:00:00. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to It Takes Two and it's funtime Friday! They
:00:10. > :00:12.Viennese Waltzed their way to the Semi Finals with the highest scoring
:00:13. > :00:16.dance of the night. Abbey and Aljaz will be here. I'll be heading to
:00:17. > :00:25.Elstree to catch up with Sophie and Brendan in rehearsals. Give us a
:00:26. > :00:28.wave, Brendan. He could not resist. And it's Strictly All Stars for
:00:29. > :00:30.tonight's Friday panel. The runner-up from the very first
:00:31. > :00:33.series, Chris Parker, 2011's Runner up, Chelsee Healey, 2009 Champ,
:00:34. > :00:40.Chris Hollins and last year's winner, Louis Smith! This is
:00:41. > :01:34.Strictly: It Takes Two. From London, this is Strictly: It
:01:35. > :01:44.Takes Two. Please welcome your host, Zoe Ball! Hello and welcome to It
:01:45. > :01:50.Takes Two. Just over 24 hours until this year's Strictly semi. Abbey and
:01:51. > :01:53.Alyash will be hoping their Samba and American Smooth will see them
:01:54. > :01:57.through to the final. I'll be chatting to them in a moment but
:01:58. > :02:05.first a reminder of their beautiful Viennese Waltz. You, Abbey, identify
:02:06. > :02:10.got to say are the biggest surprise of this entire competition.
:02:11. > :02:15.Absolutely brilliant. Thank you! The arch you created in the top line was
:02:16. > :02:23.beautiful. You get better and better. Just beautiful.
:02:24. > :02:29.There were one or two issues with the footwork, by I have not time to
:02:30. > :02:32.go into but if you come up to my dressing room, I'll explain it
:02:33. > :02:40.fully. You look like a movie star, you
:02:41. > :02:45.dance like a Goddess. Bruno said I look like a movie star,
:02:46. > :02:50.I should do after six hours of hair and make-up. I enjoyed it. It was
:02:51. > :02:56.really amazing. Please, welcome Abbey and Aljaz. We
:02:57. > :03:02.cannot go further without mentioning those kinky boots. Look at those!
:03:03. > :03:07.Yes, a big wow! Everyone in here fell silent when you walked in.
:03:08. > :03:10.They are covering the bruises. We will get on to those later on.
:03:11. > :03:14.The highest score of the week last week. That must have been brilliant.
:03:15. > :03:20.How special did the dance feel on the floor? Fabulous. The dress, the
:03:21. > :03:26.hair and make-up. The dance that Aljaz made was gorgeous and twirly.
:03:27. > :03:32.I love them type of dances. And obviously it was the Stoke theme as
:03:33. > :03:37.well. How did Peter and the team feel about you dancing to that tune?
:03:38. > :03:42.They were all made up. People were voting five times.
:03:43. > :03:46.Craig said last week, Aljaz, that Abbey has been the biggest surprise
:03:47. > :03:51.in the competition. Which is such a wonderful thing for her to hear. How
:03:52. > :03:56.much would you agree? How much has she surprised you week after week,
:03:57. > :04:03.getting better and better? I agree 1 million percent. From day one I knew
:04:04. > :04:07.she had the talent and the potential to being really good, but the way
:04:08. > :04:11.she progressed is incredible. Every dance is better and better. She
:04:12. > :04:16.didn't have one bad week. There was not a dance I would not say it was
:04:17. > :04:22.not a best performance. So I am over the moon for my first year. To do it
:04:23. > :04:27.with Abbey, with someone so eager to learn.
:04:28. > :04:35.That was a rousing speech! It's the first time he has said that to me,
:04:36. > :04:43.to be fair! Brilliant. Len mentioned footwork issues, after. Did you go
:04:44. > :04:49.up to his dressing room? Did he tell you what they were? Do you know what
:04:50. > :04:56.he meant? I always try to put the content in the routines. There is a
:04:57. > :05:01.lot of specific footwork. There was a little bit of a thing going on in
:05:02. > :05:06.a reverse turn. So it is a mistake. I agree with the comment, but she
:05:07. > :05:11.did so many things beautifully. Holding her frame up, smiling all
:05:12. > :05:17.the way through, a movie star. That's it.
