Episode 46 Strictly - It Takes Two

Hello and welcome to It Takes Two. What a weekend! Saturday saw him

crowned Lion King, but sadly his reign on Strictly has come to an

end. Mark and Iveta say their goodbyes.

We don't want them to go! Love them. Their super salsa created a Disco

Inferno. Here to talk 10s are Abbey and Aljaz. And it's just as well he

finally found his 10 paddle, as this is the last time he'll join us this

series - Craig will be here. This is Strictly It Takes Two.

Live from London, this is Strictly It Takes Two. Please welcome Zoe

Ball. Hello and welcome to It Takes Two.

This weekend saw tears, tantrums and 10s as the competition hotted up

even further. In case you were foolish enough to miss any of it,

here are the Strictly headlines. It was brilliant!

Good evening and here is the news. Strictly's musical extravaganza

reached Saturday Night Fever pitch as Abbey's salsa blew away all of

the judges. Yes, Craig's mothballed 10 paddle finally made an

appearance. Well, Craig might have given Abbey a

10, but he didn't score quite so highly with his own spin across the

floor. There is one judge missing. Where's

Craig? I'm going to mark you for your

entrance. I'll give you two. That's more than I deserve! And there was

drama on the dance floor after Natalie's American smooth wasn't

quite smooth enough for Len. Too much swooshing, apparently.

For me, the dance got lost in the performance. Not enough foxtrot. And

finally, the make-up room was alive with the Sound of Music on Saturday.

Or something like it. # Brown paper packages tied up with

string. These are a few of my favourite things.

# When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad. I

simply remember my favourite things...

# And those were the Strictly Headlines.

And now even more backstage gossip. Here's all the action from behind

the scenes. I believe something is going on

today. # Oh, what a beautiful morning. It

is musical week! I am a secret jazz hander. I love musicals. There is a

danger of feeling like there is a lot of pressure on you when you get

to this stage of the competition. But this week, everyone just feels

very happy. Patrick is flying! I want that car for Christmas. It is

really energetic, very busy and quick, and heaps of fun. It is

lovely having the dancers, because it fills the stage out and takes the

attention off me. It is going to be a very big night.

Hair and make up! My little boy at home is very

excited about daddy flying on a magic carpet. I've lost my make-up

artist. How about this. This is what my mum used to do. I think that is

the right colour! UR in the wrong, Brendan Cole.

I am currently having a tale sewn onto my costume.

I have a feeling that tonight might be the night when we see for 10s.

Welcome to the Jungle. These are our little sexy animals. We are doing

the lion king. It is going to be the best party, with the biggest amount

of cheese. # I'm singing in the rain. What a

glorious feeling. I'm hoping we see 10s tonight.

Fingers crossed, darling. Showtime! I think before you go on stage,

you're trying to hold every interview so that you can let it out

on stage. It is musicals week on Strictly Come Dancing.

What a night! He'll always be the Lion in our pride. It's time to say

Hakuna Matata to Mark and Iveta. APPLAUSE

Commiserations on last night's exit. It has been such a joy watching the

two of you dance on the show. How are you feeling today? I feel good.

I was having such a fantastic time. I wanted to go out on a high, and we

did that. We had a great week, and I feel good about the whole thing. You

have been such an incredible fighter. You had to go through the

dance-off so many times and still survived. Did you have a feeling

that this might be the week? You feel that every week, and it was

getting tough, so to get to the last seven was amazing. We went for it,

but you have to have that in your mind that it might happen. And did

we see a little appearance of the dinosaur? It was such a beautiful

moment. And very emotional. That will become legend across the

country. And quite an emotional departure, Iveta. Yes. Whether you

make the final or go out earlier, you never want this to end. It is

emotional. Let's not start yet! Don't look him in the eye. Craig's

perhaps been your fiercest critic, but even he gave you positive

comments on Saturday. We saw you tear up - how much did it mean to

you? It was such a shock, because I was expecting him to be really harsh

again, and he was so lovely. I was fine going up the stairs, and when I

got to the top, I couldn't talk. I think it means something that

because Craig is quite harsh, when he does say something nice, you know

he genuinely means it. He really does mean it, which is why it gives

you such pleasure. Now, you have done ten weeks of dancing on very

bad knees. What happens now you're out of the competition? We are going

to do the tour, and then I will go and have keyhole surgery. If I can

survive this, I can survive the tour.

Let's have a look at your strictly story.

You are going to be sharing the dance with Iveta.

I want to show that may be big people can move a bit. You danced it

actually rather well. This week we are dancing a salsa, and I am

nervous, because I have to find my inner sex God. Show me your sexy

face. I am 47, overweight with a dodgy knee.

