Baywatch.

Why are you running? You don't have a train to catch. Are you ready? I

am ready. He keeps taking clothes off!

He understands how much he has to be there for me.

APPLAUSE It is brilliant. Any Ben Cohen in slo-mo is a hit every time.

That's so good. This week you are doing the American smooth with a

Viennese waltz in Blackpool. Is this going to be a good week for Ben? I

really hope so. Well, it is the first time we are doing the Viennese

waltz. It is something new to learn but there's some exciting lifts.

He's a strong man. Last time he threw you halfway... I hope, so

because it is a gorgeous piece of music. A lovely song. It is Alicia

Keys you are dancing to. Are you daunted by the fact that you

are dancing in the home of ballroom on Saturday? A little bit. I always

get nervous when I'm about to perform anyway. It's a new dance.

The jive's been and gone, the sailor outfit with wit. But I'm really

looking forward to the weekend. Will there be any Cohen twist to your

outfit? Obviously it is quite traditional, top and tails. Will

there be any surprises? It is a surprise to me every week. I turn up

on a Friday and say, what am I wearing, and they say just trousers

this week or a sailor outfit. Good luck in Blackpool, Ben and Kristina!

Cheers. That's it for tonight, a big thank

you to all of my guests. I'm back tomorrow with three of our couples -

Natalie and Artem, Susanna and Kevin, and Sophie and Brendan. See

you then. Goodnight.