Singer JB Gill and Lauren Oakley top Strictly quarter-final scoreboard with 39
By Casey Cooper-Fiske, PA Entertainment Reporter
JLS star JB Gill and his professional partner Lauren Oakley have topped the Strictly Come Dancing Musical Week scoreboard with an almost perfect score of 39.
The pair performed a Viennese waltz to Let’s Go Fly A Kite from Mary Poppins, with the duo hugging at its conclusion.
Oakley replaced Gill’s previous dance partner, Amy Dowden, following the show’s Halloween special, after she suffered an injury.
Judge Anton Du Beke said of the performance: “I remember in 2014, I danced this number with the wonderful Judy Murray at Blackpool, and you were almost as good as that.
“We got voted off that night, but I don’t think that will happen to you.
“You were practically perfect in every possible way, the best dance of the night.”
Finishing bottom of the rankings were reality TV star Pete Wicks and professional partner Jowita Przystal, who scored 26 for their waltz to Somewhere from West Side Story, with Wicks saying “I’m so sorry” to Przystal after finishing.
Du Beke said of the dance: “It is a classic waltz. It was a beautiful moment, really.
“I’m not going to get over-critical on you, because it was a bit of a disaster down there, I don’t want to dwell on this disaster.
“I don’t want to patronise you, because you’ve come so far in your dancing development. It’s extraordinary, you’re unrecognisable.”
Miranda actor Sarah Hadland and professional dance partner Vito Coppola scored 38 for their Charleston to Popular from the musical Wicked, with Coppola letting out a massive cheer at the end of the performance.
Judge Shirley Ballas said of the performance: “I am very into details, and at the beginning, every tiny detail, it looks like you’ve spent hours, and hours, and hours.
“For me, the lifts were flawless, if you don’t mind me saying, you beautiful princess, a lady in your 50s, not scared to let Vito throw you all over the place.
“In every shape or form, I can honestly say I loved it.”
Former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and partner Aljaz Skorjanec scored also scored 38 for their Argentine tango to the song Ex-Wives from Six.
Speaking about the performance, judge Motsi Mabuse said: “Tasha, I will never stop celebrating you, I will celebrate you in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, when I see good dancing, I need to speak on it.
“That was excellent dancing, that was on a whole different level. What are we talking about? Those legs? Come on, I mean, I’m not going to start making stuff up, that was amazing.”
Comedian Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell scored 32 for their quickstep to You’re The Top from Anything Goes, with Buswell screaming with delight at the end of the performance.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood said of the dance: “Your posture, I think, suffered in this particular dance coming up, and it was getting a little bit hunched again, and your weight seemed to be drifting a little bit too far forward.
“The footwork at the end was not right as well, but you know what you bring to this? Personality, the acting was absolutely brilliant.
“And I agree with everyone else, the movement around the floor, the amount of floor you covered, was exceptional.”
Montell Douglas burst into tears after her rumba to I’m Here from the musical The Colour Purple, with professional partner Johannes Radebe telling her: “You don’t need to cry.”
The pair also scored 32 for the performance.
Du Beke said of the dance: “I was having a little bit of inner turmoil watching you dance, because I could see what was going on, and I decided that you were making a choice, and you made a choice for the stillness.
“I like stillness, it’s as difficult to do as all the flashing about, because it creates an emotion.
“I thought that was an incredibly powerful, emotional performance, which is what this story was all about.
“You made a choice, I like the choices you made, that was a wonderful, wonderful performance.”
The Strictly Come Dancing results show airs on Sunday at 7.20pm on BBC One.