Strictly 2023: Ellie Leach gets highest scoring Halloween Salsa EVER with killer moves

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Ellie Leach tops leaderboard after getting two 10s (BBC)

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Ellie Leach 'killer' on the dancefloor as she gets two 10s

Ellie Leach had 'so much fun' dancing with Vitto (BBC)

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola wowed judges getting two 10s this week for their super scary Salsa to Murder On The Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Leach admitted she was terrified when she was doing the lifts but the judges hailed it the best dance of the night as she closed the show.

Anton Du Beke said: "You are like a pocket rocket."

Craig Revel Horwood praised her, saying: "I loved the cross genres. It was a disco salsa as well. Incredible!"

Motsi Mabuse added: "Let's be honest. It was the dance of the night!"

Shirley Ballas agreed: "What a way to close. Forget, Murder On The Dancefloor - this was KILLER on the dancefloor."

Scores: 9, 10, 10, 9

Nigel Harman admits he had a few mistakes

Nigel Harman and Katya Jones put on a scary wedding dance (BBC)

Zombie wedding bells were ringing as Nigel Harman and Katya Jones danced the Cha Cha to I Was Made For Lovin’ You by KISS.

Harman admitted he made a few mistakes once the judges had cast their comments on the dance.

Shirley Ballas had some criticism for the actor as she pointed out he had made mistakes. With the audience clearly unhappy, she delivered her feedback saying: "I'm so sorry but that's what it is."

Anton Du Beke agreed with the head judge and playfully said: "You have been told off by Dame Shirley."

Anton Du Beke showed off how the hip action should look (BBC)

The judge - dressed as the mad scientist from Back to the Future - got up to demonstrate how he would like Harman to nail his hip action.

Craig Revel Horwood, however, had nothing but praise for the pair. He said: "I love it when you put two dances together."

I think Nigel is just teasing us. I can actually dance. When you start dancing it's actually brilliant. You know how to look focussed. But then you're like I'm going to make them wait!

Scores: 8, 7, 7, 8

Annabel Croft shows off her fiery side

Annabel Croft was on fire with her Tango (BBC)

Annabel Croft was devilishly sexy as she performed the Tango with Johannes Radebe to Need U Tonight by INXS.

Having become known for her softer and sweet side, the tennis star showed the judges a fiery side to her character.

Anton Du Beke paid tribute to the late Strictly judge Len Goodman as he said he would have loved this dance.

The tennis showed the fiery side to her character tonight (BBC)

He said: "Dear old Len would have loved this. Absolutely brilliant. All Tangoed! It was a joyous Tango that was done very nicely."

Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas had similar notes on the sizzling dance. She said: "It did start strong and most of what I loved was this partnership. I love the way you interact, it is so beautiful."

Shirley Ballas: "We must have been copying in school. We have the same notes."

Scores: 7, 7, 7, 8

Angela Rippon pulled off a 'swivel masterpiece'

Angela Rippon was in character from Murder She Wrote (BBC)

Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington danced up a storm with their Charleston to Murder She Wrote (TV Theme song).

At times, a man of few words, Craig Revel Horwood had seven words of high praise for Rippon. He said: "That my dear was a swivel masterpiece!"

Stunned he didn't say more, Motsi Mabuse said: "I thought you were going to say more!"

The dance was a "swivel masterpiece" (BBC)

She added: "You make everything look so easy."

Shirley Ballas, however, pointed out there were a few mistakes which was met from boos in the audience. She said: "Play it back. You will see she was not quite synchronised. I have to be fair to everyone! But you are absolutely stunning."

Scores: 9, 8, 8, 8

Krishnan Guru-Murthy is 'unrecognisable' in Halloween dance

Krishnan Guru-Murthy was so spooky in his storytelling this weekend (BBC)

Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley were unrecognisable as Jekyll and Hyde for their Viennese Waltz to Kiss From A Rose by Seal.

Dressed as the mad scientist from Back to the Future, Anton Du Beke praised the newsreader's footwork but had some advice when it comes to holding in frame.

"Your footwork throughout was really, really super," he said.

