It\u2019s been a red-letter week for Claudia Winkleman, who somehow kept a straight face as a visibly guilty Alan Carr coasted to victory in The Celebrity Traitors<\/a>. But things felt far less fraught on Strictly, where her final season under the Glitterball reached the halfway mark with precious little in the way of drama.<\/p>\n An enjoyable yet spectacularly unspectacular instalment saw fresh contenders emerge<\/a>, as Vicky and Kai\u2019s Taylor Swift-themed tango fell just one point short of a perfect 40.<\/p>\n Also showing new fire were Amber<\/a> and Nikita, whose sizzling salsa earned them two tens and a gold-plated \u201ca-ma-zing\u201d from Craig. After a hesitant start to the competition, Amber is finally coming into her own \u2013 and could yet blossom into a serious contender.<\/p>\n Surprises were few and far between \u2013 unless Amber\u2019s pi\u00f1ata-meets-dungarees outfit counts, which it should. Then there was the curious case of Harry and the off-green trousers, which looked as though they\u2019d been stitched from Kermit the Frog\u2019s skin. His samba with Karen was all enthusiasm and little technique, but enough to keep him off the bottom of the leaderboard, a spot occupied by La Voix. Still, week by week, the Gladiator\u2019s charm is starting to fade \u2013 and sooner or later, he\u2019ll run out of lives.<\/p>\n Was it a Strictly classic? Hardly. But not every Saturday needs to be an all-time great. Rather than a salsa into the unknown, this was a gentle spin through the familiar \u2013 lifted only by Balvinder\u2019s moving Couple\u2019s Choice, a heartfelt tribute to her late mother. It was a rare lump-in-throat moment on an otherwise predictable night.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s hoping Sunday\u2019s dance-off brings the fireworks this series now sorely needs.<\/p>\n 08:26pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Sisters Hannah (28) and Laura Dadson (25) at home in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire – Andrew Fox<\/p>\n 08:16pm<\/strong><\/p>\n And that\u2019s it \u2013 all over bar the public vote.<\/p>\n Frontrunners Vicky and Kai sit pretty at the top with a near-perfect 39, closely followed by Amber and Nikita on 38.<\/p>\n At the other end, La Voix and Aljaž prop up the table with 29 and look likely contenders for the dreaded dance-off, while Harry and Karen and Alexi and Johannes hover just above on 30 apiece.<\/p>\n Three couples in danger \u2013 but only two can fall into the bottom two. Time to grab your stress ball: results night is going to be tense.<\/p>\n The scores:<\/strong><\/p>\n La Voix and Aljaž: 29<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 08:00pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Bursting with colour and energy \u2013 and that\u2019s just Harry\u2019s open shirt flapping in the breeze. His green trousers look as though they\u2019ve been stitched together from leftover bits of Kermit the Frog, but there\u2019s nothing muppet-like about this full-blooded routine.<\/p>\n The judges do their best to be kind. \u201cNot the best from me\u2026 not the worst,\u201d says Shirley.<\/p>\n Harry and Karen bring infectious energy to their samba to Gloria Estefan\u2019s Samba<\/p>\n \u201cLike Morse code,\u201d adds Anton cryptically, before praising Harry\u2019s energy \u2013 the sort of comment usually reserved for routines where enthusiasm outweighs technique.<\/p>\n A generous 30 follows, proving that sometimes vibes alone are enough to get you over the line.<\/p>\n 07:55pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Karen Hauer The gurning Gladiator hit rock bottom last week \u2013 and it was a sheer miracle he avoided a dance-off. He and Karen face the potential banana skin of a tricky samba.<\/p>\n And you do have to wonder about the slightly too-on-the-nose choice of a Gloria Estefan bopper with the same name as their dance. Any more on the nose and Harry\u2019s nostril hairs would be out of alignment..<\/p>\n 07:49pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Vicky and Kai deliver a mesmerising tango to Taylor Swift\u2019s The Fate of Ophelia – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n Green is the colour as they tango across an emerald floor to Taylor Swift\u2019s The Fate of Ophelia.<\/p>\n The judges are spellbound. \u201cAbsolutely marvellous,\u201d says Anton, having recovered the power of speech. \u201cYour head is so natural,\u201d he adds \u2013 a good thing, presumably.