:05:18. > :05:22.It is brilliant. And the swingathon. Karen hardy said you two should have
:05:23. > :05:28.stayed in longer. Higher up the table. Were you gutted to go out
:05:29. > :05:34.when you did? I loved that. It was so much fun. By my mind went blank
:05:35. > :05:37.when I was there, but it was great. I loved it.
:05:38. > :05:44.The way you ran tonne the floor, so eager! The good thing is for you
:05:45. > :05:50.two, it has been plain sailing. The last couple of weeks no dance-off,
:05:51. > :05:56.no rule-breaking, keeping your heads down and letting the dancing do the
:05:57. > :06:00.talking. Has that been deliberate? Always from the beginning, from the
:06:01. > :06:05.first show. We got the highest scores, there was so much not
:06:06. > :06:09.pressure but expectation to do well every week. We always had so much to
:06:10. > :06:14.work on so there was no time for anything else. It was all just about
:06:15. > :06:19.the dancing, I think. And I think we are so chilled about
:06:20. > :06:24.it in rehearsals. We are literally dead chilled. I think this week has
:06:25. > :06:27.been the most chilled week. I don't know why.
:06:28. > :06:31.That's a good thing. And it is double the chill with two
:06:32. > :06:36.dances. I know how hard you have been
:06:37. > :06:45.working. In the training room. Aljaz , putting in a heroic effort. Look
:06:46. > :06:53.at this. Introducing Aljaz, action Man. He can survive any terrain.
:06:54. > :06:58.Follow me. Stay calm. I'm trying. It is always cold and
:06:59. > :07:04.windy here. Singing any melody.
:07:05. > :07:11.# Sometimes I feel like holding my hands up in the air.
:07:12. > :07:18.# A little less conversations, # A little more action, please.
:07:19. > :07:27.Don't drop me! Bless you. And for the first time r, it
:07:28. > :07:32.includes kicking action. Aljaz the Action Man cannot be purchased
:07:33. > :07:38.anywhere, ever. Fact. We all want one for Christmas.
:07:39. > :07:44.Semi-finals, the two dances, the Samba and the American Smooth. Where
:07:45. > :07:49.does the Samba fall for you? I was petrified of the Samba. I didn't
:07:50. > :07:53.think I would get this far in the competition, so I didn't think I
:07:54. > :07:59.would have to do it. So I was not worried. So, I thought, we have it
:08:00. > :08:03.in the semi-final, but I'm enjoying it now.
:08:04. > :08:08.George Michael... Yes, let's have a listen. Here it comes. That's the
:08:09. > :08:12.double bounce action. There is no bounce action in our
:08:13. > :08:18.number. I can't do it. Yes you can. I have seen it. And the
:08:19. > :08:26.American Smooth. A great dance to be doing. Is it Foxtrot-based? Yes,
:08:27. > :08:37.very smooth and Foxtroty! And American! This is your MUSIC: Neil
:08:38. > :08:41.Diamond, Sweet Caroline. Another great crowd pleaser. At this point,
:08:42. > :08:47.how are you u feeling about the semi-final, are you confident?
:08:48. > :08:52.Terrified! It is the perfect mix! Good luck for tomorrow night. Give
:08:53. > :09:04.it up for the dancing Abbey and Aljaz.
:09:05. > :09:08.Now, after a slow start Lucky the Predictive Pup found his form just
:09:09. > :09:12.as he needed it getting his last three predictions spot on. Here he
:09:13. > :09:14.is for the final time this series - just for fun can he make it four out
:09:15. > :09:48.of four? Oh! So lucky. Lucky the Predictive
:09:49. > :09:54.Pup, he thinks you are going to be top.
:09:55. > :09:57.For three weeks he has got it right. Your little face.
