So here we are… week eight of SCD and once again Keris can’t be here, so I’m stepping into the reviewer’s hotseat. Surely I’m the Kenny Logan compared to Keris’s Alesha Dixon style of reviewing, but I’ll give it my best shot.

And what a show this was! Some superemly good dancing, some very high scores and an astonishing attack by the judges on Brendan and Kelly (well, Brendan really). So strap yourself in, sit back and eat a pizza (which is sort of what I’m doing right now). If you want to catch up on previous week’s reviews before you dive into this week’s recap, click here.

There isn’t too long to go now, and the seven remaining couples have it all to do. I think Alesha is the girl to beat, but otherwise it’s pretty open – Letitia improves week by week, Kelly is great some weeks and average other weeks, while I think Gethin has a real chance of getting to the final. With the sideshow that was Kate Garraway now over, it’s time for the proper dancing to kick in.

First up is Blue Peter’s Welsh smoothie Gethin Jones and Camilla. This week Gethin’s dance was the Quickstep. Last week they produced an average Rumba, but ballroom stuff is where Gethin really excels, so hopes were high. I thought G-Man looked super-dapper and just the job, and he glided around the dance floor nicely. The Quickstep has those little hops in it, and Gethin’s hops made him look like a caribou on heat. Top work I thought, and so did the judges. Len thought it was very good but urged Gethin to work on bringing out more personality. Bruno thought it failed to ignite, but Craig disagreed and said that his performance level was fantastic. Arlene proclaimed that Flying Officer Gethin had returned. So a mixed batch of reviews but some great scores: 8 from Craig, 9 from Arlene, 9 from Len and 8 from Bruno. 34 in total.

Next up was John and Nicole. John is rubbish at ballroom dancing, but great at the Latin stuff (natural sense of rhythm blah blah), so the Samba should have been right up his street tonight. But strangely, I thought it failed to get going. It seemed to me that John was a little hunched and the whole thing lacked the energy of his superb Salsa a few weeks ago. The judges agreed. Bruno thought it was casual, Craig said there was a lack of bounce, Arlene thought that John was having a love affair with the floor and not his dance partner, while Len questioned whether John could handle the two dances per week that were required from next week onwards. Scores: Craig, 7; Arlene, 6; Len, 7; Bruno, 7. 27 in total.

Following John was Letitia and Darren. Darren’s a shed-hot dancer, and Letitia is starting to catch up a wee bit. Her performance last week impressed the judges, and yet she still thinks she’s not up to much. Dancing the Viennese Waltz tonight, she looked lovely with beady thing in her hair (beads then) and it was a really light and airy dance. Craig thought it was fantastic, and Arlene imparted some firm-but-fair words of wisdom – if she sees one more piece of VT featuring Letitia trembling and whinging, she’ll be angry. Arlene told Letitia that she is a beautiful woman and a beautiful dancer. Right on! Scores: Craig, 8; Arlene, 8; Len, 7; Bruno, 8. 32 in total for a lovely dance.

The most controversial pairing in this competition is easily Kelly and Brendan. Two feisty characters producing sometimes brilliant dances and sometimes just ok dances. The expectation is very high and tonight they were dancing the Samba. I thought it was pretty average. They started off well, but as the dance wore on they seemed less and less coordinated. The judges agreed, but nothing prepared us for the onslaught from the judges. They really, really laid into Brendan. Even Len. It was great television to watch, but these foaming outbursts took me by surprise by their ferocity. Arlene felt the dance was flat and lacked syncronisation, and was disappointed with the pair because expectation was so high. Bruno said their dance was like reading the Yellow Pages and Craig was just generally disappointed. But Len really tore into Brendan, saying it wasn’t good enough, Brendan should be doing much better with the choreography and raising the standards. Len was shouting and jabbing his finger at Brendan like a prize-fighter. Brendan was not a happy man – he had a face like thunder, and his chin was jutting out like Southend pier. Len also steamed into Kelly, saying that she should shut up during rehearsals and listen to what Brendan says for a change. Astonishing stuff. Scores? Craig, 7; Arlene, 7; Len, 7; Bruno, 8. Total, 29. These two have work to do.

Couple number five was Kenny and Ola. I get tired of seeing Kenny with his rugby mates in the pre-dance sequence, so his live dance couldn’t come around soon enough. There’s no question Kenny has improved over the weeks and his journey has been fun and rather uplifting, but I suspect Kenny’s time may be up in the next week or two. And the American Smooth, on paper, shouldn’t be his dance. It’s all elegance and quick-quick stuff. But he did ok. He wasn’t mega-elegant, but his one-handed lift drew gasps from the crowd. The judges were impressed – Bruno said that it was a “monumental effort”, Craig said it was much more like it, Arlene was overwhelmed by Kenny’s improvement, and Len said that, although the programme wasn’t supposed to be Strictly Come Weightlifting, he had improved in terms of dancing ability. Scores: Craig, 6; Arlene, 8; Len, 8; Bruno, 8. 30 in total and Kenny’s best score of the competition so far. A really fine effort.

Next up were Matt and Flavia. It was the Salsa for these two this week, and Matt was obviously bricking it. He felt daft during rehearsals, but was urged by Flavia to let it all go. And let go he did, and Matt really went for it. It was a terrific dance, full of energy, raunch and quick, shimmering movement. These two have good chemistry, and this week it really showed. Arlene said they were like two sausages on a barbecue (sizzling, geddit?), Len thought it was simply fantastic, Bruno went as far to say that he thought that Matt is now the Spice Boy of the competition, while Craig said that he was lovin’ his work. Scores: Craig, 9; Arlene, 10; Len, 9; Bruno, 10. A whopping 38 and well deserved.

Finally it was time for Alesha and Matthew to take to the floor with the Cha Cha Cha. Last week’s ballroom dance from these two had the judges purring, but Alesha knew she had to improve her Latin dances – she admitted that she gets so excited about the prospect of shaking loose that she sometimes forgets the technical stuff. This time, however, she had no problem – her dance was sensational. She was all hair and legs, but held it together and looked like a thoroughbred. The judges were foaming, Len saying it was her best dance yet, while Bruno went mental – shouting and screaming that he had the fever. The result? Three 10s and a 9. This girl is the one to beat.

Another week and another top show. Really enjoyable stuff, and everyone pretty much stepped up to the plate. Me? I think Kenny and John should be worried, and even Kelly and Brendan may not be safe tomorrow.