Strictly Come Dancing 2021 live: All the action from Week 6 as it happens

And for the first time in a couple of weeks we don't have anyone sitting out this time around, with Judi Love having made a recovery from COVID, so it really is all to play for as the competition continues to heat up.

We'll be updating this blog throughout the night with all the best action and reaction from the dancefloor – read on for all the latest updates.

8:56

So at the end of tonight's show, Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice sit proudly at the top of the leaderboard after their stunning tango earned them full marks from the judges – the earliest 40 in the show's history.

Next up are AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington who scored 37 for their Viennese Waltz, with Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin rounding out the top 3.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Sara and Aljaž are in trouble after scoring just 23 points for their Couple's choice, while Judi Love and Dan Walker are both also in danger with scores of 25 and 27 respectively.

And that’s all from RadioTimes.com‘s live blog for this evening. Join us again next Saturday as the competition continues to heat up!

And if you want to see the scores in full, you can check out the freshly updated Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard.

8:48

It's 29 points for Tom – and the vote is now open! If you don’t know what to do to have your say, check out our handy guide on how to vote in Strictly Come Dancing 2021.

8:44

An electrifying performance to close this week's show, as Tom rids himself of his more jovial side to put on rather a scary show!

8:40

Last up tonight it's Tom and Amy, who will be dancing the Tango to AC/DC's Highway to Hell – chosen especially by Tom's kids. No pressure, then...

8:39

Chants of "Judi, Judi, Judi" erupted from her fellow competitors after that performance, and the judges looked to have enjoyed it for the most part as well (apart from Craig, perhaps unsurprisingly). After all that, it's a total score of 25 – her joint highest of the series so far.

8:32

Judi's done well to bounce back from what sounded like a nasty bout of COVID for this week's show – and will now be dancing a Cha Cha to Olivia Newton-John's Physical, adding a spooky twist to what was intended to be her dance last week.

8:30

29 points for Adam and Katya – the exact same score they managed last week, but that puts them second from the bottom of this week's leaderboard. That could put them in danger...

8:26

Adam is now dancing the Vienesse Waltz to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, how will he fare with the judges?

8:22

The character work and choreography gets lots of praise from Craig – and Tilly ends with a score of 35. Let's hope none of the other dancers are green with envy about that...

8:16

Tilly and Nikita have quite a task trying to follow that one up, but will attempt to impress the judges with a Cha Cha to the track Spooky Movies.

8:14

As Claudia says, that's the earliest 40 in Strictly history – what a moment!

8:13

Well, there was certainly nothing chilly about the rection to that Ice Queen-themed dance. A "perfect" from Anton, a "you smashed it" from Craig, an "epic" from Motsi, a video message from Ed Sheeran... and a perfect 40! Wow!

8:07

Rose and Giovanni have been going from strength to strength in recent weeks, can they keep up their good form with the Tango this week?

8:05

Sara admits that this dance was out of her comfort zone, but says she's proud of the performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't such a hit with the judges – with a score of 23 seeing her sit bottom of the leaderboard so far.

7:58

It's the Couple's Choice dance for Sara and Aljaz this week, as she turns to her role as a Dragon for inspiration.

7:56

Rather a mixed response to that performance from the panel, but Rhys still manages an impressive total of 33, one point more than he managed last time out. Let's hope it's enough to avoid another dance-off!

7:52

It's a War of the Worlds themed-Paso Doble from Rhys, as he looks to avoid being placed in the dance-off again – after surprisingly finishing in last week's bottom two.

7:47

A bit like watching a horror movie is Craig's verdict, although he does clarify that it is at least an entertaining horror movie. All told, Dan manages a score of 27 – including a very well-received 8 from Motsi. He's been towards the bottom of the leaderboard a few weeks running, will that be enough to change things this week?

7:39

Not often you see a Jive performed by a couple of lobsters – but that's the treat we've got in store next from Dan and Nadiya.

7:37

Some very positive comments from the panel – as AJ bags an incredible 37 points, her highest total so far. That will take some beating tonight!

7:33

AJ takes on the role of Medusa for her performance this week as she dances the Viennese Waltz to Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman. I'm sure her nieces and nephews will have loved it, but what will the judges think?

7:28

Scores are in – and it's 8 + 8 + 9 + 8 (33). A good start, even if Mad Hatter Craig did have one or two criticisms.

7:24

John and Johannes first up tonight with a werewolf-themed Quickstep to Bad Moon Rising – a very energetic way to kick things off, and they look to have impressed the judges.

7:20

Well if you weren't already looking forward to tonight's show, those costumes will certainly get you in the mood. Great effort from judges and contestants alike.

7:17

Quite an opening number there – as Tess comments, not often you'll see Darth Vader performing a pirouette! Perhaps one of the more surreal Halloween parties you'll be invited to this year...

7:14

A fun Halloween sketch to kick things off tonight – before we launch headfirst into a "joyful" opening number – some fantastic fancy dress on offer already!

7:10

And we're underway for Week 6! Time to see which couples will be avoiding the spookiest fate of all: coming bottom of the leaderboard.

7:05

Here’s your official five-minute warning for tonight’s show, and here are the Strictly songs and dances for Week 6:

• John Whaite and Johannes Radebe – Quickstep to Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington – Viennese Waltz to Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande
• Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu – Paso Doble to The Eve Of The War by Jeff Wayne
• Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec – Couple’s Choice to Queen Of The Night by Whitney Houston
• Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova – Jive to Rock Lobster by The B-52’s
• Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin – Cha Cha to Spooky Movies by Gary Paxton
• Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice – Shivers by Ed Sheeran
• Adam Peaty and Katya Jones – Viennese Waltz to Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven
• Judi Love and Graziano Di Prima – Cha Cha to Physical by Olivia Newton-John
• Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden – Tango to Highway To Hell by AC/DC

6:30

Good evening and welcome to this week's Strictly Come Dancing live blog! It's a Halloween-themed episode this week – so expect all sorts of spooky music and frightful costumes, as the couples aim to provide a (trick or) treat for the judging panel and avoid the terrrifying prospect of sitting bottom of the leaderboard.

The good news is that after sitting out last week's episode following a positive COVID test, Judi Love is back on the dancefloor tonight, having assured fans that she's "got through it."

If you need a refresher on how everybody’s doing, check out our Strictly leaderboard for last week’s scores.

And then, settle in for the evening and get ready for the start of the show at 7:10pm!

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday on BBC One. The results show airs Sunday at 7:15pm. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.