:09:58. > :10:02.I nearly died. We will wait until tomorrow. The
:10:03. > :10:08.best reaction of the series. Now earlier on, I gate-crashed the
:10:09. > :10:10.last-minute rehearsals in the Strictly studio. Here is what
:10:11. > :10:15.happened. It is Friday. As is customary, I
:10:16. > :10:19.have a look around Elstree, but it is not just any Friday. It is the
:10:20. > :10:26.Friday before the semi-final. So the atmosphere is like nothing you have
:10:27. > :10:48.ever known before. Look it is ly Artem doing their Tango.
:10:49. > :10:57.Wow! Natalie and Artem. Oh, it is looking amazing. Can't wait to see
:10:58. > :11:02.the rest of that tomorrow. Look what I have run into, to is only Sophie
:11:03. > :11:07.and Brendan. We have not seen you. Who are the strange random people
:11:08. > :11:11.there, they work on the show by the way! We have not seen you since last
:11:12. > :11:16.weekend. Congratulations. How are you feeling? Excited.
:11:17. > :11:22.I'm sure I will be nervous tomorrow, but at the moment. Very excited.
:11:23. > :11:25.Well done. The Tango last week was fantastic.
:11:26. > :11:31.Did you enjoy it out on the floor. Yeah, massively, actually, yeah. It
:11:32. > :11:39.was really fun to dance. A good story.
:11:40. > :11:44.We were loving the mannequin nod to Kim Cattrall. How much fun was that
:11:45. > :11:49.as a concept to put together? Very good. I love a concept. It gives a
:11:50. > :11:54.strong image. From what you are going to do, being in character.
:11:55. > :11:58.Building on it, but as there is a character it puts a little strain on
:11:59. > :12:02.the character. It must be right. So there are double sides to that, but
:12:03. > :12:06.I loved the whole feeling of it and the feedback has been great. People
:12:07. > :12:12.are really getting into the spirit! I think it awakens the young person
:12:13. > :12:16.in all of us. And the judges so in praise of your choreography. That
:12:17. > :12:20.must be great to have that recognised and have Sophie dance it
:12:21. > :12:26.so well. It is nice. I am having such a great
:12:27. > :12:31.time in this series. You are encouraged to do better stuff and
:12:32. > :12:35.having the perfect partner in Sophie Ellis-Bextor, my little mousse, it
:12:36. > :12:42.works. It is making me good stuff. You have been amazing. Two dances
:12:43. > :12:45.tomorrow, did the swingathon prepare you? It took it out of me a little
:12:46. > :12:52.bit. I left on Saturday night after the
:12:53. > :12:56.that limping a little. Then straight into two physical dances.
:12:57. > :13:01.You have the Paso Doble. Tell me about that first? I like it it is
:13:02. > :13:08.dramatic. Fantastic music. It is intense. Theatrical.
:13:09. > :13:16.Physical! You are obviously feeling it. feelingit. A little out of the
:13:17. > :13:23.flight. You are being thrown around again. You are like a cape? Turns. I
:13:24. > :13:26.spend about 50% of the time sweeping around the floor.
:13:27. > :13:32.Cleaning the floor, but imagine it is a great one and for the
:13:33. > :13:38.semi-finals, it is a showstopper of a dance, the American Smooth. And I
:13:39. > :13:42.hear you have usual lifts? Unusual, interesting, difficult, tricky? They
:13:43. > :13:47.are, but I am reluctant to talk about it too much in that respect. I
:13:48. > :13:54.don't want people thinking about that when they watch it. As they may
:13:55. > :14:03.not get the right feel. There are lots of different things in it. We
:14:04. > :14:08.see so many of the same styles so I am trying to put a nice feeling on
:14:09. > :14:13.it, some lovely moments. How is the mood in the camp? How is the
:14:14. > :14:19.camaraderie? Are you all looking after each other? The morale is
:14:20. > :14:25.good. It has been a testing week. Everyone is feeling a little more
:14:26. > :14:31.fatigued. The aches and the pains with the stakes high, but I feel
:14:32. > :14:36.excited. I know I have at least one more Latin number and one more
:14:37. > :14:40.ballroom number for it. It is weird as there is the
:14:41. > :14:44.pressure. We are all supporting each other but everyone wants to be
:14:45. > :14:49.there. Trying to soak up the atmosphere to enjoy it. It will be a
:14:50. > :14:54.massive weekend. One that is exciting for everyone involved.
