Episode 36 Strictly - It Takes Two

Welcome to It Takes Two. It is Monday and we are kicking of the

week with a great line-up. Despite a first class attempt, the judges put

them on the first plane home. Say goodbye to Fiona and Anton. Joining

them, Sophie and Brendan. He is no tramp. He might have been

the only jud not to have given a top score, but we give him ten out of

ten anyway, Craig Revel Horwood is here. This is Strictly: It Takes

Two. .

Live from London, this Strictly: It Takes Two. Please welcome your host,

Zoe Ball. Hello and welcome to Monday's It

Takes Two. What a spectacular weekend it was as our couples danced

in Blackpool's famous Tower Ballroom. In case you missed any of

the action, here are our Strictly headlines.

Good evening. Here is the news. There were ruffled feathers on the

dance floor, but it wasn't because of the judges!

What a professional, you are. The way you got out of it and carried on

was wonderful. Not many people can really do it as well as that.

Believe me. It is about the recovery. Len

decided to dust off his ten paddle as he dished out the ten score not

once, not twice, but trice. From Len, the ten!

Ten. Spectacular. Ten. And he has been talking about it for

weeks and it seems that Mark's power of persuasion paid off as Iveta let

him use his signature move, the dinosaur!

Oh, we loved it. Thank you, Mark. Those were the Strictly headlines.

Thank you very much. There it is. And if all that is

still not enough, here is some exclusive footage from behind the

scenes. Aren't we good to you? We are so good.

Welcome to Blackpool. You can hardly feel the buzz. You

can hardly feel the magic of it. Bring on tonight.

It feels great because it is one of the most beautiful ballrooms you can

dance in. It is cold up in Blackpool. So I

just thought we brought some little heaters. Come on you.

Did you think you were going to be out on the Blackpool floor with the

Strictly lot dancing around like lunatics? It is great, isn't it? Do

you think I am ea better dancer than Brendan?

No! Blackpool! We have 80 dancers in. It

is a wee bit of a squeeze in here. This is the sorry corridor. If you

look down the corridor, it is very tight and when people walk through

all the time, people are trying to stop them, sorry. Stay here for a

little bit and see how many people actually say sorry when they walk

past. I don't understand it. Sorry. Sorry. It is mine and Mark's

birthday today. Happy birthday. You made 60 cakes. I wasn't sure what

you liked! This is a pin. This is another pin. What is in? Where are

we living? I concur. I was on here trying to have a little snooze, you

know, and of course, I got up and voila! I have a microphone taped on

to my shoes so every time I stamp and make flamenco noise, it will

make some noise! It is show time!

I'm nervous. I'm looking forward to it. Good luck, everybody. The whole

show is going on without you. The nine couples are dancing down the

pier. Oh yes. Unfortunately one is going to drop of the end. Sink

without trace. Oh no! This is Strictly Come Dancing.

Nice to see you, to see you. Oh, what a weekend, but it was time

for someone to fly the Strictly nest on Saturday. They are here now,

please welcome Fiona and Anton. Oh hello, you gorgeous, gorgeous

monkeys. I am so sorry to see you go, can I just say Fiona, you looked

stunning out on the dance floor and I thought you were so gracious last

night and I thought you took that so well. You were wonderful. How are

you feeling today? I feel fine, thank you. I just had the most

amazing adventure and as I said, it is like being at the best party in

the world. I have had people making me look glorious and beautiful

costumes and make-up and hair and everybody just spoils you to death.

So for the last few months, I have been on a sort of different planet.

You have. I like it. I want to be on that planet. It was your first dance

off as well, Anton, how confident did you feel going into the

dance-off against Mark and Iveta? Well, you want to give it your best

shot. You don't want to invite your opponent into next week and not try

your best. I felt we could do a good job. I was pleased with the first

performance and I loved the dance and it looked incredible. So I was,

you know, happy with the way we felt about it, but Mark's dance was

great. Mark and Iveta, it was a tremendous number. It is so hard, I

think, at this point, it is getting harder and harder for the judges to

choose and also your second highest score of the series, how wonderful

to go out on such a high? Well, I think we really went out with a

bang, because Blackpool the whole experience was an extraordinary show

because we were in o two of the group dances and I had three

magnificent costumes to wear and the show was unbelievable and we had a

really lovely score. Mark was incredible in the dance-off and he

didn't go wrong and I did so, you know, the judges were right.

