Scott Mills' Strictly verdict - week eight: Strictly has a new superstar in Georgia May Foote
Georgia's Charleston "definitely deserved the highest score of the season," says former contestant and Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills
Another week, another set of incredible dances from Elstree. With Blackpool just around the corner, the stakes have never been higher.
Anita opened the show with the quickstep. I particularly liked her training video beforehand, with Gleb making sure she practised the same step over and over – it really showed how intense training for Strictly is, no matter how many weeks you are into the competition. Watching her feet flying everywhere – don’t worry, they were meant to – was great, and it was an energetic way to start this week’s show.
I think the main thing I took away from this week’s show was that Len seems to know The Wanted’s back catalogue, which was definitely a relief for Jay. If we could dedicate a whole episode of Len’s lens to that, I’d be really grateful. Jay’s foxtrot was really emotional to watch and the small slip up was a shame, but it can happen to anyone on the night and I thought he recovered brilliantly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RHv6RxiNco
Helen’s tango to Hold Back The River (great song choices this week) was sharp, precise and captivating to watch. She looked incredible and so poised throughout the whole dance – even Craig had (mostly) nice things to say!
Katie looked absolutely beautiful and her dance with Anton was wonderful. I thought her acting was incredibly convincing, which is difficult when you have to remember all the steps too. Craig may have thought it was too melodramatic for him, but I don’t think anyone else watching agreed. Craig had cheered up by Peter’s graceful Vienesse Waltz though. His performance was excellent, and that reflected in his scores. It was like watching one of those professional first dances at a wedding – you could feel the emotion and the moves were wonderful to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aseZU0lweE
Did I ever think I’d see a samba joined with hip-hop, done to The Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff, and done on Strictly? Not really, but thank you to Kevin and Kellie for bringing it to the nation. Their dances are always so theatrical and fun, and this was no exception. It may have split the judges, but I thought it was brilliant and you could tell that the audience did too.
Kellie’s dance would’ve been my dance of the week if Georgia’s heart-stopping Charleston hadn’t happened. Armed with a hat and everything, she threw herself into the energy and theatre of the dance. Who else held their breath when she did that flip? So incredibly brave, especially as she’d hurt herself in practice sessions. It definitely deserved the highest score of the season – I think Strictly has a new superstar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaoDElHUIqw
The dance off – which is always the most difficult part of the show – was between Jeremy’s Going Underground-inspired quickstep, and Jamelia’s samba. I’ve loved Jeremy’s theatrics throughout the competition this year, and he should be so proud of how far he’s come and how hard he’s worked. It’s always difficult to see people go throughout the series, but I’ve got to admit I’m really looking forward to seeing how glamorous Blackpool is on Saturday…
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC1 this Saturday
