:00:00. > :00:08.Hello and welcome to It Takes Two. Tonight, the final preparations for
:00:09. > :00:12.a weekend of sea, sand and sequins - we'll have all the latest from the
:00:13. > :00:15.training rooms. Plus... Back on top form and ready to 'rock' it in
:00:16. > :00:22.Blackpool, Natalie and Artem are here. Their Argentine Tango was the
:00:23. > :00:28.stuff of Sweet Dreams. Sophie and Brendan are with us. And their
:00:29. > :00:32.beautiful Waltz saw a clean sweep of nines from the judges. Can they top
:00:33. > :01:24.it this weekend? It's Susanna and Kevin. This is Strictly It Takes
:01:25. > :01:33.Two. Live from London, this is Strictly, It Takes Two. Please,
:01:34. > :01:37.welcome your host, Zoe Ball! Hello! Good even, welcome to Strictly, It
:01:38. > :01:42.Takes Two. It is Thursday and Blackpool's ballroom beckons.
:01:43. > :01:46.Exciting! So, which of the couples with tower over the others? It is
:01:47. > :01:51.time to head to the training room to find out the latest.
:01:52. > :01:57.I am doing the American Smooth. I lost it, sorry. The American Smooth
:01:58. > :02:02.is fast. Move! I think I will trip over your feet. Ben has to lock the
:02:03. > :02:08.steps in. He must believe in himself. My belief is bigger than
:02:09. > :02:15.his doubt. I know it will be great. I have to work on my posture, head,
:02:16. > :02:20.my backside! That's it, keep it up. Very good! Yes! I really want to get
:02:21. > :02:30.it right. Hold me where you held me... If I lead her instead of her
:02:31. > :02:35.leading me, I would be really happy! We are dancing the Quickstep,
:02:36. > :02:40.another fun, quick dance! There is a lot of content. A lot of steps, a
:02:41. > :02:45.lot of technique that is difficult. I think that will be the most
:02:46. > :02:52.difficult thing. The biggest challenge is keeping the posture
:02:53. > :02:58.whilst moving your feet. She has to maintain the stillness in the frame
:02:59. > :03:04.and the posture in order to make the Quickstep look good. I am looking
:03:05. > :03:08.forward to put the steps together in the minute-and-a-half to make the
:03:09. > :03:11.best possible Quickstep we can do. I can't wait to dance it in
:03:12. > :03:15.Blackpool. We are dancing a Charleston. A
:03:16. > :03:20.fabulous show dance. The first week we do lifts.
:03:21. > :03:26.The Charleston is a tricky dance. There are lots of lifts and tricks
:03:27. > :03:32.that is quite outrageous. I'm a bit scared of them! There is a
:03:33. > :03:38.lot to take in. The music we are dancing to is super quick. You have
:03:39. > :03:45.to get a lot of detail in quickly. That is really scary! Don't panic!
:03:46. > :03:50.Don't panic! I just think that Blackpool will be the perfect
:03:51. > :03:56.environment for it. So, after a tough weekend they have
:03:57. > :04:01.bounced back. Please, give a huge warm welcome to Natalie and Artem!
:04:02. > :04:06.I'm so glad you are back. We have missed you. First up, it is really
:04:07. > :04:11.great to see you here. Are you fully recovered? I am fully recovered,
:04:12. > :04:17.feeling great and raring to go. But Artem, you are sitting like
:04:18. > :04:23.that, have you now injured yourself? We are racing each other to A One
:04:24. > :04:32.week I do my knee in, then he does in his leg. Then I break his nose.
:04:33. > :04:38.Then I feel tired... Oh, Artem, the mic is not working as well as your
:04:39. > :04:42.neck! There you go. That's better! Thank goodness. Let's talk about
:04:43. > :04:49.last weekend. Artem how upsetting was it for you to see Natalie in
:04:50. > :04:53.peril like that? I think it was more upsetting for Natalie. Not that I
:04:54. > :04:58.was upset, but I think she was working so hard that week. Really
:04:59. > :05:03.looking forward to the dance. She was tuning in. It was a really fun
:05:04. > :05:07.week. Then what happens, it is all of a sudden, it is like...
