Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks transformed into a rope-swinging jungle man during Movie Week.
Channelling George of the Jungle – the 1997 film featuring Brendan Fraser as a knockoff Tarzan – with his pro partner Jowita Przystał, the former Celebs Go Dating contestant displayed some questionable thrusts throughout the sequence, yet left judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke eating out of the palm of his muck-encrusted hand.
Over on social media, the temperature seemed warmly in favour of Pete and his loincloth, as one Strictly viewer wrote: “Pete Wicks as George of the Jungle is exactly what we needed to see on a Saturday night”.
“Pete Wicks is everything I love about #Strictly he’s now been strictly-fied and it’s brilliant to watch him embrace the madness and let loose,” added somebody else.
The Strictly professionals in their Minions outfits. (BBC Public Service/Kieron McCarron)
Earlier in the show, a manic and colourful Minions-themed professionals routine unfolded before the celebrities hit the floor.
Headed up by Kai Widdrington as pointy-nosed Gru – voiced by Steve Carrell in the phenomenally popular animated franchise – dressed in all black and a stripy scarf, the piece saw the likes of Carlos Gu, Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones decked out with yellow bodysuits and blue dungarees as the supervillain’s babbling henchmen.
The accompanying music gave their performance an air of absolute madness as the choreographers pulled out all sorts of shapes across the ballroom.
Follow all the updates in our live blog below…
Live28 updates
Sat 5 October 2024 at 9:07 pm CEST
33 points for Shayne and Nancy
How did that feedback impact the scores? Let’s find out…
Craig – 8
Motsi – 9
Shirley – 8
Anton – 8
33 is Shayne and Nancy’s score and they’re clearly happy about it – jumping up and down. That brings their series score to 85.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 9:04 pm CEST
Shayne brings Elvis to Strictly
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu are offering their tribute to Austin Butler’s iconic (yeah, things can be iconic even though they’ve only been out a few years) performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic. To do this, they’re dancing a Viennese Waltz to If I Can Dream.
Entering the stage in a white suit and immaculately coiffed hair, Shayne sends Nancy, whose dressed in elegant baby blues, spinning as the dance unfurls.
He even dishes up his best “thank you very much” to Tess when they’re done.
“The King would’ve loved that,” smiles Anton, starting the feedback. “I absolutely loved it,” agreed Craig, clearly a Presley Stan. Motsi liked it too, with Shirley adding even more Poppins quotes to her feedback. “You clearly had a spoonful of sugar because that was sweet!
“You were in your zone… absolutely great.”
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:58 pm CEST
30 for Sam and Nikita
Time for some more scores. Let’s see what Sam and Nikita got…
Craig – 7
Motsi – 8
Shirley – 7
Anton – 8
That’s 30 in total and a series-so-far score of 75. Nice!
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:56 pm CEST
Sam and Nikita deliver a “hot” Tomb Raider routine
Sam and Nikita are delving deep for a Lara Croft-themed Paso Doble to Elevation from the Tomb Raider soundtrack.
It’s a steamy affair as the pair make their way across a stage packed with ancient ruins while dressed in sleek black outfits.
Sam ends the routine by sending Nikita flying, while she looks on triumphantly.
No one locked the butler in the fridge but that’s okay. It was still good.
“You had balance, strength, power, shaping… I thought that was incredible,” says Craig. “Hot, hot, hot.”
Shirley had some constructive feedback but liked it overall, “it was still a very very good well rounded job.”
Anton didn’t mind any of the other judges’ nit-picking points. “All in all for me, I thought it was a good performance. Best yet.”
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:50 pm CEST
JB gets a sugary 32
Oompa Loompa doopidy erm.. doors? Okay, fine. We’re not good at rhyming. Anyway, here are the scores.
Craig – 7
Motsi – 8
Shirley – 8
Anton – 9
That’s a very admirable 32 bringing their grand total so far to 90.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:48 pm CEST
JB and Amy deliver a sweet treat
Chocolate factory magic with Amy and JB. (BBC screenshot)
JB Gill and Amy Dowden welcome us into a world of Pure Imagination, dancing an American Smooth to Wonka’s eponymous track.
Wearing the chocolatier’s iconic top hat and tails, JB brings us dancing into his chocolate factory, complete with machinery, tubes and colourful doodads.
It’s a tame dance but one that the crowd seem to enjoy. Meanwhile, JB and Amy appear happy with their efforts.
Shirley seemed to like it. “You channelled your inner Wonka for sure,” she says, starting the feedback session. “It’s a perfect number for movie week,” adds Anton. “For me, it was like a proper musical theatre number,” says Craig, commenting on the theatricality of the dance. “You are becoming our showman.”
Motsi says JB is getting sweeter with each dance but suggests that he breathes and relaxes a little. Still, she thought it was one of the best numbers of the night so far.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:42 pm CEST
26 for Pete and Jowita
The scores are next to swing in. Here’s what the judges thought
Craig – 6
Motsi – 6
Shirley – 7
Anton – 7
That’s 26 in total and 65 for the series so far.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:40 pm CEST
Pete and Jowita swing into a samba
Jungle man Pete and Jowita. (BBC screenshot)
Pete and Jowita are next, dancing a Samba to the George Of The Jungle theme. Remember that movie? From 1997? Brendan Fraser was in it.
