Strictly Come Dancing Week 12: Leaderboard revealed for semi-final
It's the semi-final of Strictly Come Dancing, and as is the tradition, the couples tackled two brand-new dance styles in a bid to prove they deserve a spot in next week's final.
The road here has been rocky, with Amy Dowden having to pull out of the main series due to injury, while Wynne Evans and Katya Jones were engulfed in a scandal over their "jokes" with one another. But we've also had delights, including Chris McCausland's uplifting routines that have won over legions of fans.
After 12 weeks, the couples remaining are Chris and Dianne Buswell, JB Gill and Lauren Oakley, Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal, Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola and Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec.
But who will make it to next week's final? Join with HELLO! as we find out…
Who is dancing what?
Chris and Dianne will be tackling a fun Charleston to When You're Smiling by the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, while their Viennese waltz will be set to Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.
JB and Lauren will be hoping to make the final with a salsa to Basement Jaxx's Red Alert and a paso doble, which will be performed to Clint Mansell's Requiem for a Tower.
Pete and Jowita will be taking on an Argentine tango to Bittersweet Symphony, which was performed by The Verve, and a foxtrot to Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea.
Sarah and Vito's dances are a jive and a tango, and these will be performed to I'm So Excited by The Pointer Sisters and Fleetwood Mac's Big Love respectively.
Finally, Tasha and Aljaz's bid to make the final will see them dance a waltz to Aretha Franklin's You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman) and a salsa to the Girls Aloud hit Something New.
Leaderboard
The leaderboard for the semi-finals is as follows…
1. JB Gill & Lauren Oakley: 79 – Paso Doble – 39 (9, 10, 10, 10) – Salsa – 40 – (10, 10, 10, 10)
2. Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec: 75 – Salsa – 35 (8, 9, 9, 9) – Waltz – 40 – (10, 10, 10, 10)
3. Sarah Hadland & Vito Coppola: 72 –Tango – 36 (9, 9, 9, 9) – Jive – 36 – (9, 9, 9, 9)
4. Chris McCausland & Dianne Buswell: 69 – Charleston – 33 (7, 8, 9, 9) – Viennese Waltz – 36 – (9, 9, 9, 9)
5. Pete Wicks & Jowita Przystal: 65 – Foxtrot – 32 (7, 8, 9, 8) – Argentine Tango – 33 – (7, 8, 9, 9)
Who is in danger this week?
After facing some criticisms from judges Anton and Shirley about his foxtrot footwork, Pete Wicks finished bottom of the leaderboard on Saturday night, putting him in danger of elimination in the dance off on Sunday. But dubbed 'Mr Strictly Come Dancing' by head judge Shirley, Pete's dedication and improvement may see him through to the final.
Joining him in the bottom two is Chris McCausland, whose emotional Viennese Waltz earned him rapturous applause from the audience and all nines from the judges. Chris's partner Diane praised his tenacity and overcoming difficulties like not being able to watch his performances back to learn from them.
Who went home last week?
Last week's Musicals special sadly saw us bid farewell to Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe.
The couple were in the dance-off for the fourth time and faced off against Love Island star Tasha Ghouri. After a reprisal of their performances, the judges opted to unanimously save Tasha.
"I'm an Olympian and a Gladiator, but I have honestly struggled with confidence my whole life and being on the show, with the beautiful crew, the judges, the cast, has just been such an honour," Montell told the audience. She added that Johannes had been "a friend and a brother,” declaring: "I hope he’s in my life forever, because we have something very special."