:14:55. > :14:58.Good luck for the dances tomorrow. I know you will be spectacular. Now
:14:59. > :15:06.back to the blonde in the studio. Not a natural blonde! Don't give
:15:07. > :15:12.away state secrets! Now t with us tonight we have Janette. It is a
:15:13. > :15:22.good job Aljaz has left the building, as she has not picked him
:15:23. > :15:28.on this project. This is her choice.
:15:29. > :15:33.I have chosen Susanna Reid and Kevin's waltz. It was magical. I
:15:34. > :15:39.love the connection between the two of them. They found a really nice
:15:40. > :15:44.mix between technique and storey-telling. From the beginning
:15:45. > :15:50.of the dance, Susanna is alone on the dance floor. With her arms
:15:51. > :15:55.wrapped around herself. Caressing the skin, bringing her hands
:15:56. > :16:05.together. You see the sincerity. Kevin comes in, the moment he
:16:06. > :16:10.touches here, she shrugs her shoulder up and you can tell that
:16:11. > :16:14.she feels his energy. The frame and the posture was beautiful. She did
:16:15. > :16:18.not move throughout the dance. They were like two dolls dancing across
:16:19. > :16:22.the floor. They kept the feeling of the waltz with the romance and the
:16:23. > :16:28.softness between the two of them. Then came the pivot after pivot
:16:29. > :16:34.after pivot. My eyes opened, my mouth opened, my
:16:35. > :16:40.shoulder went up. It was so beautiful to watch someone that is
:16:41. > :16:46.not a dancer do that step so well. And so many of them. And when Kevin
:16:47. > :16:52.grabs her and drags her across the floor, his hand touches her head
:16:53. > :16:56.ever so delicately, it was truly magical. Before the routine ends,
:16:57. > :17:11.they do a beautiful rotation step. They both swing their arms open and
:17:12. > :17:14.even up to the finger tips, they are perfectly in pcsnch. It was
:17:15. > :17:26.beautiful. The judges enjoyed the dance. I can see why.
:17:27. > :17:33.-- pysnch. Beautifully done. The pif outs, perfect.
:17:34. > :17:37.Absolutely gorgeous, I loved it. Susanna and Kevin told the story of
:17:38. > :17:42.a romance. They had a beautiful frame. They used the floor. They had
:17:43. > :17:46.a beautiful pivot section, it was magnificent.
:17:47. > :17:50.Thank you for that, Janette. That was lovely. I will take the
:17:51. > :17:55.opportunity to say well done to Greg. He is a floor manager. He is
:17:56. > :18:02.behind the scenes, he had a baby this week with his lovely girlfriend
:18:03. > :18:08.Kate. It is Freddie Frost. So well done.
:18:09. > :18:12.It is Friday Panel time. Tonight we have Strictly royalty among us.
:18:13. > :18:18.Tonight's guests know what it takes to the make the Strictly final after
:18:19. > :18:24.months of a tough dance competition. Please, welcome, Chris Parker,
:18:25. > :18:30.Chelsee Healey, Louis Smith and Chris Hollins! Welcome, welcome!
:18:31. > :18:34.Look at you all. You know how it feels at this moment in time. How
:18:35. > :18:38.has it been watching the series from the sofa this year, Louis? More
:18:39. > :18:46.comfortable than doing it for real. It is nice to enjoy it for what it
:18:47. > :18:51.is, but the nerves awe you know what they are going through.
:18:52. > :18:57.I still get clammy palms. Hollins, do you get envious? Always. When
:18:58. > :19:05.they are given the partners, but nothing ever beats watching Ola
:19:06. > :19:11.getting teamed up with Paul Daniels. The year after I won it. I thought,
:19:12. > :19:19.what is he doing with her? She is mine! Were you upset when they left
:19:20. > :19:24.the competition? I was gutted. I thought he would go through to the
:19:25. > :19:39.final, but she always did text me to say that I was better than him!