<\/p>\n Motsi declares it the \u201cdance of the night\u201d, telling Vicky, \u201cLast week I said you were a contender for the final \u2013 you\u2019ve confirmed my intuition.\u201d<\/p>\n Could this be the performance of the evening? With a near-perfect 39, it just might be.<\/p>\n 07:46pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Kai Widdrington Nobody much liked Taylor Swift\u2019s new album \u2013 even Swifties were a bit lukewarm \u2013 but Vicky and Kai are tangoing to its best song, The Fate of Ophelia, about a woman dragged into oblivion by public expectation.<\/p>\n Vicky will hope to avoid the fate of the character in the tune.<\/p>\n 07:41pm<\/strong><\/p>\n A salsa with sizzle! Amber is dressed like a human pi\u00f1ata, while Nikita appears to be made of 90 per cent sparkles. They gyrate as if their futures on Planet Strictly depend on it \u2013 and in a week full of knock-out turns, this one\u2019s a stunner.<\/p>\n The judges are speechless \u2013 as they should be after that gravity-defying performance. Anton is lost for words, resorting instead to jumping up and down with his arms in the air. \u201cA-ma-zing,\u201d declares Craig.<\/p>\n They score 38, including two 10s. \u201cWe got a tennnnn!\u201d shouts Amber.<\/p>\n Amber and Nikita dazzle with their high-energy salsa to You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Sylvester<\/p>\n 07:35pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Nikita Kuzmin Amber had fun dressing as Little Red Riding Hood for Hallowe\u2019en \u2013 but will she deliver a fairytale performance as she gyrates to Sylvester\u2019s 1978 disco wrecking ball? She was told last week that her Viennese Waltz \u201cdidn\u2019t come to fruition\u201d. Can she achieve lift-off with a cheeky salsa?<\/p>\n 07:31pm<\/strong><\/p>\n George and Alexis dance a Viennese Waltz to Somebody to Love by Queen<\/p>\n It\u2019s epic, that\u2019s for sure \u2013 and the audience is on their feet. George looks thrilled just to have made it through, and the judges feel much the same. \u201cI\u2019m happy to see you dance like this\u2026 I feel you\u2019ve got the nerves down,\u201d says Motsi.<\/p>\n She\u2019s right \u2013 the uptight George of previous weeks has been replaced by the King of Chill. Well done to him for silencing those negative voices and learning to vibe with the Viennese Waltz.<\/p>\n \u201cProper, proper dancing,\u201d says Anton \u2013 who can\u2019t decide whether he\u2019s delighted or astonished. Craig begs to differ, drawing boos as he observes that George \u201cgot a little bit too skippy at times.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, George will be pleased with a score of 34 \u2013 his highest yet.<\/p>\n 07:24pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Alexis Warr \u201cI want to show that I\u2019m not plateauing \u2013 that I\u2019m improving,\u201d George said last week, after Anton questioned his confidence. He\u2019s given himself every opportunity to excel \u2013 if Freddie Mercury strutting his way through Somebody to Love doesn\u2019t fill you with self-belief, nothing will.<\/p>\n 07:21pm<\/strong><\/p>\n The piece, inspired by Balvinder\u2019s Indian roots, has everything \u2013 fireworks, twirling blue lights, more confetti, and a rapturous ovation from the audience. \u201cYou keep coming back with even more energy,\u201d says Motsi. \u201cI love that you dance that way\u2026 I thought it was a joy,\u201d agrees Shirley.<\/p>\n Balvinder and Julian dance to Sapphire by Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n Craig has a few quibbles, but the consensus is clear: this was an emotive routine celebrating both Balvinder\u2019s heritage and her mother\u2019s life. It may not have been the most technically accomplished dance of the evening, but it was certainly the most moving.<\/p>\n A score of 34 \u2013 third overall \u2013 feels well deserved.<\/p>\n 07:14pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Julian Caillon Balvinder will hope to avoid a second consecutive dance-off, and the Couple\u2019s Choice gives her and Julian a chance to raise their game. That said, questions must be asked about their decision to shake a leg to Ed Sheeran \u2013 nobody in the history of music has ever set the dance floor alight bopping to the Suffolk chart-slayer. Balvinder will have it all to prove.<\/p>\n 07:10pm<\/strong><\/p>\n La Voix has come on in literal leaps and bounds since scoring a paltry two early in the contest.