Episode 30 Strictly - It Takes Two

It's Friday. Coming up: Anita and Robin talk about getting tough with

the Argentine tango. I will be chatting to Chelsee and Pasha who

are taking on the foxtrot. Have we got a Friday Panel for you! Award-

winning actress Tamzin Outhwaite, star of EastEnders June Brown and

West End singing sensation, Michael Ball, are all here live. It can

Live from Television Centre, this is Strictly: It Takes Two. Here's

Zoe! APPLAUSE Hello. Hello, lovely people. Welcome to It Takes Two.

It's the night before the big day our nine remaining couples dance.

They are putting the finishing touches to their routines. In 24

hours 23 minutes and 35 seconds they will be taking to the floor.

One couple sure to keep us entertained are Anita and Robin.

Despite a couple of glitches on Saturday night, Anita dubbed their

Charleston, "light, cute and fun". They will be here in a moment. This

is what happened at the weekend. Characterisation perfect. Fun!

I see why you are a national treasure. It was beautiful. You

have great spirit. You did lose timing on occasions. It was light,

cute, fun. I think you are achieving what you set out to do.

You are transforming into a dancer. Yes! I love the clothes, I love the

dances. I love it! Love it! progress has got better and better

every week. You are making me so proud. Oh, thank you. I'm going to

get emotional now! Don't make her emotional. Anita and Robin!

APPLAUSE Hello, gorgeous. We must mention first, Robin, you have

dressed up? Just for you. You look gorgeous. Could it not have been

slashed to the waist? You are wearing this for a reason? I have

come from a special rehearsal for Children in Need. Zip it! We can't

find out. Back to Anita. Well done - sorry. Well done three eights and

a seven from Craig. Were you super- thrilled? I was very - I loved the

Charleston. I wanted to play that lady in a movie. I adored the whole

thing. I loved the dress, the wig. You got to be blonde? I got to be

blonde! We have so much fun. Robin, was it tough for Anita to go out on

her own? Predominantly, the whole routine was side by side. I had

huge faith Anita was going to do me proud. She did. The smile on her

face, it was so endearing. I watched it over and over again. It

was so good. You are so proud! It is, it is so - it is captivating to

watch you. It is so exciting seeing you with all that - you love it?

love it to bits! I'm having the time of my life. Did you enjoy

playing a flapper? I loved it. It was a blast. I wanted to do it

again. I wanted to go back on and do more. You are doing more. Before

we talk about that, Alesha did say you are transforming into a dancer.

Was that super to hear? The best thing anybody could have said. That

is why I am here. It was thriting. We are watching you -- It was

thrilling. We are watching you 24/7. We have been studying - we have

noticed you are transforming into a dancer. Feast your eyes. This is

the dream of my life. I have wondered what it must feel like to

be able to dance, dance, dance, dance...

# What a feeling # Keep believing... #

You are developing into a dancer. There are moments where I look in

the mirror and I look like I'm really doing it. I'm fabulous!

# You can dance right through your life... #

I don't want to stop dancing. All I can think about is the fact that

I'm finally learning to dance. # What a feeling! #

You are starting us all off! They are both welling up! It is quite

emotional. Oh, hankies, please! Pless you. This week, you are doing

-- bless you. This week, you are doing - what are you doing this

week? The Argentine tango. Do you want a tissue? No, I'm fine.

Obviously, a very different feel. No more smiling and jazz hands. It

is a whole different look. How is it going? I love it! I love the

intensity. It is about me and Robin and I love it. How is the tango

face? Yeah, it is coming along. you give us your tango face? Yeah,

we will buy that! LAUGHTER Some of the judges have commented on

Anita's hold. This is great because you don't need the ballroom hold?

The great thing is not only can you stand more upright but the elbows

are dropped down. This is the perfect dance for Anita. She loves

to drop the elbows! It is perfect. Tell me about your magic shoes?

my magic shoes. Robin had the brilliant idea that we should have

the heel half an inch less so my red shoes for the Argentine tango

arrived and he said, "I can't believe it, it's made such a huge

difference to the way you are shoes. Half an inch can make all

the difference! Let's hope you can't stop dancing? I can't! Don't

stop yet. How competitive is everybody getting? It is getting

very emotional and I have been there, I know how it is. You are

quite tired but you want to do it. Have you noticed a change in all

the celebrities? Somebody did say to me in the corridor the

atmosphere is changing, can you feel it? I suppose it is. For me,

it's not about a competition. It is about being here and dancing every

day. I love it. Every day I dance! You are loving it as well?

course. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Stop! Cheque's in the

post! It is Wembley next week and that was our first hurdle. If we

can make it to there, we will be happy. Is that a scary thought? You

are dancing in front of millions of people watching at home. In the

studio, you have 300. Wembley 6,000? It is scary, but it is so

exciting. I mean, to say you have played Wembley, Brian May eat your

heart out! That will show him! Listen, good luck this week. Lovely

to see you. I'm so sorry I didn't have time to talk to you. Anita and

Robin! APPLAUSE Hang on. I did forget, we always get you a present

and this week we forgot, so we got you a sweetie and a banana. Oh!

sparkly banana! Say no more! We at It Takes Two love hearing about...

Stop it... Your observations about the show. Yesterday, you spotted

Russell, he looked remarkably like Penfold and it does seem you have

inspired some other lookalikes, this is Points of You. Am I the

only one who thinks Audley and Natalie looked just like Beauty and

the Beast? Thanks a lot for a wonderful show. Bye. I would like

to say Anton looks like Woody from Toy Story. I'm phoning to say that

I think that Natalie looks just like Kate Middleton if she had dark

hair. She would be the double. Bye. I would like to say that Holly

cartwheel was the best cartwheel I have ever seen. Thank you. Bye.

Thank you so much. Don't forget, you can call us with your thoughts

on the routines, the outfits, the judges, my fringe! Anything that

takes your fancy. Call 09011 98 66 22. Calls cost 10p from BT

landlines and other networks may vary. Calls from mobile phones will

cost considerably more. Now it is the time we have all been waiting

for. Let's give a warm welcome to our panel this week. National

treasure, June Brown, gorgeous Strictly superfan, Tamzin Outhwaite,

and theatre legend, Michael Ball! APPLAUSE Welcome. Hello. What a

lovely line-up! Michael Ball. You look like a musketeer! I love

it. I'm the only West Ender! What are you thinking of the series so

far? It is up there with my favourite. I think great couples,

good choice of people doing it, some fabulous music, it looks great.

I'm thoroughly enjoying it. You are seeing people develop. Which is

what you want. Absolutely. can't tell at the moment. No, there

is no clear winner. Which makes it grippinging. June you have danced

yourself with Vincent - we remember your tango on the Christmas Special.

LAUGHTER You were the oldest dancer to have ever done Strictly and you

did it with such class. Does that bring back happy memories? I kept

apologising to him for not being Flavia. They are so wonderful.

difficult is it stepping out on to the dancefloor? It was all right. I

kept saying I can't remember that step. "Oh, you'll do it!" That was

that. It is so tricky. Tamzin, as an actress, who do you think is

selling it? Oh, not necessarily if best dancers -- the best dancers,

but Jason for me, Russell sells everything. He does! I think

Chelsee is amazing. I think that Holly is a brilliant dancer, she is

quite underrated, I think. She is not getting the marks I expected.

That is because she is not selling it like she is going to. She is

about to pull it out the bag. an interesting thing. Artem's

injured. Let's have a look at them this week. We will start with

Robbie and Ola who are doing the American Smooth this week. Here

they are in training. Robbie is desperate to get better marks from

Craig. What do you think - will he manage to do that this week,

Michael? Well, yeah, I think he's getting serious now. He's - I think

he took the Mickey out of it to start with. He has got the bug. You

are looking at him there. He is doing good lines on that. His arm

is going well. She's fabulous. is. I do. You would have to be

rubbish not to do well with her. This is what they will be dancing

to. A classic oldie, but done by the Pussycat Dolls. Will he be able

to dance well to this? Will he get the sway? Yeah, I like his footwork.

The top line can be a bit tricky in the sense that - I'm outdoing my

husband here! Tom Ellis, he was pretty good. You trained him well!

I taught him everything he knows! We knew that! LAUGHTER I think

Robbie's got great lines. There is something about his broken wrists

that I sometimes - it makes me look at his arms instead of his feet.

His top lines are sometimes brilliant, but it is very hit-and-

miss. His footwork is much better than I imagined for a footballer.

More graceful. I know. One with such a history as well! Work on the

broken wrists. Audley and Natalie are doing the cha-cha this week.

Audley's been suffering from a bad knee. Natalie in disguise there.

She has had a poorly tummy. This is what they are dancing to.