:05:08. > :05:12.Frustrating. It looked like the most amazing
:05:13. > :05:16.dance. Will we get to see it? That is what everybody is asking? I don't
:05:17. > :05:21.know. If you make to the final we could
:05:22. > :05:28.see it? How hard has the training been for you Natalie? It was a
:05:29. > :05:32.fierce dance? It was a fierce dance. I think, unfortunately, it was just
:05:33. > :05:36.almost an inevitable outcome after having had such a difficult week
:05:37. > :05:41.earlier with my back. I did not rest then. I carried on.
:05:42. > :05:45.It was just my body saying slow down a little bit.
:05:46. > :05:50.Just stop and lie down. Yes.
:05:51. > :06:00.How bad is your neck, Artem? Have you jarred it? He tried to lift me!
:06:01. > :06:06.Let's put it this way, I will have very good ure.
:06:07. > :06:10.Great. When were you able to go back to training? Monday afternoon.
:06:11. > :06:15.Feeling so much better. The all-clear from the doctor. I had a
:06:16. > :06:20.good sleep. That is all it took. I am so thankful to all that sent
:06:21. > :06:24.messages, saying get well soon. It was lovely for the support.
:06:25. > :06:31.Good. You are back in the training room, but it appears that Artem has
:06:32. > :06:38.made a new friend, have been you? Have a look.
:06:39. > :07:01.There is a snail on the mat! There is an
:07:02. > :07:10.So cute! So cute! Artem's little friend. They are not ears, they are
:07:11. > :07:15.called tentacles. They with have message from the snail for you,
:07:16. > :07:21.Artem. Have a look. So cute.
:07:22. > :07:25.I love you Artem. Good luck in Blackpool! Wasn't that lovely? !
:07:26. > :07:29.I love you Artem. Good luck in Blackpool! Wasn't that lovely? Yes,
:07:30. > :07:35.a snail. Now, the Charleston next. Another fast dance. Have you been
:07:36. > :07:38.tempted to slow it down? Looking at the footage, it doesn't look like
:07:39. > :07:42.it. Not really. We have taken it day by
:07:43. > :07:48.day. We have taken it easy. Unfortunately for Artem, in the
:07:49. > :07:51.middle of a lift he had... See, I can't do that anymore.
:07:52. > :07:56.No. Maybe for Saturday it will be OK.
:07:57. > :08:01.He has done himself in. We had to pull back a tiny bit, but we are
:08:02. > :08:05.enjoying ourselves. Every week we bring the drama.
:08:06. > :08:11.I am not laughing at you, I would not expect anything less.
:08:12. > :08:16.Hey, a Strictly alert. You will be the first couple to perform a
:08:17. > :08:24.Charleston on Strictly at Blackpool. It is true. It is a fact! Yes, thank
:08:25. > :08:30.you, Brendan Cole. That is good. So with the tricks you have a few
:08:31. > :08:40.lifts, how will it go with the neck? It will be amazing.
:08:41. > :08:44.OK. Is it nice to be near home turf? Have you lots of fraendz family
:08:45. > :08:50.coming? Definitely. It is like performing at home. Really amazing
:08:51. > :08:53.and exciting. Emotional. An amazing celebration from where we have come
:08:54. > :09:00.from the start of the show. I don't think any of us could envisage
:09:01. > :09:05.Blackpool such. So, to go to home territory it is exciting.
:09:06. > :09:11.This is your music you are dancing to... Come on, from the Great
:09:12. > :09:18.Gatsby. I want to do the cardboard shelf but
:09:19. > :09:31.it is Charleston! Artem, the last time you performed at Blackpool you
:09:32. > :09:41.were with Kara, you got two tense -- tens, can you match it We will give
:09:42. > :09:46.it our best shot, right? Yeah! Good luck this week. Please, don't break
:09:47. > :09:51.her and try not to break him anymore! Give it up for Natalie and
:09:52. > :09:55.Artem! And the snail! Back to the training room. As the pressure to
:09:56. > :10:01.perform well in Blackpool mounts up, it has been a rollercoaster of a
:10:02. > :10:08.week for our couples. Here is how they are preparing for the Big One!