The newsreader impressed Du Beke with his footwork (BBC)

"Your frame needs a bit of work. No one wants a floppy frame. Your right arm seems to be the problem. She needs, your partner, needs your arm in this position. This is really, really important. If you lose this, your whole thing comes undone. If you work on this, and keep this, you are going to be a wonderful ballroom dancer."

Craig Revel Horwood praised the star for his storytelling. He added: "I did not recognise you darling, the characterisation!"

Scores: 6, 7, 6, 8

Bobby Brazier going 'all the way' in Strictly

Dianne Buswell and Bobby Brazier wowed with their Hansel and Gretel dance (BBC)

Bobby Brazier will dance his way to the Strictly final, Mosti Mabuse declared.

The EastEnders actor swayed his hips while dancing the Cha Cha with Dianne Buswell to Come-On-A-My-House by Della Reese.

There were sweet moments where the pair were getting into character, pretending to gobble sweets in front of the Hasel and Gretel house.

Mabuse hit out at Revel Horwood for his criticism as she told Brazier: "You are a competitor going all the way."

She pleaded with her fellow judge saying: "Come on Craig! There was such a powerful attack."

They got into character as Hansel and Gretel (BBC)

Revel Horwood had marked the couple down. He said: "It was rigid and flatfooted. You need to concentrate on your arm that is free, it is wayward, darling. Your hips on fire. Is there anything your bottom cannot do? I loved it but technically it's not there."

But Anton Du Beke had high praise for Brazier and Buswell, saying: "Absolutely tremendous. Great energy. This is what I'm after! I'll have plenty more of this."

Scores: 6, 9, 7, 8

Layton Williams gets 9s for his terrifying Tango

Layton Williams made history last week on Strictly (BBC)

Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin had all the charm as they took on the role of seductive vampires for their terrifying Tango to Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo.

They made history last week, scoring three incredible tens and the first 39 in week 5 in 13 years.

Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood sung their praises after the spectacular dance.

Mabuse gushed: "My heart is still beating... You entertain me, you entertain my soul."

Craig Revel Horwood gave a balanced response, saying: "For me, this was a theatrical triumph. I can say, your lead is not as strong as your follow. But I love, love, loved it."

Keen to push him to get better and better, head judge Shirley Ballas urged Williams to work on his footwork and Anton Du Beke did agree.

Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9

Zara McDermott stuns with more wonderful lifts

Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima danced as sparkling skeletons (BBC)

Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima sent shivers down our spines with their sparkling skeleton costumes on the dancefloor.

They brought all the fun to their Charleston to Jeepers Creepers by Al Donahue and his Orchestra.

The pair continued to wow with their lifts but the judges had plenty of advice for the former Love Island star on how to improve too.

Craig Revel Horwood said: "It was a Charleston by numbers. You made it look a bit heavy. But I love the lifts. You had great swivel."

They brought lots of fun to their Halloween dance (BBC)

Motsi Mabuse had some advice, saying: "You managed to dance without a mistake, with your presentation, that's a job well done! I still think you need to risk it, it's too careful. You are still holding on. It needs the wildness, the speedy."

Anton Du Beke said there had been "tremendous improvement" and the dance was "well rehearsed". "We want a bit more flow," he said. Shirley Ballas agreed they wanted "freedom".

Scores: 6, 6, 6, 7

Adam Thomas bewitches audiences with his Harry Potter-themed dance

Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk had everyone spellbound (BBC)

Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk pulled off a spooktacular Harry Potter-themed dance with their American Smooth to Magic Moments by Perry Como.

The judges were left spellbound and had heaps of praise, with the exception of notoriously harsh Craig Revel Horwood.

Anton Du Beke said: "We had a magic moment watching your footwork... You did it perfectly. It was just a delight! Why am I so surprised? You should dance like that. What a lovely routine. Well done you."

However, Revel Horwood admitted it was a bit "sickly" for him. "There was a timing issue over here when you weren't in sync," he said. "It was very clean and good footwork," he added though.

Shirley Ballas reassured Thomas over Revel Horwood's critical comments. "There were some magic moments," she said. "You were on the spooky train to success."

Motsi Mabuse said hailed the dance as Thomas' best and he said the ballroom part was the "best" of his dancing ability.

"Everyone would like a student like you, I see direction," she said.

Scores: 7, 9, 8, 8