Live blog: Strictly Come Dancing – Rose Ayling-Ellis takes on week seven!

Posted on November 6, 2021 by



Tonight, deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, and her fellow dancers face their sixth public vote!

Charlie Swinbourne will be live blogging every dance and taking care of the Twitter feed, while Rebecca-Anne Withey, dancer, actor and writer, and much more besides, is this week’s guest dance judge!  

Refresh this blog for regular updates, or follow our Twitter account!

Most recent updates posted first – scroll down to go back to the beginning!

20.09 – The scores are in and at the top of the leaderboard tonight are AJ and Kai, followed by Tom and Amy.

Rose and Giovani end up just below the middle in 6th place. Tilly, Dan and Adam are below them.

Now all the phone numbers for voting come up. Deaf viewers can vote online (hearing ones can too!) at this link!

A massive thanks to our guest judge tonight, the brilliant Rebecca-Anne Withey! Follow her on Twitter here!

20.07 – Dragon’s Den star and businesswoman Sara Davies MBE dances with pro Aljaž Škorjanec.

They’re dancing the Quickstep to 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.

A bit of a dip in performances over the last two weeks from Sara, she’ll be hoping to get back to her plus-30 dances of week 4 and week 2.

Charlie says: Cheesiest dance of the night. Middling, I reckon. But what do I know?

What the judges say: Craig says the footwork could have been cleaner going backwards. Motsi says well done. And er, I missed the rest. Sorry, my dog’s scared of the fireworks and my kids are running riot in the living room. Forgive me!

Rebecca’s verdict: Sara did very well with that fast routine and really covered the floor well. Her head position looks a little awkward in hold, but she keeps her frame nicely. Score: 7.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 8
Motsi Mabuse 8
Shirley Ballas 8
Anton Du Beke 9

Total: 33

(wk 6: 23 | wk5: 25 | wk 4: 36 | wk 3: 28 | wk 2: 34 | wk 1: 17)

Watch it:

19.57 – TV presenter AJ Odudu dances with Kai Widdrington.

They dance the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine, Pinky and The Girls.

Why not bring Lulu? Well, according to the lyrics, Lulu’s wild, ‘an awful pill’, and she goes cuckoo like the clock on the shelf. Nuff said, I guess…

What the judges say: Motsi says AJ has just taken it higher and she loved it. Shirley says it was off the chart. Anton says she is outrageous and he loved it. Craig says it was amazing. Some 10s coming up I think…

Rebecca’s verdict: Wow! So much intricate footwork in that Charleston and AJ made it look effortless. Love how she dives fearlessly into the lifts. Fabulous easy, cheeky Charleston vibe. This really suits AJ! Score: 9.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 9
Motsi Mabuse 10
Shirley Ballas 10
Anton Du Beke 10

Total: 39

(wk 6: 37 | wk5: 35 | wk 4: 28 wk 3: 35 | wk 2: 31 | wk 1: 34)

Watch it:

19.49 – Baker John Whaite dances with pro dancer Johannes Radebe.

They’re dancing the Rumba to Shape of My Heart by Sting.

I love this song, which I once heard being played by a singer in a bar in Beijing in 2001. I also love this duo. Probably the outstanding couple across the whole competition so far.

Charlie says: Stunning, moving, brilliant. Best dance of the night for me, by a mile.

What the judges say: Craig says it was gorgeous, brilliant. Motsi says it felt like it was only them in the room and it was the essence of the rumba. Shirley it was class personified. Anton says it was beautifully mature but mentions a posture issue.

Rebecca’s verdict: A very beautiful, tender rumba there. This style really suits John. His rumba flow came very naturally to him and there was lovely synchronicity with Johannes. Perhaps a bit more tension in future would boost this even more. Score 9

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 8
Motsi Mabuse 8
Shirley Ballas 10
Anton Du Beke 9

Total: 35

(wk 6: 33 | wk5: 38 | wk 4: 29 | wk 3: 39 | wk 2: 31 | wk 1: 30)

Watch it:

19.40 – BBC Breakfast and sport presenter Dan Walker dances with Nadiya Bychkova.

They’re dancing the Couple’s Choice to Classic by MKTO.

Surely Dan can’t last much longer in this competition? Sorry to be harsh, but he’s never scored in the 30s and his lobster dance has stayed burned on my mind for all the wrong reasons.

Charlie says: Well, that was by far the worst dance I’ve seen so far tonight. Dan looks like a teenager who won the chance to appear on stage in a competition. He doesn’t belong there at all. Someone please let him go home.

