Meet Molly Rainford: Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant

Molly is hoping to impress with a Quickstep to Love on Top by Beyoncé, as selected by the judges; a rumba to All the Man That I Need by Whitney Houston for her favourite dance from season 20; and finally, a Showdance to Kiss/1999 by Prince.

But will this be enough for Molly to lift the Glitterball? And could we see her pro partner Carlos Gu getting his first ever win in his first season of Strictly?

As we wait for the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 winner to be announced, here's everything you need to know about Molly’s rise to fame and her time on the dance floor.

Who is Molly Rainford?

Age: 21

Job: Singer and actress

Instagram: @mollyrainford

Twitter: @mollyrainford

Molly Rainford first became known for appearing in the sixth season of Britain's Got Talent at the age of just 11. The singer went on to become the show's youngest ever finalist at the time, performing Ave Maria in the final and finishing sixth overall. Following BGT, Rainford was given a scholarship at the Sylvia Young Theatre School – the first ever drama school scholarship to be granted by Simon Cowell and Sony Music.

After graduating, Rainford went on to star in the lead role in CBBC series Nova Jones about an intergalactic pop superstar. The second season of the show is set to air this year, while a third has already been filmed. Rainford has also released two EPs, including her single Commitment.

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Molly's Strictly journey

Scoreboard

Week 1: Samba (7+8+8+8) = 31

Week 2: Quickstep (8+9+9+8) = 34

Week 3: Waltz (8+9+9+8) = 34

Week 4: Cha Cha Cha (8+9+9+9) = 35

Week 5: Couple's Choice (6+8+8+8) = 30

Week 6: Argentine Tango (6+9+9+9) = 33

Week 7: Foxtrot (8+9+9+9) =35

Week 8: Rumba (9+9+10+9) = 37

Week 9: Jive (8+9+9+9) = 35

Week 10: Tango (8+9+9+9) = 35

Week 11: Charleston (9+10+10+9) = 38

Week 12: American Smooth (8+9+9+10) + Paso Doble (9+10+10+10) = 36+39 = 75

Molly burst onto the Strictly dance floor with a high-energy Samba and continued to impress the judges over subsequent weeks, with her sharp routines earning impressive scores.

Her Quickstep to Love on Top by Beyoncé was enough to propel her to the top of the leaderboard, and she's been comfortably in the upper tiers of the scoreboard ever since, thanks to a moving Waltz to One Hand, One Hand from West Side Story in movie week and a truly dazzling Cha Cha Cha in Week 4.

In Week 5, though, her Couple's Choice routine to the Grange Hill theme tune proved slightly less of a hit with the judges and she and partner Carlos Gu received 30 points.

The pair eventually had to take part in the dreaded dance off, but remained in the competition after the judges chose to send Jayde Adams home instead.

Despite finding herself in the bottom two, Molly came back fighting in Week 6 of the competition and put her all into a fiery Argentine Tango to iconic track Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.

Despite a stellar effort, her routine split the judges opinion, with Craig Revel Horwood saying he wants to see more from her in her future performances.

Molly took the judges' constructive criticism on board for Week 7 when she performed a Foxtrot to My Sun and Stars' song You Make Me Happy and came in third on the leaderboard with a score of 35.

However, it wasn't quite enough to wow viewers at home as Molly and Carlos found themselves in the bottom two against Ellie Simmonds.

The pair fought hard for their place in the competition and were voted through to Week 8 where they impressed with their Rumba to All The Man That I Need by Whitney Houston.

The raunchy but romantic routine earned them a 37 and a 10 from the Rumba Queen herself, Shirley Ballas.

Sadly, Molly found herself back in the bottom two during the Blackpool extravaganza in Week 9.

But her energetic Jive to Bandstand Boogie by Barry Manilow just edged Tyler West's routine, and Molly was saved to dance another day.

Thanks to the stiff competition this year, Molly found herself in the middle of the leaderboard after securing 35 points with a Tango to Bad Guy by Billie Eilish in Week 10. However, her dance was enough for her to make it through to Week 11.

Last weekend, Molly and Carlos upped their score with a Charleston to Hot Honey Rag from Chicago, scoring 38 and coming in joint second place.

In the semi-finals, they were awarded a combined score of 75 for their American Smooth and Paso Doble.

What has Molly Rainford said about joining Strictly 2022?

Speaking about joining this year's Strictly line-up, Rainford said: "I'm so excited to be part of Strictly Come Dancing, I've watched it for years and can't wait to meet the pros and the others taking part! I can't wait to learn the moves and get dancing!"

Meanwhile, on Instagram she wrote: "The secret’s finally out, I can’t believe it… I’m doing Strictly!! I already know it’s gonna be an experience of a lifetime & I can’t wait to meet the rest of the @bbcstrictly family I’ll be sharing it with. Get me to the dance floor".

The final of Strictly Come Dancing is on Saturday 17th December at 7:05pm on BBC One.

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