:19:40. > :19:48.Chelsee, do you guess jealous without Pasha to dance with over the
:19:49. > :19:51.months? No, well, I do get jealous. And Chris, you made it to the final
:19:52. > :19:57.in the first series, do you think you could have made it with this
:19:58. > :20:02.batch? I don't think so. The talent is so much higher.
:20:03. > :20:06.And it is more weeks. When we first started it was a mere
:20:07. > :20:14.ten. So, let's start with Natalie and
:20:15. > :20:20.Artem. Chris, Len has not been best-pleased with Artem. Will he
:20:21. > :20:26.approve of this? Well, Len is a traditional man. This looks like a
:20:27. > :20:33.traditional dance. So I think he will approve. We can hear the music.
:20:34. > :20:41.That is sounding traditional too. Hollins, do you mind that, me
:20:42. > :20:46.calling you Hollins? Not at all. You tackled the Tango in the
:20:47. > :20:51.semi-finals. Well, these guys are wimps, this is
:20:52. > :20:56.the first time that they do two dances in a week, but they are good.
:20:57. > :21:06.We were rubbish. The Argentine Tango. I was all sexy, I had to do a
:21:07. > :21:14.rumba. And then a bit of this and so I got to know Ola very, very well!
:21:15. > :21:20.Patrick and Anya are doing the waltz. Patrick and Anya were in the
:21:21. > :21:25.bottom two last week. Were you surprised? I am. He is normally good
:21:26. > :21:29.in the ballroom. His American smooth impressed me. I think he will do
:21:30. > :21:34.well in the tournament. They are dancing to Unchained
:21:35. > :21:40.Melody. Could this see him through to the final, Chelsee? I hope so. I
:21:41. > :21:46.hope that the public are excited about imhad. I think he has really
:21:47. > :21:51.progressed and improved loads. And I like Patrick, I think he is lovely.
:21:52. > :21:57.He is a lovely chap. Susanna and Kevin are doing a salsa.
:21:58. > :22:00.Hollins, a good mate of yours. She has not had the best week. A tough
:22:01. > :22:06.one. I knew this girl would be good. She
:22:07. > :22:11.has badgered me about Strictly for four or five years. If you survive
:22:12. > :22:15.being on the bottom on the leaderboard and you are through, you
:22:16. > :22:19.must abhot favourite. She looks comfortable doing that dance.
:22:20. > :22:28.Ian says she is a natural. And they are dancing to this music...
:22:29. > :22:49.# Everybody move your feet and feel United. Chris, do you like this one
:22:50. > :22:52.in the ballroom with Sophie? She is oozing energy. And I think Latin is
:22:53. > :22:59.her dance. Now, Abbey and Aljaz. Dancing to
:23:00. > :23:06.George Michael's Faith, should she be worried? Louis? Samba is a tough
:23:07. > :23:10.dance. I struggled with it a lot. We remember your bounce! This is a
:23:11. > :23:16.family show. She is fantastic. I'm sure when the
:23:17. > :23:21.music starts she will be great. And Chelsee are you a fan of Abbey?
:23:22. > :23:24.I am rooting for her to win. I think she has done brilliantly. I want her
:23:25. > :23:29.to win. I like it, the cards on the table.
:23:30. > :23:33.Sophie and Brendan are doing American smooth. Chris, she has done
:23:34. > :23:38.well with the ballroom. Could this be her best? I said this in the
:23:39. > :23:41.greenroom. This will get the top marks of the night. This particular
:23:42. > :23:45.dance. Really? She is made for dancing
:23:46. > :23:49.ballroom and for the American smooth. So she is probably in the
:23:50. > :23:55.dance-off, now I have said that, but she is probably one of my
:23:56. > :23:59.favourites. The way she moves with the ballroom, she may struggle with
:24:00. > :24:09.the quicker dances but what is the music? It is Lisa Stanford.
:24:10. > :24:14.Classic. I am a bit like Len. I am nearly his age. I like tradition.