# Baby, everything is all right. # A bit of Stevie. Will that suit

him? Yes, he has that kind of a rhythm. Really, he's got to get

lighter on his feet. He's got to get - translate what is in his head

into the whole of his body. June? Swagger. You were licking your lips

there! I wasn't. He moves quite well. The technicalities. June, do

you think he can get out of the bottom two? What do you think he's

been struggling with? I think that he is a big man. He's got these

muscles at the top and everything. He should be a bit more like

Muhammed Ali - dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee! It

is because of the muscles. It must be big on top. Someone says he has

size 17 feet. It is like he has a low centre of gravity. Everything

is rooted down and needs to be raised up. Yes. I'm lifting up like

this! Alex and James, they are doing the jive to this music.

# Do I love you... # She did great last week with the

quickstep. Into the jive this week. Is it going to work out for her?

have always got Jill Halfpenny in my head when we talk about the

jive! She is one of the most improved. At the beginning, I

thought I was a bit worried about her. She is developing into a

dancer like Anita. That can only be a good thing. June, what do you

think of Alex? Are you liking Alex? Can you see her getting to Wembley?

Not quite sure about that. I must say that I really enjoyed the

Charleston last week with Anita and Chelsee. Forget Alex! I would like

to talk about Anita! I thought that was brilliant. I have watched

Strictly for years. I love it. My mother, I saw my mother dance the

Charleston and she was 20 in the '20s, she used to do a lot of the

old backflip and she used to walk forward and backward. Nobody does.

They did. Well done! APPLAUSE Anita! Thank you for getting that

off your chest! Jason and Kristina are doing the Viennese waltz this

week. They are dancing to the Goo Goo Dolls. He had a hard time last

year? He did. I don't think - I think if his wife came down to see

us... I love your showbusiness world! You all hang out... He is

living, eating, breathing this. He is loving it. I think he's not had

that much dance experience, the shows he's done. He is working so

hard at it. What he tries to do - you can see this - he tries to take

on the characters and that translates so if he doesn't get the

character right, it is not going to work. What character does he need

for a Viennese waltz? He needs romance, he needs to go back to the

'40s and '50s, those kind of things. Is it hard, June, to act, to be in

love with somebody acting if they have stinky breath? That is acting.

I once had a chap who didn't look at me. It didn't make any

difference to me at all! LAUGHTER I want to hear more! I actual I will

have danced Viennese waltzes in Vienna. When you do your ballroom

dancing, it is not what I learnt, slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. It

is exhibition and it is far more difficult. We can do that fancy

stuff, you whirl Round One way and you are whirled around the other!

lot of it is about that. It is about looking like you are loving

it. We don't get the technique stuff. We are punters. I don't

know! Tamzin and Tom Ellis, they know it all! Anita does that, the

actors seem to know if their feet aren't been technical, how to sell

it. Anita does that all the time. It is what I have done with every

show! No-one looks down there! was brilliant when she was up at

the top of the steps because it was like she was on stage. As soon as

you come down, you are not on stage. You can do it on stage. I learnt to

do The Beatles dance on stage. have done it all! We must talk the

story of the week. Artem has a back injury and Brendan has stepped in

to Holly and they are doing the rumba. Lovely. They are dancing to

Will Young, Leave Right Now. How do you think Holly will cope with a

new man? She will come into her own. It will be her chance to actually -

she will have to raise her game and Holly's much better dancer than

people think. It's just she's not as good as the others at selling it.

She is very cool. She is laid-back. The two Aussie also be together.

is a Kiwi! They are down there anyway! There will be that rapport

for that. I think there will be a solidarity. Friday Panel

perfection! Tamzin Outhwaite, June Brown and Michael Ball! APPLAUSE

Please stay. Up nextly be in the Strictly BBC One studio to catch up

with Chelsee and Pasha. Our nine remaining celebrities have reached

the half-way point of the competition and no-one wants to go

home. I am so happy I have made it half-way through the competition. I

never realised I would have so much joy in my life. I want her to keep

enjoying it for as long as possible. To reach half-way I feel personally

a great sense of achievement and accomplishment. At my age, I should

be so lucky! I think we have both really proud at what we have

achieved and the fact we have entertained so many people. I am

really proud of what Chelsee have achieved because when we just

started she had a talent but she barely could move. To make it this

far is just an amazing feeling. When I commit to something, I

commit to it heart, body and soul. So I'm giving it my all. We have

put in the effort. Audley is a great performer. That is what it

comes down to. I'm so grateful the public are keeping me on the show.