<\/p>\n She and Aljaž clearly revel in their foxtrot to Cass Elliot\u2019s Make Your Own Kind of Music. It\u2019s an emotional number \u2013 full of sweeping turns, Disney-musical goosebumps and a grand confetti finish. That terrible two has never felt further away.<\/p>\n La Voix and Aljaž dance a graceful foxtrot to Make Your Own Kind of Music by Cass Elliot – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n Anton is all in for this new, poised and upbeat La Voix. He praises her \u201chomemade version of the heel turn,\u201d though laments there was \u201ctoo much trot\u201d \u2013 quite an achievement for a foxtrot, you\u2019d think. Still, the message is clear: La Voix shall go to the ball.<\/p>\n Craig is positive too. \u201cWhat I love is your presentation and performance,\u201d he says \u2013 high praise from the Strictly Grinch with Christmas still two months away.<\/p>\n Shirley agrees that La Voix \u201cbrings sunshine to everything,\u201d though she can\u2019t resist a sting in the tail: \u201cUnfortunately, downstairs it\u2019s all rain.\u201d Dark clouds indeed over the judging panel.<\/p>\n The score is 29 \u2013 hardly blockbuster stuff, but a world away from that early two.<\/p>\n 07:03pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Aljaž \u0160korjanec There was an emotional moment in Week Six when La Voix said that, for the first time, the idea of Strictly as a fun experience started to make sense.<\/p>\n Until now, it\u2019s been a bit of a right royal slog for the drag queen. After that breakthrough, fans will hope lightning strikes twice.<\/p>\n 07:01pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex and Johannes dance a dramatic Paso Doble to Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n How do you top dancing on a table while dressed as the devil?<\/p>\n Alex Kingston goes from fiery to flamboyant as she and Johannes deliver a stunning Paso Doble. It\u2019s epic, energetic and full of thrills and twirls \u2013 though Alex admits she could do better if given another go, having struggled with the routine in rehearsals.<\/p>\n The judges do their best to be supportive \u2013 but it\u2019s clear they\u2019re underwhelmed. \u201cYou looked a little nervous,\u201d says Anton. \u201cLovely detail, little nervous,\u201d he adds, achieving Peak Anton just 30 minutes in.<\/p>\n Craig has misgivings too: \u201cDancing really carefully\u2026 lacked showbiz pizzazz.\u201d He wonders where her stage presence went. \u201cMiddle of the road,\u201d he concludes \u2013 though isn\u2019t that exactly where Saturday night BBC entertainment belongs?<\/p>\n Alex reveals she\u2019s \u201cnumerically dyslexic\u201d and can\u2019t count, which makes keeping time a challenge. Still, she scores a respectable 30 \u2013 her sixth 30-or-better in as many weeks, surely putting her in Strictly record territory.<\/p>\n 06:56pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Johannes Radebe The former ER star gave heart palpitations to unsuspecting viewers on Hallowe\u2019en, marking the season of all things spooky by romping on a table in a bright red bodysuit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen that kind of rotation!\u201d gasped Shirley \u2013 who looked as though she might start spinning herself, like the barfing child in The Exorcist.<\/p>\n But that success means Alex and Johannes have set a high standard they\u2019ll do well to match.<\/p>\n 06:54pm<\/strong><\/p>\n They\u2019ve knocked it out of the studio \u2013 or so thinks Craig. \u201cYou\u2019ve nailed it,\u201d he gushes, sounding like Simon Cowell praising a boyband after a Leonard Cohen cover on The X Factor.<\/p>\n Motsi agrees: \u201cYou bring it on \u2013 your expression is so natural, you\u2019re never fake. I love you!\u201d<\/p>\n Karen and Carlos dance the Charleston to Upside Down \/ Think by Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n Still, there are quibbles. Shirley feels it \u201cdidn\u2019t feel solid on the feet\u201d, suggesting it could have used more precision. Anton doesn\u2019t see it that way: \u201cThe Lindy section was exquisite \u2013 I just loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n Out of breath, the pair admit just how much effort went in. \u201cThe most difficult dance I\u2019ve ever done on Strictly,\u201d says Carlos.<\/p>\n Their reward? The first ten of the night \u2013 from Shirley \u2013 and a total of 35, putting them level with Lewis and Katya.