Key events
It’s Ed Balls day!
The Gangnam Style salsa legend (full name Edwardian Testicles) arrives in the Clauditorium to read out the voting Ts&Cs.
Judges’ comments for Bobby and Dianne: Shirley says “fearless, well-executed lifts, need to extend but what a way to open the show”. Anton says “lindyhop style, great swivel, terrific”. Craig says “engage and exaggerate (boo!), knees could be higher, swivel was fantastic, loved the backspin and barrel roll”. Motsi concludes “it had groove, off to a great start”.
Judges’ scores: 7, 7, 7, 8 for a total of 29 points. Same as last week.
Flagged a little towards the end but good lifts and they finish on the floor.
Bobby and Dianne’s Charleston
First Charleston of the series klaxon! The EastEnder’s cute foxtrot last week took him to joint second on the leaderboard. Can he go one better? The Charleston should suit his cheeky energy. He got his first blisters in training this week – a rite of passage for all hoofers. He’s also attempting his first lifts. Slightly out of sync in the side-by-side sections and lacking some bounce but otherwise, bags of energy, confidence and fun. Enough swivel to please Craig?
Song: Do Your Thing by Basement Jaxx. The 2001 electro-funk banger samples jazz pianist Kenny Barron. Fu facn: around the time of its release, Basement Jaxx were approached about a collaboration by Janet Jackson but soon realised that she’d got them confused with fellow Brit dance duo Zero 7. So they signed off their phone conversation by saying “Cheerio, Celine”.
Our Strictly stars™
Our couples come out for welcome waves. More novelty outfits than last week. Hats! Vests! Braces! Swishy skirts! See-through shirts!
Judges are in the building
The fab four of Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas sashay into view. Motsi in fabulous monochrome frock with fancy sleeves, Shirley in a shower curtain. Aaaaand the usual synchronised sit-down.
Frockwatch
Here comes our two-headed hosting monster, so time for the fashion face-off. Tess Daly is in teal velvet tuxedo. Claudia Winkleman is white tuxedo and cigarette trouser with Miami Vice shoulders and rolled-up sleeves. A rare win for Tess?
Go ba-ba-da theme tune and new-look title sequence. Give absent pro Amy Dowden a little wave and wish her well.
Aaaaand we’re off!
Cue tension-building VT recapping last week’s action.
Charge glasses and don sequin-spangled spectacles. We’re about to go over live to Elstree…
Alan Carr (NB: not the giving-up-smoking one) presiding over his so-dumb-it’s-almost-clever gameshow on BBC1 right now. That’s Numberwang. Sorry, I mean, Picture Slam.
A mere five minutes now until sparkly curtain-up…
The running time tonight is a meaty 135 minutes – a mere five minutes shorter than last week’s opener. But at least the field gets whittled down from now on, so the live shows will gradually shrink. Ten minutes until the ballroom bell goes…
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Tonight’s 15 dances include three foxtrots and three quicksteps – plus a Charleston to Beyoncé and a paso doble to AC/DC. I know, right? Last-day-of-September sequin madness. 15 minutes until showtime…
Let’s play week 2 bingo
Tick them off when you see them on-screen! Take a drink for each! Get stretchered off on a glittery gurney! Here’s your 10-point spotter’s checklist for tonight:
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A celebrity from another BBC show arrives to read out the voting Ts&Cs
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Mention of Angela Rippon’s levitating leg
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Couple get a standing ovation, which Tess points this out by exclaiming “They’re on their feet!”
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Anton makes a point of using Shirley’s name at every opportunity, after he forgot it last week
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Mention of a “journey” or a “comfort zone”
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Fairground Attraction’s Perfect provides judges with obvious excuse to say that Ellie’s foxtrot was/wasn’t perfect
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Pros and celebs wave random party shop accessories as voting lines are announced as open
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Someone misuses the word “literally”
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Judges describe a Latin dance as a “sambaaaar” or “cha-cha-chaaaar”
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Dance-off is described as “dreaded”, its mere mention greeted by an “ooooh” from audience
First elimination tomorrow
Quick reminder of the set-up tonight. Last week’s scores will be combined with tonight’s, plus the results of the first viewer vote of 2023. When that’s all done, the bottom two couples will enter the dance-off. The loser will be sent home.
Who will it be? Les Dennis is the bottom scorer at this stage but Nikita Kanda is the bookies’ tip. Let me know your thoughts.
Strictly 2023 gets serious
Buckle up, buttercups, because tonight our couples are dancing for survival – and viewers get their say. Good evening and welcome to the first elimination weekend of Strictly Come Dancing 2023. I’m Michael, your virtual dance partner. You are cordially invited to watch along with me as we go live for the second time this year.
After last week’s inaugural live show, tonight our 15 pro-celebrity pairs take to the Elstree Studios ballroom floor once again. On the plus side, they should be over their first-night nerves. On the downside, they’ve only had a week’s training time, rather than a fortnight.
They also know that 15 is about to become 14. Last week’s scores will be combined with tonight’s totals. Factor in the first public vote, then the bottom two couples will hoof for survival on Sunday night. But who’ll be sent home, holding the sparkly-handled wooden spoon of shame?
It’s showtime at 6.20pm on BBC One. I’ll be liveblogging from 5.50pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, analysis, reaction and waspish asides. So don your most glittery gladrags and I’ll see you on the sofa.
As always, I’d love to hear from you too. You can tweet me @michaelhogan, email me [email protected] and the comments section below is open for ballroom bantz. I’ll waltz down every now and again to gauge your reaction to the show. Please don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts.
No pressure, class of 2023, but now it’s down to proper ballroom business. Nearly time to, yes, staaaaaart dancing!