Oh, bless you. Anton, you are Mr Ballroom, how happy were you to take

Fiona to Blackpool and have that experience? Well, I was thrill

because it is a part of Strictly Come Dancing, going to Blackpool,

dancing at Blackpool and Fiona has been a Strictly Come Dancing fan

since the beginning so to do Strictly Come Dancing and also to

get to Blackpool and for me to be able to do a ballroom dance, the

American Smooth is like a little bit of a cherry on the cake, it was just

perfect. It really, really was. You didn't

manage the lift in the dress rehearsal and we know you were

scared about doing it. How much of a fear did you have as it was

approaching during the dance? Well, that's the problem. If you think, "

I can do this. I can do this. I have done it a million times in

rehearsals. " In the dress run, I didn't pull it off and Anton

couldn't see where my leg was! And then when we, on the night, I

thought, just go for it and it wasn't great. It is my fault. But

then you did it again and the best bit was in your final waltz, after

we said goodbye, I love you, you were going, "Come on." It was

stunning. Let's have have a look at your Strictly story. The dancer who

will make you shaken and maybe a little bit stirred is Anton.

My dreams came true when I was partenered up with Anton, I'm such a

lucky girl. She is just a joy to be in in the studio. Enthusiastic,

bubbly and fun so we're going to have a great time.

Mr Wonderful, that's you. I love him.

It is lovely to see Anton actually dancing this series! Well, there

were one or two little incidents, but he was as sharp as a lemon tart.

I didn't think I was that nervous, but it really kicked in big time. I

thought this was going to be a wa you can in the park, but it is more

complicated and technical than I thought it was going to be. Kick and

point and kick and point. I thought you were very good up

until the point you kicked Anton in the shin! You cannot go wrong

anymore. He is right, I can't afford to go wrong. I have been better

rating myself for the last few days for letting Anton down. It is

important I don't do that again. I thought the whole thing was

extremely eloquent and beautifully done.

APPLAUSE I was thrilled we got 28 points. I

don't think I have had 28 points in the last three series added

together! I'm hoping that my rumba will be enough to get my through.

You do lose focus, you have got to survive so bring out the fight in

you next time. I don't know what's wrong with me. I get out there and I

just go to bits. Fortunately, we got the opportunity

to come back this week and do the quickstep. What did I get wrong?

Nothing. It was all perfect. I am feeling so much happier. It is

coming. Lovely. Fiona is finally putting on the glitz. High spirit in

high society. Such flair. Your best dance. Seven. Eight. Positive mental

attitude. Anton and I have become very good

friends. We have a very similar sense of humour. He just cracks me

up. We are going to be friends for life whether she likes it or not

quite frankly. The whole dance was just too light

and well-behaved. That's the way I was brought up. The great thing

about Fiona, she really does want to improve.

Oh, Fiona, I like your dark side. When you go dark and aggressive. I'm

thrilled I'm going to Blackpool, to step inside that beautiful ballroom

will probably take my breath away. The attitude was first class. The

movement business class and the lift was a little bit economy. Never!

Never. Judges, it is time to decide. I would like to save Fiona and

Anton? Mark and Iveta. Mark and Iveta. I have had the best time

simply because of you. You are the most lovely person I could have

possibly met. You are gorgeous and I love you and I so hope you have

enjoyed it because I have he a enjoyed it and you are a star.

APPLAUSE Isn't it wonderful when you see how

many incredible dances you have done. Anton, how proud are you?

Well, I am emore newsly proud because -- enormously proud. There

is so much to enjoy. To come back to the beginning when you can't do a

step and you are racked by nerves. The numbers were great numbers, you

know. Stunning. They were super numbers, floor spins and lifts and

lots of content. You have been tremendous and you should give

yourself a huge, you should look back on it fondly and be proud of

yourself because you have done a lot of dancing and tremendously well. So

well done you. Thank you, I have had the best time. Was there a dance you

hadn't had a chance to do? Well, I would like to do the salsa. Who

would you like to see go and lift the glitter trophy? Tony. I have two

favourites. Abbey is one because she is my adopted daughter and when we

went out, she came up to me and said, "Mummy." But I would love

Sophie to win. She is stunning. She is stunning. And Anton? I don't

care. I would like to see old Brendan. Go on, son. Do it again.

Come on. Go on, Brendan. You have been a true lady. You are such a joy

and a true gentleman. We shall miss your faces around these parts. Well

done, Fiona and Anton. Thank you very much. Well done, thank you.