<\/p>\n 06:50pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Carlos Gu Karen somehow sold us on the idea of a Nick Cave-themed Strictly when she delivered her interpretive Peaky Blinders routine in Week Six. Now she faces a daunting Charleston. Everyone on Team Karen will hope she didn\u2019t peak with Peaky Blinders.<\/p>\n 06:45pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Lots of hip action from Lewis, with a high-energy routine that never lets up. If the favourites have any jitters about peaking too soon in the contest, they don\u2019t show it \u2013 and the deafening applause suggests they may have smashed it yet again.<\/p>\n Katya and Lewis perform a lively Cha Cha to I Like It Like That by Pete Rodriguez – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n But cue the nit-picking: Anton is blown away by Lewis and Katya, though he wonders if this was a Cha Cha with a little too much choo-choo. \u201cA little bit too hard,\u201d he suggests.<\/p>\n Craig agrees, implying the duo were trying a touch too hard, while Motsi is all aboard the more-is-more vibes. \u201cThose hips were on fire!\u201d<\/p>\n Lewis and Katya blaze their way to a dazzling 35 \u2013 a step down from last week\u2019s perfection, but at least it gives them something to aim for.<\/p>\n 06:36pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro partner:<\/strong> Katya Jones Bopping to a jazzed-up Radiohead track while dressed like a goth Bagpuss would be the kiss of death for most Strictly hopefuls \u2013 but Lewis and Katya made it work on Hallowe\u2019en night.<\/p>\n Now they\u2019ve got the tricky Cha Cha to master, soundtracked by Pete Rodriguez\u2019s boogaloo classic I Like It Like That.<\/p>\n Will it be a bountiful pre-bedtime boogaloo for the frontrunners? Let\u2019s wait and see.<\/p>\n 06:33pm<\/strong><\/p>\n And so, accompanied by the U2-esque stylings of Melbourne stadium-rockers The Temper Trap, Strictly Week Seven kicks off.<\/p>\n Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly bring their trademark sparkle and poise to Strictly – Guy Levy\/BBC<\/p>\n First up are frontrunners Lewis and Katya, performing a Cha Cha to Pete Rodriguez. Lewis knows he\u2019s under pressure after last week\u2019s streak of tens. How do you improve on perfection? Let\u2019s wait and see…<\/p>\n 06:12pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Twins Geraldine (left) and May Corry (right) live in Belfast – Charles McQuillan<\/p>\n Three pairs of Telegraph-reading superfans have joined up to share their verdicts on everything from the dances to the costumes, so look out for their contributions later this evening.<\/p>\n Please welcome Geraldine and May Corry from Belfast, Hannah and Laura Dadson from Warwickshire, and Lois and Brian Rock from Southampton. You can find out all about them \u2013 and their predictions for this year\u2019s series \u2013 right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 05:56pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Lewis and Katya are in pole position after their perfect score on Hallowe\u2019en. Anton dubbed their Couple\u2019s Choice \u201cthe best dance of the series\u201d \u2013 and even allowing for the fact that it\u2019s Anton, and that he\u2019s generally 30 per cent more enthusiastic than required, the duo remain clear favourites.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Amber goes into the episode with a bit of a flea in her ear after Shirley praised her Week Six Viennese Waltz \u2013 with the caveat that it was \u201ca bit more American style\u201d than Viennese.<\/p>\n She\u2019ll need to deliver a proper salsa if she wants to avoid more spicy feedback from the judges.<\/p>\n 05:50pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Coming off Icons Week and Hallowe\u2019en Night, and with Blackpool fast approaching, this week\u2019s Strictly has the relative novelty of not coming with any novelties attached. It\u2019s just nine dances requiring the celebrities to sweat, gurn and try not to fall over as Claudia Winkleman watches on \u2013 much like Nick Mohammed when he discovered Alan Carr was the baddie on Celebrity Traitors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Music-wise, Taylor Swift is perhaps the biggest name to feature, though Queen\u2019s Somebody to Love promises classic-rock melodrama and Ed Sheeran\u2019s Sapphire will remind us of the existence of Ed Sheeran (thanks, Strictly).