Strictly Come Dancing's Montell Douglas wows judges with joyous Couple's Choice
The Olympian and partner Johannes Radebe won a near-perfect score.
Strictly Come Dancing's Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe left the judges stunned with an incredible Carnival-inspired performance on this week's show.
Dancing their Couple's Choice to Skeleton Move by Master KG and Zanda Zakuza, Douglas chose to pay tribute to both her Caribbean heritage and her late grandmother, who first ignited in her a passion for music and movement.
The Olympian explained in her pre-dance VT: "This Couple's Choice dance pays homage to my Caribbean roots. It is Caribbean-inspired, Afro-infused, and it brings together mine and Johannes's cultures so beautifully."
Sitting down in her family home, Douglas teased the dance for her nearest and dearest, saying: "The concept is we're getting ready for Carnival, we're bringing the party this week."
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She went on to movingly explain how her beloved grandmother passed away last year, which was a devastating loss as she helped to raise Montell and was the "backbone" of the Douglas family.
"Nan giving us the spirit of dance and love and movement is just really special. I really want to do this for her," she shared with her loved ones.
It's safe to say that she did not let anyone down, with the audience and judging panel going wild for their electric and joyous performance.
Motsi Mabuse said that she "absolutely loved" the performance, while Shirley Ballas said that Montell's nan is proudly "looking down" on her tonight and had "sprinkled her magic dust" on the "exceptional" performance.
Anton Du Beke concluded: "What a celebration! A celebration of a dance, a celebration of a night – do one thing for me: if you make the final, you do that again."
Ultimately, the couple scored a near-perfect 39 points, with Craig Revel Horwood predictably being the only holdout – giving the couple nine points, while the other three judges gave 10s.
The fantastic result places Montell and Johannes joint first on this week's Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard, tying with EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas, who also impressed the judges with their Paso Doble.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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