What the judges say: Anton says he made them all smile and laugh because it was joyous. (Eh??). Craig says it was vanilla and saccharine and it wasn’t great but he loves watching them. Motsi says she get the vibe but there was too much running around. She says he can do more. Shirley says he is funky and consistently slow and steady…

Rebecca’s verdict: A very sweet and easy couples choice routine. It felt more like a sing along than a full on dance routine, it needed more attack and vigour! Not my cup of tea I’m afraid. Score: 5.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 6
Motsi Mabuse 7
Shirley Ballas 8
Anton Du Beke 7

Total: 28

(wk 6: 27 | wk5: 28 | wk 4: 26 | wk 3: 21 | wk 2: 26 | wk 1: 24)

Watch it:

19.31 – Daughter of Gordon Ramsey, TV presenter, chef, and social media influencer Tilly Ramsey dances with pro Nikita Kuzmin.

They dance the Tango to Kings & Queens by Ava Max.

Will Tilly be dealing out Kings and Queens, or will she be the joker in the pack this week?

What the judges say: Shirley says she’d like more flow but it was a good improvement. Anton says he liked Tilly’s intensity. Craig says it was stop and start but he loved the drama and the concept. Motsi says her postural line is beautiful.

Rebecca’s verdict: For a non-performer, Tilly is absolutely incredible on the stage. She really captures the essence of the dance well. A few stumbles interrupted the flow of the routine. I really like this couple though and I think they can really go far. Score: 8.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 8
Motsi Mabuse 8
Shirley Ballas 7
Anton Du Beke 8

Total: 31

(wk 6: 36 | wk5: 36 | wk 4: 32 | wk 3: 27 | wk 2: 34 | wk 1: 21)

Watch it:

19.24 – CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson dances with Nancy Xu.

They’re dancing the Quickstep to What A Man Gotta Do by Jonas Brothers.

Rhys looked a bit down two weeks ago after nearly being voted out, having scored 31. I’m as mystified about that as anyone. But he cheered up last week, scoring 33. He’s one of the best dancers in this show, in my humble opinion, and deserves a bit more love.

Charlie says: I think this guy’s brilliant, as you can already tell. That was again full of energy and bounce. Very fast, but he handled it really well!

What the judges say: Motsi says it was beautiful. Shirley says there’s room for improvement but he’s to be reckoned with. Anton says Tom has improved and it was the first time they were dancing together. Craig says his frame lets him down but he loved the energy.

Rebecca’s verdict: Rhys is like lightning on the floor, so fast! He executed a very tricky routine very well. I’d like to see the movements performed a bit tighter/smaller and a stronger hold. Good job with the choreography! Score: 8

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 7
Motsi Mabuse 9
Shirley Ballas 9
Anton Du Beke 9

Total: 34

(wk 6: 33 | wk5: 32 | wk 4: 31 | wk 3: 37 | wk 2: 30 | wk 1: 27)

Watch it:

19.15 – McFly band member, author and actor Tom Fletcher dances with Amy Dowden.

They’re dancing the Paso Doble to Amparito Roca by Jamie Texidor.

I looked up the lyrics to this one, which were in Spanish but, if you’re interested, and who’s to say you are (!) are translated as:

What beautiful eyes you have, I’ll steal them from you
What beautiful lips you have, I’ll kiss them.
I’m afraid, afraid to love
I don’t want to suffer again.

Scream freedom, before loving,
Dance with the wind, little butterfly.
Scream freedom, before loving
Dance with the wind, little butterfly

Charlie says: Solid but not a lot of passion or fieriness in that performance, in my view.

What the judges say: Craig says they did a fantastic job, and the Spanish line was all there. Motsi says strong character, she loved it. Shirley says his foot positions closed exactly where they should have been. Anton says excellently danced.

Rebecca’s verdict: That was absolutely spot on musically and such a strong focused performance. Some gorgeous Spanish lines and amazing spotting on those turns. Loved the confidence and how he lead the routine with fire. I’d like to see more drive through the legs next time. Score 8.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 9
Motsi Mabuse 10
Shirley Ballas 10
Anton Du Beke 9

Total: 38

(wk 6: 29 | wk5: 34 | wk 4: 29 | wk 3: 32 | wk 2: N/A | wk 1: 21)

Watch it:

19.07 – IT’S TIME FOR ROSE! (can you tell who we are supporting?)