Pete swings into action wearing a leopard print loin cloth while Jowita soon joins him as his love interest Ursula. You all knew that George’s girlfriend was called Ursula, right? Course we all did.
Meanwhile, the Strictly stage is transformed into a jungle with palm trees and elephants. Are there too many crotchy hip-swivels? Maybe.
What do the judges think?
“Those hips were going for broke,” says Tess, saying what everyone’s thinking.
“I love that you don’t take yourself too seriously but you take the dance seriously,” says Shirley. “I have to commend you… It’s great to see you every week improving… be proud of yourself.”
Anton agrees with Shirley. “I look forward to [your dances],” he starts. “You’re improving enormously every week… please keep this going.”
Craig had the usual gripes but did find some stuff to like. “I think this is your personal best,” he says.
Surely, George happy?
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:33 pm CEST
Sarah and Vito conjure up 33 points
Accio scoreboards! Let’s see what the judges thought:
Craig – 8
Motsi – 9
Shirley – 8
Anton – 8
That’s 33 for this pair – McGonagall would be proud! Their series-so-far score is 95.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:31 pm CEST
Stricty pays tribute to Dame Maggie Smith
The late great Dame Maggie Smith was honoured by Sarah. (BBC screenshot)
Last week, we all lost cinema icon Dame Maggie Smith and tonight, Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola will be paying tribute to Harry Potter’s Professor McGonagall with a Viennese Waltz to Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter.
“It’s time to sprinkle some magic on the Strictly dancefloor,” says Sarah.
From the get-go, we’re transported to Hogwarts as Sarah, dressed in Professor McGonagall’s signature emerald green, joins a cloaked Vito in an elegant waltz, full of spins and delicate footwork.
Lights sparkle around them, giving the ballroom a magic vibe – Sarah even whips out a wand to end things off.
“I think you may have cast a spell over the judges,” says Tess, as the crowd gives the pair a standing ovation. Anton was very impressed with the duo’s moves, offering some advice for head positioning with Shirley as his practice dance partner.
Craig was no Death Eater this time around – he loved it – and Motsi agreed: “That was the highlight of the night,” she gushes. “For me, until now, the best dance.”
Shirley reaches into her magic bag for her feedback session, dishing out some magic shoes for Craig and a glitterball for Motsi. It’s all heel and ball for her critique “but other than that darling, you are showing marvelous potential”
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:23 pm CEST
It’s a score of 19 for Paul
What about Paul’s scores?
Craig – 3
Motsi – 5
Shirley – 5
Anton – 6
That’s 19 for these two gunslingers, bringing their series total to 51.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:22 pm CEST
Paul becomes a Cha Cha cowboy
Paul and Karen horsing around. (BBC screenshot)
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer are on stage next, dancing a Cha Cha to The Magnificent Seven theme tune.
Usually, cowboys end their adventures by riding off into the sunset but the pair are starting their dance with that familiar movie motif.
With a saloon backdrop, cowboy hats and tassle-y pants, this one’s every bit a Western. Will it be enough to impress the judges?
Shirley starts us off: “You really brought the Western feel to it, I’ll give you that,” she begins, saying his dancing is getting there gradually. “It’s on a steady pace forward,” she suggests.
“You are showing effort at mastering the technique,” adds Anton before quickly tempering expectations by reminding him “You haven’t done it yet… keep going!”
Craig wasn’t pleased. “What it lacked in hip action you certainly made up for in characterisation,” he says adding “I’ve actually seen an improvement!”
Paul seems to be taking it in his stride, saying: “It couldn’t get any worse could it?”
Meanwhile, his mum loved it – watching with a proud smile from the crowd.
Aww.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:15 pm CEST
Real Kenergy scores for Tasha and Aljaž
We’re sure those positive comments will be reflected in the score. Speaking of which…
Craig – 8
Motsi – 8
Shirley – 9
Anton – 9
That’s a total of 34. Added to their series total, that brings them up to 99. Clearly, this pair are one to beat!
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:12 pm CEST
Shirley dishes high praise on Tasha and Aljaž’s Barbie and Ken
Serious Barbie energy from Tasha and Aljaž. (BBC screenshot)
Tasha and Aljaž are summoning all of their Kenergy for a Rumba to What Was I Made For? from 2023’s hit movie Barbie.
The pre-dance chat reveals that this week’s routine is going to be extra hard for the hearing-impaired Tasha, as the backing track is so quiet and there are lots of key moves to. hit.
That’s not deterred her though.
The duo take to the stage to deliver a delicate number, each dressed in pink and framed with pink and blue stage lighting. It’s quiet and touching stuff.
“You could hear a pin-drop in this room,” says Tess – and she’s not wrong.