:10:09. > :10:14.I am dancing the Samba. It is fast. Or as Anya says not as slow as I
:10:15. > :10:21.think. This is a carnival party dance, the Samba. It is challenging.
:10:22. > :10:28.I am trying to keep it traditional. There is the twist, the turns, lots
:10:29. > :10:34.of rhythm business going on. Rhythm and rhythm. Patrick has a lot of
:10:35. > :10:38.natural rhythm. I have to find a way to channel all of that.
:10:39. > :10:44.With the routine, I am trying to find where I am, but it is coming
:10:45. > :10:50.along. We are doing a Paso Doble. It is a
:10:51. > :10:59.very masculine, a strong dance. I am hoping that Ashley will pull it off.
:11:00. > :11:04.Now, I thought I would know the #12e7s -- know the steps, that I
:11:05. > :11:10.could just link them together but the Paso Doble has its own steps.
:11:11. > :11:14.The hands are different, the posture is different. It is like starting
:11:15. > :11:19.from the beginning again. You whacked me in the head. It is not
:11:20. > :11:29.his dance. He is struggling. The main things to get right are the
:11:30. > :11:38.character, the strength, the passion and the routine.
:11:39. > :11:43.Quickstep, one minute you are going one way, the next direction you are
:11:44. > :11:48.upside down. The hard things are to get right are
:11:49. > :11:55.the steps. It is hectic but with a lovely natural beauty of relaxed,
:11:56. > :12:01.smooth, flowing move the, but there is lots of choreography.
:12:02. > :12:07.It is fun. I believe in Sophie, she has the ability to deliver. I know
:12:08. > :12:11.it will be a lovely one to dance in Blackpool, but at the moment I don't
:12:12. > :12:19.know what is going on. She will know. Don't worry. Please,
:12:20. > :12:23.welcome Sophie and Brendan! I know, you lovely two some. Can I say, you
:12:24. > :12:29.were amazing on Saturday. The highest score for you for a while.
:12:30. > :12:34.Did you feel you were back? Here I am? ! It was a beautiful dance. I
:12:35. > :12:39.loved the routine. I thought I wanted it to be something I could
:12:40. > :12:45.take away as a memory from Strictly. It is very exciting that was me.
:12:46. > :12:51.And I loved your mum's face watching you. It made me well up.
:12:52. > :12:57.Was she crying again? She had a big smile on her face. She may are cried
:12:58. > :13:02.after. How much did you enjoy playing the femme fatale? I really
:13:03. > :13:06.enjoyed it. I loved the routine it was a great week in training. It was
:13:07. > :13:11.a different mood for me. Starting in the spotlight with the chair. It
:13:12. > :13:16.felt cool and grown up. Wonderful. Brendan, Sophie still had
:13:17. > :13:24.a fair amount of critic from the judges. Len said he wanted more
:13:25. > :13:28.ufrp. What did you make of the comments? I was frustrated. I think
:13:29. > :13:35.it is one of the best dances I have done on Strictly, a lot of that was
:13:36. > :13:40.due to Sophie. I wanted a very indance. Sophie delivered what I
:13:41. > :13:45.asked for. When I finished I was ecstatic. To come up against the
:13:46. > :13:50.criticism, four eights were OK, but it was amazing. I watched it back. I
:13:51. > :13:57.still feel the same way. So I suppose what the judges are asking
:13:58. > :14:02.for is a bit of flamboyance, but the Argentine Ta nshg go was great, it
:14:03. > :14:10.did not require them. And of course we have to please the judges and the
:14:11. > :14:15.fans. I am hoping to turn it around. And when you are dancing, you are
:14:16. > :14:20.giving it all your welly and ufrp, aren't you? I am. I appreciate that
:14:21. > :14:24.Brendan is being incredibly supportive, but I am here to learn.
:14:25. > :14:28.I am taking what the judges said and hoping to incorporate it. I want to
:14:29. > :14:35.improve. I want to be better. You were amazing out there. That
:14:36. > :14:38.dance was sensational. I have no other word for it.
:14:39. > :14:41.It is wonderful how you stand up for her.
