Category Archives: Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Pro Karen Hauer Unable To Dance In Live Final Due To Injury

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Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing professional Karen Hauer has announced she’ll not be able to perform during the live final this weekend due to an injury.

Karen was partnered with The Crown actor Greg Wise in this year’s series, and had been due to reunite with the rest of the cast for a group number in Saturday’s live show.

However, the Venezualen performer has told her Instagram followers that she will not be able to dance in the number, after hurting her knee.

She said earlier this week: “Currently, I have two things wrong with my knee. There’s a little bit of a tear on my meniscus and then there’s also a little cartilage flap behind my knee.

“But they’re very minor so instead of an op I got a knee injection so that’s good news.”

Karen Hauer dancing with Greg Wise earlier in the series
Karen Hauer dancing with Greg Wise earlier in the series

Guy Levy/BBC

Karen later confirmed that while we would be able to see her during the group number, she won’t be able to dance as a result of her injury.

“I’m going to be making a little appearance on the dance floor but not dancing, probably waving,” she revealed. “But I’ll definitely be there.”

It was also confirmed on Friday that finalist AJ Odudu had been forced to withdraw from the competition at the eleventh hour due to a torn ligament.

Because of this, the final will be going ahead with just two contestants in the running, EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and former Bake Off winner John Whaite.

Kai Widdrington and AJ Odudu have withdrawn from the competition
Kai Widdrington and AJ Odudu have withdrawn from the competition

Ray Burmiston/BBC

Former contestant Tilly Ramsay will be completely absent from the group dance after testing positive for Covid, as will Robert Webb, who pulled out of the show for medical reasons back in October.

He explained: “My love for Strictly is a season that is forever summer. However, the producers understood that when I had to stop, I had to stop completely…

“If I gave out a few more details about what the show had been doing to me physically and mentally, you wouldn’t be surprised that the offer of one more dance was politely declined.”

Strictly returns on Saturday night at 7pm on BBC One.

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Strictly Come Dancing Announces Week 10 Songs And Dances

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Strictly Come Dancing bosses have announced the songs and dances that will be performed during Saturday night’s live show.

After surviving last week’s Musicals Week dance-off, it’s been revealed that CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson will be taking on the Waltz.

Elsewhere, we can look forward to Dan Walker tackling the Rumba, while AJ Odudu will dance what promises to be an unmissable Couple’s Choice routine.

Here’s the full rundown of what to expect from each of the remaining six couples:

He was replaced by two-time Oscar nominee and modern musical theatre legend Cynthia Erivo for the show’s annual Musicals Week special.

Find out how the celebrities and their partners get on when Strictly returns on Saturday night at 6.55pm on BBC One.

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Strictly’s AJ Odudu Gives Cryptic Response When Grilled About Kai Widdrington Romance Rumours

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BBC/Keiron McCarron

AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington dancing a Tango earlier in the series

Those romance rumours surrounding Strictly Come Dancing favourites AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington definitely aren’t going anywhere – with the TV presenter giving a cryptic response when asked about the speculation once again.

AJ told PA Media: “I find it exciting that everyone’s interested in us enough to take note of all of these things.

“The way I see it is, everyone can see how well we’re getting on and how hard we’re working in order to try our best each and every week to put in a solid performance.”

After being asked outright whether there was any truth to the rumours, she responded: “Well, one thing that is definitely for sure is, we are doing a lot of dancing.” 

Ray Burmiston/BBC

Kai Widdrington and AJ Odudu

With the single stars repeatedly being asked about reports they’re more than just dance partners in interviews, even Claudia Winkleman got in on the fun during last week’s Halloween special, urging them to kiss live on air.

“It’s all just a bit of fun, isn’t it?” AJ told PA of the continued rumours. “I mean, at the end of the day, me and Kai are just focused on the Strictly experience as a whole, and we’re just focused on dancing and putting our best performance forward each and every week.

“So none of that stuff bogs us down at all. We don’t have time to be pressed to be totally honest with you. And Claudia is so lovely, and is so kind to us each and every week, so it’s all fun and games.”

Saturday night’s live show saw AJ and Kai topping the leaderboard for the second time, with a near-perfect score of 39 points.

BBC/Guy Levy

AJ and Kai’s Charleston stole the show on Saturday night

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Shirley Ballas Thanks Strictly Viewers Who Spotted Lump Under Her Arm, As Docs Discover ‘Concerning’ Symptoms

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Shirley Ballas has thanked Strictly Come Dancing viewers after they spotted a lump under her arm, which led to her speaking to a doctor.

The 61-year-old head judge said viewers had helped her discover “concerning” symptoms in her body.

After seeking medical advice, Shirley said that doctors had discovered her hormone levels are “not right” and she needs some scans.

“All in all a little concerning for my doctor,” she said, adding that she had made a hospital appointment.

She wrote on Instagram that her doctor was “making an appointment to check certain odd things happening in my body”.

“To each and every one of you who started me on this road thank you so much,” she began. “I’ll keep you all updated. Remember health is wealth so I’ll be on top of these issues for the time being. With gratitude to you all.”