I don't want to say goodbye to anybody. In a minute, Craig will be

sharing his views from Saturday's night's performances, but can you

tell me who this former celebrity contestant is? I have no idea.

Find out later if you got that right. On Saturday night, he had

everyone talking about his lacklustre scores. It is time to

find out what he was playing at. Please welcome the gorgeous, Craig

Revel Horwood. APPLAUSE

Hello darling. Hello darling. How much did you enjoy your trip to the

seaside? I loved it. It was really great. It was so exciting, I thought

the opening number was sensational. It really was. All the dances took

ages, the big frocks and everything. It really set the mood and what a

night of dancing. You were the only judge not to, to save Fiona, were

you cross with the other judges? Yes, only because I thought there

was more content in her dance. That's all. I mean, I know she went

wrong in the soft shoe section, but that was small in comparison to how

much actual dancing was in her routine and I thought she danced,

you know, the majority of that dance extremely well. So in my opinion,

and it is only my opinion, I thought they were the better of the two. OK,

well she took it very graciously. Let's discuss the dance on Saturday

night. Abbey and Ali. Did she really deserve the seven and tell me what

wrong in your eyes? Well, her frame as I said was loose and she was

dancing with it and that's unfortunate because you really

should not be dancing with your frame throughout. There was a lot of

gapping going on. She did a little run, run and both, you know, the

couple does a leap at the same time and her frame collapsed at that

point and I thought to be honest, it was only worth a seven. And I mean,

I was horrified to look down the line of judges when the tens came

out because we know not what anybody else is scoring because I was really

amazed. Really. I was taken a back actually. You have explained

yourself. That's fine. Natalie and Artem and their Charleston. You

called it sensational. You didn't have any criticism. Maybe they

didn't have time, but again, no ten from you. How could you fault this?

Well, I faulted in respect to not the dancing, so much as the

personality and the quirky nature of that dance. Now, in every dance,

Zoe, whether it be a tango, whether it be a Charleston or any dance you

have to bring a certain character to it. I feel that she was a little bit

too clean on her feet and I know that sounds odd, but I felt it was

just too precise, too clean and it wasn't quirky enough. I know that's

weird... It is so impossible. You need to be more... You need to be a

little hunch of shoulder and a little bit quirkier.

If she hunched her shoulders, you would have gone, "Hunched soldiers."

Now this couple. There was the wardrobe mall fuption. That

shouldn't have happened and sometimes it does. It probably

through him a little bit. He went wrong I think twice and you know, I

just didn't think it was, you know, up there. He is fantastic and I am

not attacking them when I'm giving them low scores, it is not my fault

they are dancing badly. I can only have an opinion about what I see.

Yes. I have got numbers from ranging from one to ten so as you know and I

like to use them! A one and a zero. Suzanna and Kevin and their paso

doble. You called it fabulous. Yeah. Again. No ten. What was missing for

you? Any detail? Style. Right. It was the style of the whole thing.

She has got all the steps there and it is almost there, but it just

needs to be a little more, she needs to be prouder. She is fantastic, I

love her, but I don't know whether she is going to ever be a ten girl.

Really? I'm just flagging that. For me. Don't listen, Suzanna. Mark and

Iveta and their jive. Here is where you were very grumpy. He went out

and gave it that performance and you gave him a five which, it seemed so

harsh? I know, it seems harsh, but life unfortunately is never fair, is

it? You know, this was... I am glad you weren't my dad. It is tough out

there. Deal with it. It is tough out there and dancing is one of the

toughest professions in the world. I grew up as a dancer and I was

whipped into shape. Let's not go into that now? I enjoyed that sort

of thing normally, but I have got to say, you know you have to take it

professionally and you have got to be able to take the criticism and if

you don't know what's wrong with your dancing and if you know, I

really don't want to be lying to people out there. It is nice to know

what is happening with request your body so you can come back and be

amazing the week after. Ben and Kristina and their American smooth

and your criticism of Ben, you wanted to see more smile when he is

out of hold? Every time, he released from hold, his arms were very

juvenile, if you like. You know, they were naive and by that, I mean

there was no stretch, no shaping, no art tistry, no form to them and he

really does need to work on that. Dancing isn't just about the partner

work, when you are out of hold, you have got to look spectacular. He

could learn a lot by watching a couple of movies by Fred Astaire.

Well, I am glad you enjoyed your weekend away. Lovely to have you

here. Craig Revel Horwood. APPLAUSE

Earlier, we tested your Strickly knowledge, it is time to see if you

got it right. I was on Strict ly in 2010.