:14:42. > :14:45.And praise for the choreography, after ten years on the show it must
:14:46. > :14:51.mean something when the judges say it is nice work? It really does.
:14:52. > :14:58.Again, back to Sophie, she is inspiring me to do some good work. I
:14:59. > :15:05.am chuffed with it. As you get older you learn. I love choreography. I
:15:06. > :15:08.love the theatrical thing and putting it out there to people.
:15:09. > :15:13.Thank you very much. It is very nice! I should have just say thank
:15:14. > :15:17.you! I love seeing you get emotional, Brendan. It is wonderful.
:15:18. > :15:23.We know you have worked hard on the lifts. As they say, no pain, no
:15:24. > :15:28.gain. Pick yourself up! It seems to get
:15:29. > :15:32.this right, you must be in a moderate amount of pain and
:15:33. > :15:39.discomfort. That one goes that way.
:15:40. > :15:51.All I need is a Twister mat. My back is saying" are you doing?" I have
:15:52. > :15:55.had some good injuries. She is jumping in mid-air to land on her
:15:56. > :16:00.face. This is what happens when you don't
:16:01. > :16:13.wear a knee pad. Sorry! I nearly got one... Watch out for those! Nasty.
:16:14. > :16:17.That makes me wansd cross my legs. -- wince.
:16:18. > :16:24.So, you are doing the Quickstep. How is it going? It has been a good
:16:25. > :16:28.week. Tricky actually. Challenging. They don't call it the Quickstep for
:16:29. > :16:33.nothing. It is so fast, but yesterday and today has been a
:16:34. > :16:38.turning point. The Quickstep has a lot of content.
:16:39. > :16:42.To learn it all and to get the right feeling. It did not come together
:16:43. > :16:45.properly until today, but it was firing today. I am looking forward
:16:46. > :16:53.to it. That is what we want to hear. And
:16:54. > :16:58.surely a great dance to do at the Tower Ballroom. One of the most
:16:59. > :17:03.beautiful ballrooms in the world? Very special. A lovely memory to
:17:04. > :17:07.take home with me. And the Quickstep has a close
:17:08. > :17:13.relationship to the Charleston, is that right? Charleston, what is
:17:14. > :17:18.that? Remember that little thing we used to do when you were young? I
:17:19. > :17:23.have not gone down the Charleston route. I want each dance to be
:17:24. > :17:28.special in its own right. We have done a full on Quickstep.
:17:29. > :17:34.There is nothing left out. Let's put it that way. If I can keep up I will
:17:35. > :17:41.be happy. If Sophie can, I will be ecstatic. Let's listen to the music
:17:42. > :17:48.it is Shirley Bassey. # I get hungry for dinner at
:17:49. > :17:51.eight... I like the old-fashioned songs. I don't like this modern
:17:52. > :17:56.nonsense. There has been lots of fights on the
:17:57. > :18:01.forum about traditional music. Sophie, you are used to performing
:18:02. > :18:06.in front of big crowds as a pop star. How does that peep you for
:18:07. > :18:13.Blackpool? Not as much as I would have hoped! I am hoping to drink it
:18:14. > :18:18.all in. It is a one-off and that ballroom is beautiful. When I am
:18:19. > :18:22.dancing, I know I will be the best girl dancing the Quickstep in that
:18:23. > :18:28.ballroom at that moment. So that is the best way to think about it.
:18:29. > :18:34.I'll put a frock on. Not again. Put the frock away! Thank
:18:35. > :18:37.you very much, Sophie and Brendan. We wanted to find out what our
:18:38. > :18:44.professionals really thought of each other. So we invited them to take
:18:45. > :18:53.part in a poll, to discover, who is the funniest, the loudest, the most
:18:54. > :19:01.goody and the most high maintenance. Tonight, let's find out who is the
:19:02. > :19:07.most grumpy. I can tell you! Who is the grumpiest in the morning? That
:19:08. > :19:13.is easy. I think it would be Karen. She is always grumpy without food.
:19:14. > :19:23.It definitely has to be me. . I am happy in the morning. I don't
:19:24. > :19:35.know these grumpy people. Kristina! Artem! Artem. He's going to kill me.