In an accompanying video message, the former ballroom champion – who had surgery to have breast implants removed in 2019 – said tests had shown her testosterone levels to be “ultra-high”, her oestrogen levels “extremely low”, and that she needs scans on her adrenal glands and ovaries.

Fellow judge Motsi Mabuse was among those to send messages of support, writing, “take care of yourself”, while Tess Daly said she was “sending love”.

Olympian Adam Peaty, who is competing in the current series, added: “Sending all my love and positive energy.”

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JoJo Siwa’s Disturbing Dancing With The Stars Routine As Pennywise Is The Actual Stuff Of Nightmares

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Eric McCandless via Getty Images

JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson perform a jazz routine on Dancing with the Stars

On nearly every level, a dance performance featuring the evil clown from Stephen King’s It and one of his child victims set to the tune of a Broadway score shouldn’t work. 

And yet, here’s JoJo Siwa in full Pennywise drag delivering an absolutely deranged and downright genius performance to the tune of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing on Monday night. 

Fully understanding the assignment of Horror Night for Dancing With The Stars’ series’ Halloween episode, the Dance Moms alum performed a jazz routine alongside pro Jenna Johnson – dressed in a children’s rain costume with a big red balloon, naturally – to a creepy remix of the song by District 78 featuring Patrice Covington.

Despite her relentlessly positive demeanour off the dance floor, JoJo managed to capture exactly what makes Stephen King’s creation so menacing. Keeping low to the ground and bouncing on one leg at a time, she tapped into her inner Pennywise, all while showcasing her well-established killer dance skills. 

The performance ended with JoJo grabbing Jenna by the throat, ripping off her fake hand and then chomping on it, as the song came to a close with a blood-curdling scream. 

The judges uniformly lavished praise upon the star, who for the second week in a row earned a perfect score. 

“It. Is. Terrifying. And absolutely brilliant. You turned a nightmare into a work of art,“ remarked Bruno Tonioli. “The quality of your dances — the thing you did in there, combining jazz, ballet, contemporary, acrobatics. I’m telling you, you are a terrific talent.”

Carrie Ann Inaba said: “What I loved about this performance is you pushed yourself further,” while Len Goodman added:“If ever a dance captured the flavour of a book, that was it.”

JoJo, who’s made history on the series as the first contestant to be paired with a same-sex partner, is now the clear front-runner to win the Mirrorball Trophy.

Her performance also stirred up plenty of reactions on social media, with fans watching along and celebrating the delightfully unhinged dance.

Watch JoJo Siwa’s performance above.

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Strictly Pro Johannes Radebe Shares Beautiful Message After Receiving Wave Of ‘Love And Support’

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Guy Levy/BBC

John Whaite and Johannes Radebe

Strictly Come Dancing professional Johannes Radebe has thanked his fans for their support after he and John Whaite dominated the competition with their Movie Week performance on Saturday night.

Johannes admitted that he’s been avoiding social media since he and John began competing as Strictly’s first ever male pairing, but took a moment to thank those who’d shared their “love and support” in the last few weeks.

“I’ve been avoiding Twitter because it can be brutal, BUT there’s been more love and support than ignorance and stupidity, hence I want to say thank you to everyone who gets it,” he wrote on Tuesday night.

“We will continue showing up and thank you for your lovely messages/comments.”

The dancer signed off the message: “Love Jo.”

John and Johannes have emerged as frontrunners for the Glitterball trophy in the first few weeks of this year’s series, and last week landed the highest score of the series so far.

The pair received a near-perfect score of 39 for their Pirates Of The Caribbean-inspired Paso Doble routine, which marked the first time this particular dance had been performed by a same-sex couple on Strictly.

BBC/Guy Levy

John and Johannes paid tribute to Pirates Of The Caribbean on Saturday night

On dancing with a man on TV, Johannes previously told Steph McGovern: “I’ve been championing this all my life… the fact the moment is here now… It’s been lovely.

“I saw Nicola [Adams] and Katya [Jones] do it last year and was like ‘yay’, so when it came round I knew I would love to be a part of it. So when John said, ‘I want to do this’… and proudly so, I was like, ‘this is my guy. It has to be him, it has to be me and him’.”

Strictly continues on Saturday night on BBC One.

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Strictly’s Tom Fletcher Eyes ‘Special’ Return After Testing Positive For Covid

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Strictly Come Dancing star Tom Fletcher is already looking ahead to his ballroom comeback, after being forced to miss this week’s upcoming live show due to Covid-19.

On Sunday evening, the BBC confirmed that Tom and his professional partner Amy Dowden had tested positive for coronavirus and would need to self-isolate.

Because of this, they will not be appearing in the second of this year’s live shows, but will be allowed to return to Strictly the following week.

Following the news, Amy shared a post on her Instagram page, assuring her followers that she was not experiencing Covid symptoms.

