Meet Ellie Taylor: Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant
The comedian and Ted Lasso star is hoping to impress with her fancy footwork.
She had a fantastic run on Strictly Come Dancing, and Ellie Taylor’s reactions to being voted through each week became legendary.
But the comedian, 39, and her pro partner Johannes Radebe sadly lost their place in the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 line-up last week, bringing their 10 weeks in the competition to an end.
The couple had been bottom of the leaderboard during Week 9’s show in Blackpool, and then failed to make an impression when they took on the Jive to Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison last week.
After entering the dance-off against Fleur East, the judges decided to save the former X Factor contestant over Ellie, and she was sent home.
As her fellow celebrities take on their Week 11 Strictly Come Dancing 2022 songs and dances, let’s remind ourselves of Ellie’s incredible comedy career and her Strictly journey.
Who is Ellie Taylor?
Age: 39
Job: Comedian, broadcaster, writer and actor
Instagram: @elliejanetaylor
Twitter: @elliejanetaylor
Ellie Taylor began her career as a stand-up comedian after appearing on ITV’s Show Me the Funny.
She has gone on to write and perform five stand-up specials, Elliementary (2015), Infidelliety (2016), This Guy (2017–2018), Cravings (2019), which was featured in Netflix’s Comedians of the World series, and Don't Got This (2019-2021).
However, she is best known for her appearances on the BBC’s Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and The Mash Report, and Late Night Mash on Dave.
Most recently, she appeared as a co-host on Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down.
She also starred in Apple TV’s hit comedy series Ted Lasso, in which she portrayed Flo ‘Sassy’ Collins, Rebecca’s best friend and Ted’s (Jason Sudeikis) on/off love interest.
In 2021, she published her debut book, My Child and Other Mistakes, which became a Sunday Times bestseller.
Ellie's Strictly journey
Scoreboard
Week One: Quickstep (6+7+7+8) = 28
Week Two: Paso Doble (4+7+5+7) = 23
Week Three: Cha Cha Cha (4+6+5+6) = 21
Week Four: Viennese Waltz (7+8+7+8) = 30
Week Five: Tango (7+7+7+8) = 29
Week Six: Couple's Choice (8+9+9+9) = 35
Week Seven: Rumba (3+7+5+7) = 22
Week Eight: Charleston (7+8+8+8) = 31
Week Nine: American Smooth (7+8+8+8) = 31
Week Ten: Jive (5+7+6+7) = 25
Ellie impressed the judges with her Quickstep in Week 1 and was visibly shocked when she scored a whopping 28 points on the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 leaderboard.
"I really thought, if I'm lucky, I'd get threes and fours. That is what was in my head so I was totally surprised," she said. "It has made me go, 'I can go out there and I can do it.' I can remember the choreography which is the thing I was really worried about. I was just so petrified of blanking, and I didn't feel like that when I went out there, I was so pleased.
"The aim for this week is to get to that position, but we have obviously got less time to rehearse this one so the pressure is on."
Ellie then had a tough few weeks with the Paso Double and then with the Cha Cha Cha, receiving lower scores from the judges and some criticism about her footwork from Shirley Ballas.
Week 4 saw a marked improvement, though, with Ellie picking up her highest scores yet for her farmyard-themed Viennese Waltz.
In week 5, she went on to receive a very respectable 29 for her Casualty-themed Tango, which saw her and Radebe don scrubs to pay tribute to the long-running BBC medical drama.
But Week 6 marked a huge turning point in Ellie's Strictly journey, as she landed her biggest score yet – 35 for her memorable Couple's Choice routine. It saw her at the top of the leaderboard for the first time.
In a dramatic drop, Week 7 saw the pair score just 22 points and end up second to last. Craig Revel Horwood was booed in the studio as he lifted his three paddle, while Shirley Ballas opted for a five, and Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke a seven.
But Week 8 saw Ellie and Johannes back on form when they performed the Charleston to Friendship by Elaine Paige and Bernard Cribbins – and landed their second highest score of the season.
When the Strictly cast descended on Blackpool for Week 9, Ellie couldn't believe her luck, and danced a beautiful and classy American Smooth to Cilla Black's You’re My World.
The traditional choreography landed the pair a strong 31. However, due to stiff competition, this put Ellie and Johannes at the bottom of the leaderboard – but they were sent through by the public.
Week 10 saw the pair dance a Jive to Van Morrison's hit song, Brown Eyed Girl. However, their dance was less of a hit with the judges and Ellie scored just 25 - dropping six marks from the week before. She then entered the dance-off, but the judges voted to save fellow contestant Fleur East, meaning Ellie's journey came to an end.
What has Ellie Taylor said about joining Strictly 2022?
Speaking about joining the Strictly 2022 line-up, Ellie said: “Well, cover me in fake tan and roll me in sequins! I'm absolutely over the moon to be a part of Strictly 2022!"
She added: "I've watched the show for years so to be able to take to the dance floor is a dream come true, for both me and mum who is a Strictly super fan! At the moment I'm focusing on the excitement and glitter and choosing to ignore the fact that I have the dancing ability of a newly born giraffe. Bring it on!"
The quarter-final of Strictly Come Dancing continues on Friday 2nd December at 8pm on BBC One, with the results show airing on Saturday 3rd December at 5:40pm.
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