Deaf actor Rose Ayling-Ellis dances with Giovani Perni. 

They’ll be dancing the Samba to Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson.

These two got a maximum of 40 points last week – the earliest anyone has scored top marks in the competition. They can’t improve on that score, but can they maintain it?

Cinema Italiano: I’m thinking La Dolce Vita, Cinema Paradiso, 8 1/2. Classy, stylish. Cool… maybe a bit of black and white? No doubt Giovani will put a bit of his own heritage into this.

It’s adding acting to their performances which has led to this couple’s upturn, so hopefully we’ll see some Italian-style passion and intensity alongside this dance.

Rebecca-Anne Withey, who is our judge tonight, wrote this viral article about how Giovani has adapted to teaching Rose, to benefit them both. Join 35,000 other people (yes, really!) and give it a read.

Charlie says: A much harder dance than last week, but another great performance, I think!

What the judges say: Anton says a really good performance but a little bit nervous. Craig disagrees and says it was not a nervous performance. He says it was a bit jagged but he is amazed at Rose. Motsi says they are such a strong team and she loves them so much. Shirley says she appreciates the beautiful movements of Rose’s feet and there was great rotation.

Rebecca’s verdict: Well done Rose! A very neat, tidy routine! It was the first time I felt Roses nerves and I felt it was a very careful performance. You can rock Latin Rose, just have more belief in yourself! Perhaps the concept didn’t work for the samba vibe but nevertheless technically very nice and clean! Score: 7

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 8
Motsi Mabuse 8
Shirley Ballas 8
Anton Du Beke 8

Total: 32

(wk 6: 40 | wk5: 37 | wk 4: 27 | wk 3: 36 | wk 2: 26 | wk 1: 22)

Watch it:

18.58 – First up is swimmer and five-time Olympic medallist Adam Peaty dancing with Katya Jones.

They’re dancing the Jive to Little Bitty Pretty One by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers.

I always make some kind of swimming related comment about Adam, and I know you’d be disappointed if I didn’t do so this week…

So here goes: can Adam get out of the deep end into shallower water? No need to thank me. Really, it’s fine.

Charlie says: That was an improvement on Adam’s usual level this week. Footwork looks like it’s taken a step up!

What the judges say: Shirley says Adam has a beautiful postural stance. Anton says good effort and good energy. Craig says it was a shame about the mistake and Adam needs to dance more into his transitions. Motsi says he had strong posture and there were many more positives than negatives.

Rebecca’s verdict: What a fun routine! I love how Adam gives every routine his all, his energy really makes me smile. Some timing issues and a couple of mistakes, but i really appreciate the effort put into it! Score: 6.

Judges scores:

Craig Revel-Horwood 6
Motsi Mabuse 7
Shirley Ballas 7
Anton Du Beke 7

Total:  27

(wk 6: 29 | wk5: 29 | wk 4: 32 | wk 3: 20 | wk 2: 19 | wk 1: 30)

Watch it:

18.50 – the couples come out! Looking very colourful and fresh after their Halloween antics last week.

Tess tells them they’ve made it to the halfway point. And Adam is first up.

Rebecca says: Here we go, show time!! I’m crossing my fingers and toes for Rose tonight especially as it’s the Samba – notoriously tricky!

18.45 – As the couples are about to come out, a reminder that Judi (right) was voted out last Sunday.

She followed Ugo, Greg, Katie and Nina in leaving the show.

Robert also withdrew due to health issues.

So that’s six couples down, and nine left to go…

Rose is still the favourite to win this. One in six people have some level of deafness in the UK, apparently, and I think every one of them who watches Strictly is behind her. Not to mention a sizeable proportion of the non-deaf population, judging by how many people have started signing ‘thank you’ in the supermarket to deaf people I know.

18.39 – Welcome to this week’s live blog!

Tonight, deaf actor Rose Alying-Ellis returns to the dance floor for week seven of the show after getting maximum points last week!

Our Deaf Guest Dance Judge this week is Rebecca-Anne Withey! This is Rebecca’s second turn in the hot seat this series, and she will be be giving his own score for each of the acts, as they happen!

What will this week bring? We’ll have all the updates here, written by Charlie Swinbourne.

We’ll also be posting videos of each dance shortly after they’ve left the dance floor, via the Strictly twitter account.

If you’ve missed our previous blogs, you can check out last week’s live blog here, week 5 here, week 4 here, week 3 here, week 2 here, week 1 here and the introductory week here.

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