What did the judges think? Craig had issues with the transitions “but my goodness, those legs. The arms were fluid, expressive… it was strong, strong, strong storytelling.
“Absolutely exquisite” he concludes.
Motsi liked it too “you are one of our best,” she smiles. “That was a great Rumba.”
“I found it really quite moving,” suggests Shirley, “Your fluidity, for me, was beautiful.” She says she’s been judging the Royal Albert Hall World Championships and their dance bested some of their top contenders.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:05 pm CEST
30 for Chris and Dianne
The scorecards are about to be revealed:
Craig – 7
Motsi – 7
Shirley – 8
Anton – 8
That’s a score of 30 – bringing the pair up to a series-so-far score of 82. If that isn’t a reason to party on, we don’t know what is.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 8:03 pm CEST
“We’re not worthy!” say Chris and Dianne
Motsi described their musicality as “extraordinary”. (BBC screenshot)
“We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” say Chris and Dianne, taking the floor and paying tribute to the Strictly judges.
“Your body was so co-ordinated.. [it was] so well done,” smiles Motsi, starting the feedback. “This is not ordinary, this is extraordinary.”
Shirley didn’t see any hiccups “Your musicality is unbelievable… and your jive action is very good… I was hugely impressed.”
What about Anton? “You were just joyous. It was a great, great jive. I enjoyed every second of it.”
Craig loved it too. NOT.
“You need to be a little more up on your toes,” he starts, “but… it was packed full of fantastic rhythm… you can dance.”
Chris sounds taken aback: “I was trying to think of something to say to you to have a go at you… but I don’t have to,” he jokes.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 7:59 pm CEST
Chris and Dianne ‘Party On;’ to Wayne’s World theme
Dianne and Chris rocking out. (BBC screenshot)
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell are on next, transforming into Wayne and Garth for a Jive to the movie’s iconic theme tune.
The pair start in Wayne’s basement – only this isn’t Wayne’s basement – this is the Strictly stage, and the duo waste no time tearing it up.
With rocking reds and blues illuminating them, Chris and Dianne add a little Jive formality that conflicts with their grunge costume choices.
They even make time for a little headbanging in the Mirthmobile AKA Wayne and Garth’s signature blue car. The dance culminates in a little spin with a Fender Stratocaster joining the two dancers.
The crowd are loving it.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 7:55 pm CEST
15 for Toyah
Time for Toyah’s scores:
Craig – 3
Motsi – 4
Shirley – 4
Anton – 4
That’s a total of just 15, it’s the pair’s second highest score giving them an overall series score of 45.
Sat 5 October 2024 at 7:54 pm CEST
Toyah’s husband boos Craig
Craig Revel Horwood telling Robert Fripp to sit down. (BBC screenshot)
“I can tell you were enjoying that character,” smiles Tess of Toyah and Neil’s routine.
“Everything powerful and in control is what you did,” smiles Shirley, starting the judging process. However, while she shares some point-deducting mi-ups she’s quick to focus on the positives: ‘You know what I love about you? You just keep going and give it 100%.”
Anton agrees with Shirley’s mistake comments but says he thought it was a very good effort. Craig didn’t like it though “It was all a bit stuck in the mud,” he laments.
The crowd are booing – with Toyah’s husband leading the jeers!
Motsi loved the look. “I enjoyed that intensely,” she smiles but admitted she needed a bit more.
Will it be enough to save Toyah from a second dance off?
Sat 5 October 2024 at 7:50 pm CEST
“I really want to get this right”
Toyah and Neil with their Little Mermaid tribute. (BBC screenshot)
She’s been bottom of the leader-board last but can movie week change everything for Toyah?
“My breath was taken away when we got through,’ she said in the pre-dance interview. “I really, really want to get this right.”
Taking to the stage as Disney baddie Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Toyah and neil are dancing a Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid.
There are distinct under-the-sea vibes as the pair make their way across the Strictly stage, with Toyah channelling her inner Sea Witch to make sure she doesn’t find herself dancing for her life again.
The routine ends with the singer vamping it up, standing on a clearly defeated Neil.
Movie week songs and dances
Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe – Tango to One Night Only from Dreamgirls
Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez – Couples Choice to bole Chudiyan from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin – Paso Doble to Elevation – Tomb Raider Mix from Tomb Raider
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola – Viennese Waltz to Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter
Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec – Rumba to What Was I Made For from Barbie
Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones – Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell – Jive to Wayne’s World Theme/Bohemian Rhapsody from Wayne’s World
Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas – Quickstep to I’m Still Standing from Rocketman
JB Gill and Amy Dowden – American Smooth to Pure Imagination from Wonka
Paul Merson and Karen Hauer – Cha Cha to The Magnificent Seven from The Magnificent Seven
Pete Wicks and Jowitza Przystal – Samba to George of The Jungle from George of The Jungle
Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu – Viennese Waltz to If I Can Dream from Elvis
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones – Cha Cha to Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag from Mrs Doubtfire
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One at 6.25pm on Saturday.