It me, Peter Shilton. It is Peter Shilton. On Saturday

night, their quickstep kicked the show off with a bang. We will be

talking to them in a minute, but let's remind ourselves of Sophie and

Brendan's weekend in Blackpool. I think this place really works its

magic because your performance level tonight my darling was so much

better. I thought it was a little bit loose, a little bit jagged, the

whole dance, but I have to agree with Bruno, the story telling was

absolutely ten phenomenal. You were flying around that. Your hair was

wafting out like you were walking down the prom on a windy arch. It

was absolutely spot on. You came alive. It is a spirited and

energetic dance. Divine. Well done. Seven. Nine.

It was just brilliant. I thought you were going to come out and shine and

you did more than that. Shocked. I'm so proud.

Please welcome Sophie ands Brendan. APPLAUSE

What an opening to the show, you looked glorious and your hair looked

stunning and I love that bit when you leaped into the boys arms. Was

it a total thrill? It was. The whole thing actually. Just before I

danced, I was very, very nervous and actually the little VT they showed

with my mum and I, I don't want to waste this real one off, dancing in

Blackpool ballroom by being nervous and I really want to enjoy this. I

thought this is my quickstep, take it or leave it. I was sat watching

you with my mum and we looked at each other. Brendan, how amazing was

it for you guys and how nervous, were you opening the show? There is

an added pressure to opening the show. There is a big responsibility

and it is an honour because generally I think the show want a

big opener and a big closer so you are the chosen one and do it right.

Generally we use the beginning of the show to get focussed, we didn't

have that time. It is like bang, do it. I loved the dance. I felt

magnificent out there. I was so proud of this one and yeah, nailed

it. I kno You could feel thatmed coulding through the tele box and

the judges loved your story telling as well. Was that something to thank

your mum for as well? Yeah, it was helpful actually of. It was really

helpful and she brought along photos as well of me when I was small and

saying, she showed me them and said this little person wouldn't be

frightened to go out there and do it and she got teary again because she

does that all the time and I was really touched by how much she had

put into the advice she wanted to give me. I thought I should have

asked her earlier. There was criticism of your top

line, you were going so fast around that floor and it was so intricate,

is this something that happens with the speed and everything? It

probably happened because I started on the Monday! I haven't really

learned how to do it yet. I will persevere. If I get the opportunity

to do another ballroom, the frame will be my first port of call, not

the last and always concentrate on the footwork and I leave the line to

the last bit, but I will put my shaping in first, I promise. It is a

lot to learn in a short space of time. She has the frame, but it is

maintaining the frame. I thought goodness me, that's a bit fast. I

should have slowed it down a little bit. I says that in hindsight. Bless

you. The dance floor wasn't as big as you hoped for, apparently, they

made it smaller. Were you worried about colliding with the props and

the audience? You picture the Blackpool ballroom and with the

audience seats, it was a big space, but I had choreographed this

ballroom that was towards Manchester and p back! We will just turn this

around and it worked because it kept us nice and compact. Yeah, lovely.

Well, you may have enjoyed being out on the smaller dance floor of

Blackpool, but it does seem that perhaps, you might be going a little

crazy during training. It happens to the best of them. Never.

I don't think Brendan is going crazy at all.

Can you see my snake? Boom. Boom. Oh dear. It is going to

be a long week! What was the question?

I could feel something buzzing, but there was nothing there!

You have been doing this programme too long, Brendan. Can you tie your

snake in a naught? That's the question. There is a question. The

men with the white coats are waiting. It is rumba for you guys

this week. How has the first day of training gone? Can I answer that?

Yeah, go on. I felt very, very good in the first rumba session and you

don't often feel that way. It is a very slow, it leaves you very

exposed, expose yourself my dear, it was great. In a certain way. What do

you think the biggest challenge will be with this dance this week for

Sophie? It is very much about the believing and presenting a rumba

that's very emotional so you want to be able to put that out on the floor

for everybody to see. It is a tough one because you feel quite

vulnerable. Slow. He has confidence. This is good. Good luck this week.

You were glorious on Saturday. Sophie and Brendan.

APPLAUSE That's all we have time for today. A

big thank you to all of my guests. Tomorrow, I'll be joined by saved

couple Mark and Iveta and samba survivors Patrick and Anya. Plus

Karen Hardy is back with her choreography corner. That's at

6.30pm, but, if you are watching in Scotland, we will be on at 11.20pm.

Good night.