It is being able to do the dance with those judges staring at you,

under the lights, the audience there. I have never experienced

nerves like it. Iveta is a brilliant teacher. If he makes a mistake, I

will break him. Sometimes my stomach hurts from laughing. We really have

a good time. You capture the essence of every

dance. You get it. And that's great. He is brilliant. No, you are.

I can throw some shapes. I can bust some moves. I was made for

cha-cha-cha. It was unique, different, memorable and very, very

funny. I just want to enjoy what I do. My goal is to show Mark's

ability to dance. Not his ability to act, because we know he can do that.

You danced it simply, effectively and with feeling and emotion, and

that was beautiful. If I am brutally honest, I didn't think I would make

it this far. I do think I have improved, and I'm enjoying it. Did

you see my astronaut? Did you see him fly? He was amazing.

# It's too late to apologise. Iveta is an amazing friend. She has

got such a wicked sense of humour. I can't imagine doing strictly with

anyone else. It is just so enjoyable. I don't

want the series to ever end. You tried Goldfinger, and ended up a

fish finger. I knew that I would end up in the dance-off, and I felt like

I let Iveta down. She deserves the best from me, and that is what she

is going to get. We will have some fun this week. I know it is

entertaining, I do know that. I am really looking for a lot more

technique. The couple I would like to save is Mark and Iveta. Mark and

Iveta. I thought that was our last chance,

so I was thrilled. You start this journey with someone, and you do get

really close. Just let me get the steps. You have been trained, but

never tamed. There are always little cheeky moments that make it. It

makes me feel like a warrior. In my head, I thought that was it for me.

Thankfully, the judges saved me. From where I started to get to hear,

it is just such a lovely feeling. I am going to have fun this week, I

think. That is what it's all about for me. I think that really is

technically your best to date. You are a great big bundle of joy to

watch. Well done. I would like to save Ashley and bowler.

It is an honour to work with you. It is an honour to teach you. We will

have a sitcom together and continue laughing! Honestly, thank you. It

was the best first season. It was perfect. I could not wish for

anything else. I love you. Oh, my goodness. We can't wait for

the sitcom! What do you think made the two of you hit it off so well? I

think a lot of it is to do with the fact that I couldn't dance. I

couldn't dance constantly. We would dance for ten minutes and then have

to sit for ten minutes on my knees recovered. And so we would mess

about. And the thing about Iveta, she just has such a great sense of

humour. We have loved having you on the show. Who would you like to see

go on and win? I have to say, they are all lovely people. I wouldn't

like to say. They are all so good, I couldn't call it. I don't want to

say. Iveta, will you do us a favour. One more time, say jellyfish.

Jellyfish. And can I say, quickly, thank you for you and It Takes Two,

because it has been brilliant. Don't start. Everybody please give it up

for Mark and Iveta! We will miss them.

I don't think any couple has ever had that reaction on the show

before! Mark will always have a place in our hearts on It Takes Two.

In a couple of years, you might be lucky enough to star in one of these

little gems, it's time for Guess who.

Who was that? Saturday saw disco diva at leaderboard with a 70s

themed salsa that scored the perfect 40. Here is a reminder.

That was great! You were dancing between two professional girls. I

could not tell the difference. Absolutely amazing.

Mesmerising performance. You are losing confidence in the Latin. A

5-star routine. -- losing confidence.

I cannot believe we got four tends! I am gobsmacked! Well done, you!

Lucky the Predictive Pup was right again! Please welcome Abbey and

Aljaz. Can I just say, that was awesome on Saturday night will stop

I think there is only one couple ever before that have got 44 salsa.

-- 40 four a salsa. How much did you enjoy it? I loved it, everyone was

amazing. I thought we have to go out and pretend we are in that disco.

And look at what happened, what did Peter think, your mum and dad? Pete

finished his football and legged it down to the studio and watched us,

my mum and everyone was going crazy. I put the loudspeaker in the

room. I am not surprised at all. It looked joyous to perform. Is that

part of the success, because it was so much fun to do? We actually

struggled in rehearsals, doing it. The Latin isn't my favourite. But I

think you have two forget about that and not at a mental block on

yourself, how can you not have funded Saturday night Fever? Those

outfits! And him dancing in a white suit, my lord! You must have known

you had done well, when did you think a clean sweep was coming? It

was such a full on salsa, the whole way through I kept thinking, what's

next? Every time I saw her was like... I was like, that's good!

It's so fast, and you were there with the other pro dancers, you

looked incredible. You were saying the always preferred the ballroom.