Guy Levy/BBC

Amy Dowden and Tom Fletcher on the Strictly dance floor

“Unfortunately Tom and I have tested positive for Covid-19. I’m not suffering any symptoms but am now isolating at home,” she wrote.

“I have no doubt that over the next 10 days my mind will be going crazy with choreography ideas ready to get back on the Strictly dance floor for the live show in week three!

“Thank you for all of the support and good luck to all of the couples this week. I will be cheering you all on!”

Clearly keeping his spirits up, Tom – who had been on tour with his band McFly until he tested positive for Covid – then commented: “Rest up partner. We’ve got to pull something special out of the bag for week 3.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden have tested positive for Covid-19. The pair are now self-isolating separately following the latest government guidelines.

“While they will both miss Saturday’s live show, Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week.”

Tom and Amy were the first of this year’s Strictly couples to perform on Saturday night, earning 21 points from the judges for their Cha Cha Cha routine.

Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday night at 6.45pm on BBC One.

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Strictly Come Dancing Fans Absolutely Loved Spotting Emma Thompson In The Studio Audience

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Strictly Come Dancing fans were loving the fact that a certain A-list celebrity could be seen in the studio audience during Saturday night’s show.

Dame Emma Thompson was among the Strictly audience during the first live show of the series, showing her support for her husband Greg Wise, who is among the 15 stars competing in the BBC dance show this year.

After Greg and his partner Karen Hauer’s first dance of the competition, Claudia Winkleman pointed out that “your wife and daughter are in the audience”.

The cameras then cut to Emma and the couple’s 21-year-old daughter Gaia, with the Cruella star jokingly mouthing: “She’s the wife, I’m the daughter.”

It wasn’t just during Greg’s time on camera that Emma could be spotted enjoying a night out in the Strictly studio, though.

Because of her eye-catching pink jacket (and the fact she was seated directly behind Craig Revel Horwood for most of the night), the much-loved star could be seen throughout the episode, and Strictly viewers were absolutely loving it:

Greg previously revealed that his Oscar-winning spouse was actually part of the reason he signed up for Strictly.

Although he was about to sign up for a lucrative film contract, it was chatting to Emma that convinced him to say yes to Strictly, with the star of Sense & Sensibility and The Crown coming in joint fourth place for his first routine of the series.

David M. Benett via Getty Images

Greg Wise and Emma Thompson

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Strictly Come Dancing: John Whaite And Johannes Radebe’s Tango Gets The Thumbs Up From Viewers

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John Whaite and Johannes Radebe made their long-awaited debut on the Strictly Come Dancing floor during Saturday night’s show… and didn’t they do an excellent job?

The Great British Bake Off winner and his professional partner are the first pairing made up of two male dancers to ever compete in the long-running BBC series.

During Saturday night’s live show, they delivered their first routine of the new season, performing an intense Tango to Blue Monday by New Order.

The two took to the floor in matching black tuxedos, and won over the judges, who gave them an impressive 30 points of a possible 40.

BBC/Guy Levy

Johannes Radebe and John Whaite on the Strictly dance floor

John and Johannes’ score put them in joint second place on the leaderboard on the night, alongside Olympian Adam Peaty and his partner Katya Jones.

The pair also received glowing reviews from those watching along on social media:

John and Johannes also got the seal of approval from celebrities including Steps singer Ian “H” Watkins, who previously competed as part of Dancing On Ice’s first ever same-sex partnership.

However, the top performance of the night came from TV presenter AJ Odudu and her partner Kai Widdrington, who is making his Strictly debut in 2021.

The two landed not just the highest score of the night for their Jive routine, but the highest score for any week one performance since 2005. 

At the end of Saturday night’s show, there was no public vote, with all 15 of the celebrities making it through to next week, after which viewers will help determine the two stars who end up in the first dance-off of the series.

Find out how the cast gets on when Strictly returns to our screens on Saturday night at 6.45pm.

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Dan Walker Forced To Miss Strictly Training After Head Injury Sends Him Back To Hospital

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While Dan said that a CT scan confirmed he was OK, he has been instructed to rest for a couple of days, meaning he risks falling behind his fellow Strictly competitors as they prepare for the first live show next Saturday.

Sharing photos on himself in hospital, Dan wrote on Instagram: “Bit of head-based drama today! After whacking my noggin on the big glass window yesterday I got sent to A & E today because I was feeling a little wobbly.

“A lovely nurse at Barnet Hospital called Karina checked my vitals and 6ft 9 Consultant Erik Witt gave me a CT scan to check for a bleed on the brain. Thankfully… all ok.”

He continued: “I’ve got to rest for a couple of days – so I’ll be a bit behind – but ready to dig in again next week.”

Dan also paid tribute to his as-yet-unannounced Strictly dance partner, revealing she “waited for hours in the car park to make sure I was ok”.

“Whatever happens on the telly… she has a friend for life,” he added.

Filming on this year’s pre-recorded Strictly launch show was completed last week, with the episode set to air on Saturday night.

It will see all 15 of this year’s celebrities find out who their dance partner is, while they will also perform in their first group number.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7.45pm on BBC One.

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