:19:36. > :19:41.Me! The most vain of the group has to be Brendan Cole. I love him,
:19:42. > :19:49.don't get me wrong but there is a lot of I am, I am, going on. He
:19:50. > :20:02.really cares about his looks. He does look really good. So,
:20:03. > :20:05.algentlemans it is -- Aljax. I would say Artem.
:20:06. > :20:09.Artem! He is quite handsome. He knows that the ladies like looking
:20:10. > :20:13.at him. He is definitely worried about his chest and face and hair
:20:14. > :20:20.all of the time. I love myself! All of them. They are
:20:21. > :20:30.professional dancers. I love that. It is funny. More
:20:31. > :20:37.visits to the Ballot Box over the coming weeks. Time now to the
:20:38. > :20:42.training room to meet the couples dancing to ensure that their dance
:20:43. > :20:47.is a dance and not an illusion. We are doing the American Smooth.
:20:48. > :20:56.You get the feeling of Fred and Ginger. It sweeps you back to the
:20:57. > :21:01.old movies. It is a quintessential ballroom dance. The main thing is
:21:02. > :21:09.the timing. The judges have picked me up on that. It is crucial to get
:21:10. > :21:12.the timing accurate. I will be sloshing her about.
:21:13. > :21:17.The lifting could be a problem. I like my feet on the ground to be
:21:18. > :21:24.safe. If I chuck her up and catch her, she will be fine.
:21:25. > :21:29.We are doing the Jive. It is a fast dance with lots of bouncing, kicks
:21:30. > :21:35.and flicks. Keep up the energy from the beginning to the end of the
:21:36. > :21:39.dance. It requires quick footwork, bounce and it has to look easy and
:21:40. > :21:44.fun. We are going to have fun this week.
:21:45. > :21:48.That is our main thing and enjoy it and then get black to what we have
:21:49. > :21:54.loved doing together, having a laugh! I think it will show Mark's
:21:55. > :22:01.ability to dance, to act, to perform and to shine. I believe this dance
:22:02. > :22:05.will be one of his best. We are dancing Paso Doble in
:22:06. > :22:10.Blackpool. I love it the way that Kevin does it with lots of fire in
:22:11. > :22:14.its belly. The The Paso Doble is going well,
:22:15. > :22:20.but Susanna is finding it difficult to be serious with me.
:22:21. > :22:25.I am trying not to giggle! Susanna has been struggling with the twist
:22:26. > :22:29.turns. They are tricky, they are fast.
:22:30. > :22:35.There is a spin at the end, where I grab Kevin's wrist. I often end up
:22:36. > :22:40.bumping into him then forget the final position. That has the
:22:41. > :22:50.potential to look rather than tragic, sort of tragic/comic. That
:22:51. > :22:56.is not what we are looking for! Drop the skirt! Please welcome, Susanna
:22:57. > :23:01.and Kevin. You can't blame me for taking that seriously! That is
:23:02. > :23:07.funny. The highest scoring waltz of the series. Len said you lit up the
:23:08. > :23:14.floor. What a weekend, Susanna? I loved it. I am speechless. It was
:23:15. > :23:18.glorious to dance. It was Kevin's choreography, beautiful. It was
:23:19. > :23:21.lovely to dance with Kevin. Beautiful music, the singing, the
:23:22. > :23:26.dress. And the dress. It was beautiful. I
:23:27. > :23:34.heard you got emotional and watched it back and got a bit teary-eyed.
:23:35. > :23:38.Yes. You will always have that moment
:23:39. > :23:48.I know. Amazing. Now, when Karen Hardy was here, she
:23:49. > :23:56.said she thought it could -- should have been four tens, what do you
:23:57. > :24:02.think to that? I say that Karen has the best score there, she knows her
:24:03. > :24:05.stuff. I really love dancing it, like Susanna was saying, I am
:24:06. > :24:10.speechless about the whole dance. It almost does not matter, but four
:24:11. > :24:14.nines was the best score, so we will take that.
:24:15. > :24:17.And Zoe, I have had so many messages about it. People have been lovely
:24:18. > :24:21.about it. That adds to the emotion that people really enjoyed watching
:24:22. > :24:26.it. And they contacted with it. They
:24:27. > :24:29.wanted to be you or Kevin! Darcey was impressed with the frame.
