It’s 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. 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.
An enjoyable yet spectacularly unspectacular instalment saw fresh contenders emerge, as Vicky and Kai’s Taylor Swift-themed tango fell just one point short of a perfect 40.
Also showing new fire were Amber and Nikita, whose sizzling salsa earned them two tens and a gold-plated “a-ma-zing” from Craig. After a hesitant start to the competition, Amber is finally coming into her own – and could yet blossom into a serious contender.
Surprises were few and far between – unless Amber’s piñata-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’d been stitched from Kermit the Frog’s 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’s charm is starting to fade – and sooner or later, he’ll run out of lives.
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 – lifted only by Balvinder’s moving Couple’s Choice, a heartfelt tribute to her late mother. It was a rare lump-in-throat moment on an otherwise predictable night.
Here’s hoping Sunday’s dance-off brings the fireworks this series now sorely needs.