How did you tackle the salsa, knowing that Abbey has always

preferred the ballroom? I told her it was the ballroom! She is a

natural in ballroom. But I think the salsa, as it was a disco salsa,

every single disco move, she did it better than me! You do all the moves

we all love! Said this week you go to the view news walks, back to

ballroom again. How do you follow 40? I am not even thinking, I want

to go out and do my best again, I'm desperate to go back to the ballroom

dancers, and I love watching people do the Viennese walks. I just don't

think you can focus on the scores, it will just put you off, it's only

down from here! You got 40! I am more excited than she is. If you go

back ten weeks, a lifetime ago, the first week, you did a walks that was

a standout. Will she take from the foundations of that? Yes! Of course,

it is very similar, if not the same, the steps are similar as well.

Just a bit faster. I think she will tackle the view news waltz very

well. -- Viennese. You've also got the swing-a-thon on Saturday. How

will you train for this? Elbows! I can't wait to do it. A great change,

actually. And Aljaz, how are you going to keep her attention this

week? Keeper focused? I need to think about something new every week

must I don't know. We haven't started this week yet. Sophie was

sick today, so I couldn't go back into rehearsals. She had it on week

one, I was up all might with her, cleaning sick up from everywhere! --

up all night. They spring back, don't they, babies? We are going to

train extra hard tomorrow. You were awesome on Saturday night, good luck

with your Viennese waltz. Time to reveal who's features have been

obscured by the dodgy camera, did you get it?

It's me! I danced with the lovely Ola Jordan in 2009. It was quite

tricky, wasn't it? I have grown a couple of genes since then. As he is

about to tread the boards in pantomime, this is his last

appearance in the studio! Give it up for Craig Revel Horwood!

Look at you, so rightly! Like a swan, gliding in. Highest scores on

Saturday night, it was awesome. So exciting. It was ready to see the

standard of the dancing, I was really excited myself. I don't say

that often. Let's start with Abbey and Aljaz, you did say it was

amazing. Is there anything more... Look at that! What I loved about

Abbey is the fact that she took complete ownership of the dance

floor. She played the leading lady and just when you see her dancing

with the professionals, she was really standing out as something

special. It wasn't until the very, very end, the last move, that I

could actually think, could I give it a ten? And I thought, absolutely.

My finger was harbouring. Still! To the last minute! I just absolutely

loved it. And so glad to see your paddle. Ashley found himself in the

dance off for the first time, were you surprised? I was, but someone

has to be in the dance off, and it was out of him or Susanna. I was

thinking it would be one of those two. I was still shocked, but he did

very well, I gave him a technical note about expression through the

arms, when he was out of any hold or lift and he went ahead and did

that. I thought he was great. He has learnt and developed so much over

the series, it's a delight to watch. Patrick and Anya and their

Charleston. He did say he lost a bit of stability in the lobster claw

left! I totally love that. He was very fast. It was hard to keep up

the him. But he managed it, he was a bit flat-footed, but that lift is

where you take the girl up and you twist, on the preparation, he just

lost a little bit of his centre and his core, and that happened to

shuffle his beat a bit. I felt it didn't matter direct play in front

of him. I think the centrifugal force swept her too far across. But

small, tiny details. Fantastic. I haven't stopped grinning since

Saturday. Susanna and Kevin and the quick step, such a strong weekend,

deceive and second, incredible, will she bounce back? I think she can

bounce back, she has the mental capacity to get on with it, forget

that ever happened and then come in and give us something extraordinary

and stunning. That's what I love about her, she brings her

personality, her smile, curvaceous must, to the floor. That's what all

the people at home are loving. The Viennese waltz, the highest score,

what made this so magical? Number one, the music, number two, the

look. Just the fact that they are beautifully in sync with one

another. The only thing I could say about it is the chin was almost

gravitating towards the shoulder too much. You have to keep your head and

left but I think it was going back a little bit and she was losing her

neck ever so slightly. These are minor, ridiculous details. But is

that time in the competition. We have to nit-pick otherwise you can't

differentiate between one couple or another and the people at home

really want to know why I'm giving an eight or nine. Natalie and RTM

and their American Smooth, you said you would like to have seen more in

hold? How much of an American Smooth should be in hold? 70% in, 30 visit

out and read lifts. I just think we missed that in hold moment. Lennon

was right when he pointed that out, there wasn't very much in hold at

all. I thought it was in immaculately danced dance, I loved

her in it, but sadly, I couldn't award the ten for it because of

that. You did say that her bras... For the brass were second to none.

Port de bras goes up, a cross, it's how you use your arms. She does do

that beautifully. She does drop her head each time she goes into a lift.

All extremely strong dancers left. I would say yes, it's going to be

really difficult for the judges now, because it's becoming even

Stephen. It's going to be up to our wonderful public at home to choose

the right person. I don't think it will be a judges choice at all this

year. They are all travelling full steam ahead and it's so exciting. We

shall miss you on Monday but good luck! It's my last one, darling! And

extract huge round of applause for Craig Revel Horwood. That's it for

today, thanks to all of my gorgeous guest. I am back at 6:30pm tomorrow.

Aljaz and Ola return.