:24:30. > :24:38.Everyone has been critical about it along the way.
:24:39. > :24:43.You must have worked hard on that? It looked perfect on Saturday.
:24:44. > :24:48.I have a feeling we were working so hard on the technique, that the
:24:49. > :24:52.shoulders relaxed, but there was a point when Kevin looked at me and
:24:53. > :24:57.said that the shoulder was up, just get it sorted. I thought, I really,
:24:58. > :25:01.then I realised I had to sort it out.
:25:02. > :25:07.I like that seriousness. Yes, Kevin. Whatever you say. The great thing is
:25:08. > :25:12.you are picking up the technical stuff, but at the expense of more
:25:13. > :25:16.everyday movements for Susanna, have a look.
:25:17. > :25:22.I have a problem walking. I don't normally have a problem
:25:23. > :25:29.walking but apparently when I am dancing. Just do a normal walk.
:25:30. > :25:35.Complicated footwork and technique, easy. Ask her to put a foot in front
:25:36. > :25:45.of the other, she goes... Do you really concentrate on how you walk.
:25:46. > :25:53.You cannot actually walk! Like Farmer Giles. I don't walk like
:25:54. > :25:58.that. Yeah, you do. I think that is really good.
:25:59. > :26:04.I'm not sure that the judges will think it is.
:26:05. > :26:10.It is brilliant. Under the microscope we see it all.
:26:11. > :26:15.Today the one thing that was really not walking -- working was the walk!
:26:16. > :26:20.But it is the Paso Doble. The walk is dramatic. How is it going for
:26:21. > :26:24.you, the Paso Doble? I love it. Really love it. The usual thing on
:26:25. > :26:31.Monday, didn't have a clue. Didn't think it could ever happen. I need
:26:32. > :26:36.to be careful with the skirt. But I amen joying it so much. It is
:26:37. > :26:43.great. Really fun. And Susanna, often scoring a little
:26:44. > :26:48.lower with the Latin dances, Kevin, I am talking like you are not here,
:26:49. > :26:55.don't mind me! Do you think this could buck the trend? I hope so. I
:26:56. > :27:01.didn't know that fact. I think that Susanna is a cracking Latin dancer.
:27:02. > :27:07.She does them really well. I don't see her as... Thank you, but I do
:27:08. > :27:11.get lower scores on the Latin. This could be the one.
:27:12. > :27:21.To do the Paso Doble, you need dramatic music, you have a brilliant
:27:22. > :27:28.bit of Bizet! Oh, yes! I love it. Looking brilliant. It is fast. Is it
:27:29. > :27:33.is a super speedy Paso Doble? Is it? Yes. It is full on.
:27:34. > :27:38.Obviously you are a journalist, you have probably been to Blackpool to
:27:39. > :27:44.the party conferences, is it funning to going for a more glitzy affair? I
:27:45. > :27:49.heard a lot of political speeches in Blackpool and interviewed a lot of
:27:50. > :27:54.politicians there and eaten curries late with political journalists so
:27:55. > :27:58.it is a delight to go and dance in the Ballroom and to be there with
:27:59. > :28:05.kefin and the other dancers involved in the show. Hilarious fun.
:28:06. > :28:10.And the entire Clifton family are going to be with you on the dan
:28:11. > :28:17.floor? Yes. Tell me? A big group number. Lots of
:28:18. > :28:24.people in it. Extra dancers, kids. Social dancers, whatever. More on
:28:25. > :28:30.the floor than ever before. Literally everyone involved from
:28:31. > :28:37.Kevin's family and Karen of course, I feel like a bit part. Remember me?
:28:38. > :28:42.! Good luck with the drop the skirt and the wafting! Susanna and Kevin.
:28:43. > :28:47.That is it for today. Tomorrow at 6.30pm all of the Blackpool back
:28:48. > :28:55.stage action from James Jordan. He is catching up with Ashley and Ola.
:28:56. > :29:01.And then on Friday, the Sister Scissors and Jodie Penger and Jason
:29:02. > :29:03.Donovan. See