Everyone’s different. Never was this more true on SCD than this Saturday, with every couple performing a different dance. And I thought last week’s show was chock-full of variety! Let’s take things one dance step at a time…

First up were Matt and Lilia with a jive. Jive is my favourite Strictly dance, and I love Lilia, so I was always going to enjoy this, even without Matt! Saying that, he wasn’t great and could have used a bit more energy. Matt’s definitely better at ballroom and was a little hesitant here but it was far better than his previous Latin dances. Arlene called it "acceptable", which about nails it. After last week’s highest score of the series, this week’s 28 showed them they’ve still got some work to do.

Working hard this week as always was Carol, who danced a lovely, floaty waltz – very classy. And she got another 30 for it too – her joint highest score ever, with last week. But… I want her to go next time. She just isn’t a charismatic performer, and her comments in her VT about Emma getting better marks than her really put me off… yes, the judges love her and were hard on you but complaining about it on camera? Come on! Green’s not a good colour on you, Carol.

Carry on over the cut for the best dance of the evening (and more!)

Okay, if Louisa isn’t in the final… well, I wouldn’t stop watching of course, but I’d definitely scream as loudly as I could without the neighbours calling social services. Her paso doble, which started with Vincent dragging her along like a limp rag (which in the context of the paso is a high compliment), was fabulous! So dramatic and such great synchronisation between the two of them, and the footwork was perfection. Len said it was "full of passion" (or as Vincent would say, le pasione). With 34 it wasn’t the highest score of the night (although almost), but for me was the dance of the night.

Emma and Darren also got a 34, for their American smooth, and yeah, Emma’s rehearsal footage – where she never thinks she can do anything – is starting to wind me right up. If she had more confidence, she could be Jill Halfpenny MK:II, but she’s a little too hesitant. And I don’t think she pointed her toes enough on her kicks. But I’m being picky – it was a very good dance really, Bruno called it "American splendour". Best bit was the lifts!! The last one, where Emma was a spinning blur wrapped around Darren’s waist? Wow. That’s the kind of thing that looks easy but must be so hard for a beginner. Kudos on the choreography (again) Mr Bennett.

And then we had Claire and Brendan’s samba, aka: the dance that provoked the most hilarity of any dance, ever. I actually thought this was one of Claire’s better dances, because she actually seemed to be enjoying herself and was a teeny bit more confident out of hold (although she clearly prefers the dances when Brendan pushes her around). Bruno said that he enjoyed it, but thought it was like "the morning after at club 18-30," and Arlene said it was more like a samba from Southsea than from Rio, both of which I think Claire actually took as a compliment as they were so much nicer than what she’s used to! They got a 25, as Bruno put it "for the perverse pleasure", meaning they were at the bottom of the leader board and inevitably, given their lack of popularity with the judges and the public, had to go.

The (almost) last dance of the evening was Mark, who was back to his winning form this week – thank goodness! His and Karen’s Viennese Waltz was elegant, perfectly-footed, beautiful and just generally entertaining – and I’m not even a V Waltz fan! (I considered doing a bad pun about "the bee’s knees waltz" but resisted, you’ll be glad to hear).

It’s almost a shame things then had to go downhill, with the first mixed group dance of the series. What was Claire doing wandering about at the back? Louisa, Mark, Matt  and Emma (i.e. the contenders to win) did well with some very complicated choreography but come on, Nicole (the choreographer) – you’re working with amateurs, remember!

Now that all the dancers left in the show can actually, you know, dance, things should get even more interesting next week… A quick peek on the BBC’s weekly "who should leave" poll shows Carol in the lead to leave, but all that could change, of course… I guess I’ll have to keep watching – shame!

[Diane Shipley]

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