The more you get through, the more you want to keep going. I feel

there is a lot more to Holly than what people have seen so far.

is more things I want to learn. I'm not finished with this great group

of people. I feel a sense of achievement getting this far. There

is a long way to go. Right now, I'm focusing on this week. Hopefully,

the journey isn't near the end. really want for Harry to perform to

the best of his ability and to show the people he can do this thing.

What is driving me is that adrenaline on a Saturday night,

having finished a routine, having worked hard at it and watching the

audience's reaction. He loves the dancing, the process of it, getting

through each dance, he absolutely loves it! I want to keep going and

going and going. Because when Strictly is gone, part of your life

goes. It would be devastating to get knocked out at this stage. We

want to get to Wembley. If I got knocked out Saturday, I would cry

on the dancefloor! It's a great feeling to get half-way. I'm so

proud of Alex. She is the most improved dancer and she deserves it.

It is not about winning, it is not about getting to the final, it is

about being able to do this every day. Look, we are in time to catch

the pros catching their jitterbug Away and down, two, three, four,

five, six, seven and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,

eight! Take it back. And to the stage. Guys, get ready. Here we go.

Five, six, seven, eight, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,

eight. Stick to the choreography. One, two, three, four, five, six...

Guys, it is going to be great. Let's call it a wrap for today!

Pasha, thank you. Hi, Vincent. Hi, ladies. Chelsee and Pasha, hi. When

you watch them doing that, you see how fast they go? I know. That is

how fast you can go? No! Well done on Saturday night. Another great

performance. Top of the leaderboard. Did you feel on fire after that?

Yeah, we were made up. She wanted to dance it again! No, I wouldn't

go that far! As if! Let's do it again! When it goes well, you do

feel like you could do it constantly? Yeah, but after the

first time because your adrenaline is going and you are like thank God

I got through it and it didn't go wrong. Did it feel like it all went

according to plan? I think so. Everything worked. We smiled.

People clapped. Judges gave good marks. I think everything was right.

Craig used the fabulous word. Does that give you a real thrill, a leap

of the heart when you hear him say that? It did. I was - I was buzzing.

Buzzing?! You have to work on that accent! Did you feel like it was a

dance that suited you, the whole character of it, the speed of it?

Yeah, it's fast, it is bouncy, it is funky and that's me! I loved

doing the dance. I felt right at home. From one extreme to the other,

from the very cheeky Charleston to the very fancy footwork of the

foxtrot this week. How are you finding that? Erm... I'm finding it

not very good! Bless you. I know what you mean. It is quite a tricky

dance. Did you snort then?! Sorry. That made me laugh. It is quite

tricky, the foxtrot? It is very sophisticated. It is different from

the Charleston. It is smooth. It is extended and we have to be very

passionate and romantic. Elegant. So it is everything that I'm not!

You don't think you are elegant, but when you watch you on the

dancefloor, you can do elegant! still can't see it! She likes that

stuff but she can. It is more like your character, the kind of funky

stuff. I think it should be a really good one for you. Is there

extra pressure this week because you were top of the leaderboard

last week? Go on, you speak first. We do each week as it comes. We are

not going to say we want to be like top of the leaderboard again. We

will try our hardest. And hopefully do the dance proud and show me

elegant side. Is there anything you have struggled with with foxtrot?

All of it! My head. Where does the head have to be? It is stretched

and turned out. It is such an unnatural position to be in. That

kind of constantly pushed out there. Did you have a fun night out? The

Strictly girls went out last night? It was so much fun. It was lovely.

It was long overdue. We have been meaning to do it for a long time.

It was nice. I know. How is training this week? Artem's injured

his back so Brendan has stepped in. I know Audley has hurt his knee. Is

everybody all right? Are spirits OK? Yeah. I think it is the middle

of the competition and people start feeling pressure on their bodies.

It is normal. We are trying to be careful, hydrating, stretching,

and... I always have trouble with me feet! You are wearing wellies.

Ian spotted you don't train in the training room in your shoes. Have

you problem with your feet? shoes have been hurting but I do

train in my shoes but they never seem to catch it on camera! We are

trying to switch. That is one of the perils of being a dancer,

aching bad feet! We are a week away from Wembley. How much do you want

to be there? Do it, Pash! Do the excited! I didn't get that dance!

Can you get to Wembley? I hope so. We are going to do our best and see

where it will take us. I can't wait to watch your foxtrot. Have a

fabulous weekend. Thank you, Chelsee and Pasha! APPLAUSE So

don't forget the big show, Strictly Come Dancing on tomorrow night at

6.55pm and we will be back on BBC2 at 6.30pm on Monday. Now, as you