:24:15. > :24:18.You could be his son! Apparently they have surprising lifts. Brendan
:24:19. > :24:23.is trying to do lifts that are out there and not the usual. Is this the
:24:24. > :24:28.time for that? I went with lifts, I needed it to impress the public. The
:24:29. > :24:35.judges were not on my side. If you do the lifts, if you are breaking
:24:36. > :24:40.the rules do it for the public vote. It is risky but I would go for it.
:24:41. > :24:48.American Smooth, you are allowed three lifts? Two was enough for me.
:24:49. > :24:54.Now, second dances, Natalie and Artem are doing a salsa. Dancing to
:24:55. > :24:59.Michael Jackson. You have to listen to this. Look at these for skills.
:25:00. > :25:03.Louis is off. Her salsa, is the only dance of the series to get a perfect
:25:04. > :25:07.40. Do you think that Natalie could be
:25:08. > :25:13.up with Abbey after this? I think she can. She has the moves. She is
:25:14. > :25:28.an amazing beautiful dancer. I reckon she will smash it this week.
:25:29. > :25:32.Lewis -- Louis, you like Michael Jackson, do you think that this
:25:33. > :25:39.should be in there? I think that will get the party started. It will
:25:40. > :25:47.be fun. Now, Patrick and Anya are doing a
:25:48. > :25:54.Paso Doble. Now, Chris Parker's Paso Doble was legendary. You running
:25:55. > :26:00.down with your cape. Could he match that? I think he will be technically
:26:01. > :26:03.more sound than I was. I think that this looks excellent it will be a
:26:04. > :26:12.great one. The music is Patti Smith: Because
:26:13. > :26:17.the Night. It is good for drama. And last man standing, Hollins, could he
:26:18. > :26:25.get there to the final. Or will it be the girls? I really hope it is
:26:26. > :26:31.that we will have a man in the final. I love him. I wrote him off
:26:32. > :26:36.after a council of weeks but then all of a sudden he found his MOJO.
:26:37. > :26:42.Now he is hot. If he gets to the final. He could be a real r.
:26:43. > :26:49.It is such a fight this year. It will be amazing tomorrow night. OK.
:26:50. > :26:54.So we have Susanna and Kevin doing a Foxtrot. Louis you got a whopping
:26:55. > :27:03.38. Having a look at this, you know, is this good? It good rice and fall.
:27:04. > :27:10.What other points do we need? It's good. She has a bit of an arch going
:27:11. > :27:31.on. Keeping her head in the right position. He remembers it all! This
:27:32. > :27:41.is the MUSIC: , Valley's Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
:27:42. > :27:46.What do you think, Chelsee? I think she could do really well.
:27:47. > :27:51.Now, Abbey and Aljaz, she has peaked at 37 for the ballroom. It is Sweet
:27:52. > :28:00.Caroline by Neil Diamond, what do you reckon? There is no reason not
:28:01. > :28:05.to be able to smash that for her. Is that not a strange choice of
:28:06. > :28:12.music? Well it is not tradition A what do you think of it? It doesn't
:28:13. > :28:16.sound like an American smooth. Well, I am sure that they will make
:28:17. > :28:20.them work. There have been interesting music choices in the
:28:21. > :28:31.series. So Sophie and Brendan. Last week the Tango went brilliantly,
:28:32. > :28:36.they are dancing to Prokofiev. Are you a huge fan? Not really but I
:28:37. > :28:41.like this music! Do you think that the judges will like this Paso
:28:42. > :28:45.Doble? Hollins? I think definitely. They look great together there. The
:28:46. > :28:50.way that they are shadowing each other. They are fantastic. Pass
:28:51. > :28:52.pass, I have to say, I this I that Sophie will be top of the
:28:53. > :29:01.leaderboard this week. I want to know who you want to lift
:29:02. > :29:09.the trophy, Parker? Pat rib. Chelsee. Abbey.
:29:10. > :29:16.Louis? Natalie. Hollins? Susanna.
:29:17. > :29:22.That is all for this week. Don't forget to tune in to Strictly Come
:29:23. > :29:27.Dancing tomorrow on BBC One at 6. 40pm. I am back on Monday, talking
:29:28. > :29:30.to the couple who miss ud out on a place in the final. Have a lovely
:29:31. > :29:33.weekend. Goodbye!