<\/p>\n Alex and Johannes \u2013 Paso Doble to Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Balvinder and Julian \u2013 Couple\u2019s Choice to Sapphire by Ed Sheeran & Arijit Singh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n George and Alexis \u2013 Viennese Waltz to Somebody to Love by Queen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Harry and Karen \u2013 Samba to Samba by Gloria Estefan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Karen and Carlos \u2013 Charleston to Upside Down \/ Think by Diana Ross \/ Aretha Franklin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n La Voix and Aljaž \u2013 Foxtrot to Make Your Own Kind of Music by Cass Elliot<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
\nOur Telegraph Strictly superfans give their assessments<\/h3>\n
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\nThree couples in dance-off danger…<\/h3>\n
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\nHarry\u2019s high-energy samba earns a generous 30<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nHarry looks to turn his luck around with a tricky samba<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Samba
Song:<\/strong> Samba by Gloria Estefan
Week Six score:<\/strong> 26 (10th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nVicky and Kai\u2019s near-perfect tango wows the judges<\/h3>\n
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\nWill a Taylor Swift song usher in Vicky\u2019s victorious era?<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Tango
Song:<\/strong> The Fate of Ophelia by Taylor Swift
Week Six score:<\/strong> 31 (6th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nAmber and Nikita\u2019s gravity-defying salsa scores two 10s<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\nAmber aims for lift-off with a cheeky disco salsa<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Salsa
Song:<\/strong>\u00a0You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Sylvester
Week Six score:<\/strong> 35 (3rd of 10)<\/p>\n
\nGeorge waltzes his way to his highest score yet<\/h3>\n
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\nGeorge wants to win back the judges<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Viennese Waltz
Song:<\/strong> Somebody to Love by Queen
Week Six score:<\/strong> 29 (7th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nBalvinder brings the house down with a powerful, heartfelt routine<\/h3>\n
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\nCan Balvinder shine to Ed Sheeran\u2019s Sapphire?<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Couple\u2019s Choice
Song:<\/strong>\u00a0Sapphire by Ed Sheeran & Arijit Singh
Week Six score:<\/strong> 28 (8th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nLa Voix finds her footing with a graceful foxtrot<\/h3>\n
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\nLa Voix aims to keep her momentum<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Foxtrot
Song:<\/strong> Make Your Own Kind of Music by Cass Elliot
Week Six score:<\/strong> 35 (joint 5th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nAlex Kingston and Johannes bring fiery flair to a thrilling Paso Doble<\/h3>\n
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\nCan Alex top her devilish turn on Hallowe\u2019en night?<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Paso Doble
Song:<\/strong> Amparito Roca by Jamie Texidor
Week Six score:<\/strong> 35 (joint 5th of 10)<\/p>\n
\nKaren and Carlos dazzle with a daring Charleston to score the night\u2019s first 10<\/h3>\n
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\nKaren swaps Peaky Blinders grit for Charleston glamour<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Charleston
Song:<\/strong> Upside Down \/ Think by Diana Ross \/ Aretha Franklin
Week Six score:<\/strong> 38 (2nd of 10)<\/p>\n
\nLewis and Katya\u2019s Cha Cha brings the heat \u2013 but no 10s<\/h3>\n
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\nCan Lewis boogaloo to the top of the leaderboard?<\/h3>\n
Dance:<\/strong> Cha Cha
Song:<\/strong> I Like It Like That by Pete Rodriguez
Week Six score:<\/strong> 40 (1st place)<\/p>\n
\nLet the mayhem begin…<\/h3>\n
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\nKeep up with the Telegraph readers\u2019 judging panel<\/h3>\n
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\nWhat you need to know tonight<\/h3>\n
\nWeek Seven songs and dances<\/h3>\n
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