

Daisy and Alijaz’s salsa Danny Mac can move can’t he 😳 #Strictly— Harry Judd (@mcflyharry) November 12, 2016

Greg and Natalie’s paso doble

Ed!!!!!!!! That hip roll!! The lift! The jump! The blue! This is EPIC. Does he do weddings?! The finish!#bbcstrictly #GangnamStyle— jack monroe (@MxJackMonroe) November 12, 2016 Ore and Joanne’s rumba 7:00PMEd Balls goes Gangnam See Mary Berry is in the audience of #strictlyHollywood is sat at home, in a dark room, drunk on cheap beer and regret.— Scarlet Jones (@scarletbythesea) November 12, 2016 Danny Mac tangos to top but judges were harshThe first male celebrity of the series to tackle the tricky Argentine tango did a terrific job. Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse’s routine was passionate, precise, full of flicks, kicks and difficult technique. Yet judges Craig Revel Horwood and Darcey Bussell gave negative comments, much to the disbelief of the studio audience and many viewers at home. A score of 38 points was still enough to top the leaderboard but this felt like the panel injecting false jeopardy and trying to take the bookies’ favourite down a peg or two. Danny’s tears could have been down to frustration as much as emotion.

Louise and Kevin’s American Smooth Someone just ripped the roof off the @bbcstrictly ballroom AGAIN!!!! Ladies & Gents.. @edballs. 🕶 #GangnamStyle #wowhttps://t.co/sAOVp9P0Ig pic.twitter.com/O9hRFyIOfm—Ore Oduba (@OreOduba) November 12, 2016 Mary Berry is only there to check out the ‘Frangipane’ #scd #Strictly— Scott (@scottacr) November 12, 2016 They stole the show last week with a near-perfect Argentine tango. Can they match that triumph with this old-school, showbizzy number? Bob Fosse-style black feather fans to open and high kicks. This is great – Louise is bang into the character and singing along, lots of Hollywood style and jazzy flourishes. Slightly camp at times but that’s no bad thing under the glitterball. Spins and lifts to finish. Lovely. Music: ‘Big Spender’ by Shirley BasseyJudges’ verdicts: “You look the part, danced the part, it was the perfect part for you,” says Darcey. “Full of lovely details and a heavenly routine – just try and hold those shoulders down in the lifts.” Len says “You had a couple of fans over there and you’ve got a big fan over here. Right on the money – big spender, big attitude, you’re gonna get a big score. ” Bruno says “vamp it up, this is your leading lady moment, full of little accents, you’ve got it all, baby”. Craig says “my cork was well and truly popped, darling – love the mix of jazz and ballroom. Your confidence has grown, beautifully judged performance”. Judges’ scores: 9, 9, 9, 10 for a total of 37 points – second on the scoreboard Hi I’m Ed Balls and I’m here to save 2016!— Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) November 12, 2016 6:56PMThe B-word used already Roll flamingo ident! Roll recap! Roll Ed Balls’ Laurel and Hardy routine! Bye bye to Laura Whitmore. Take a swig every time the B-word is used tonight. Warning: you may end up in A&E. Don’t mention the B-wordNo, not Brexit. Nor anything ruder. We’re referring to Blackpool, site of next week’s special episode from the iconic Tower Ballroom. It got so many mentions on this show that even the donkeys on the Pleasure Beach must have been rolling their eyes.Louise looks like Danny’s closest rivalLouise Redknapp topped the standings last week, with Danny Mac in second place. Tonight, those positions were reversed. Louise and pro partner Kevin Clifton closed the show with an American Smooth full of feather boas, high kicks, jazzy flourishes and Hollywood glamour. Having come out of her shy shell, she’s on that thing so beloved by talent contests: “a journey”. With Ore Oduba having dropped down the rankings in recent weeks, she’s looking like a nailed-on finalist and Danny’s main competition for the glitterball trophy. They equalled their best score with last week’s Viennese waltz. Now it’s a a raw, authentic paso, which should suit Greg’s power and athleticism. Swishy skirtography from Natalie to start, then a leap from Greg and into a routine full of pouty, powerful passion. Lots of walking around, flamenco feel and some faltering footwork but some excellent stomping and a dramatic finish.Music: ‘Tamacun’ by Rodrigo y GabrielaJudges’ verdicts: Bruno coos that it was “strong and virile, difficult section in hold but you lost the shaping and artistry in the arms, my darling”. Craig agrees: “An air of panic about the whole thing which made it feel stiff but I loved the strong, deep, long lunges and stag leap.” Darcey says “You give off natural power, sometimes too much, tuck the hips under more but the shape of the jump was brilliant. There’s a natural performer in you.” Len says “plenty of aggression and attack but lost finesse in the technique.”Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 31 points – the same as Daisy. 7:35PMOppa Ed Balls style! BBC slaps its own back about Mary BerryDoyenne of dough Mary Berry stayed loyal to the Beeb and declined to follow the Great British Bake-Off to Channel 4. She was duly rewarded with front row Strictly seats, deferential applause, and copious mentions from the judges and presenters. Good bake. Barely a soggy bottom in sight. I trust the tipple-loving Dame Berry is currently enjoying some post-show hospitality in the BBC bar. Deservedly so. Hic. 7:36PMEd and Katya’s salsa Pour yourself a stiff drink – it’s Ed Balls o’clock.

7:04PMDaisy and Alijaz’s salsa 8:07PMPhew, what a show Danny and Oti’s Argentine tango 6:55PMAnd we’re off! Danny Mac tops the scoreboard, just ahead of Louise Redknapp. But most people will be talking about that extraordinary Ed Balls routine. As the credits roll on-screen, stay with us for analysis and reaction… 7:57PMLouise and Kevin’s American smooth In a year where the “popular vote” has resulted in much unhappiness – let’s vote @edballs to Blackpool #Strictly— Jonny Geller (@JonnyGeller) November 12, 2016 7:50PMDanny and Oti’s Argentine tango Utter joy #edballs #Strictly— Tracey Thorn (@tracey_thorn) November 12, 2016

Claudia and AJ’s Viennese waltz 6:49PMStrictly’s biggest year ever Found this legendary lady in the Strictly audience; Mary Berry you are the greatest 😍👏🏼… https://t.co/MmJZCDf5dy— Tess Daly (@TessDaly) November 12, 2016 Danny Mac tops leaderboard for fierce Argentine tangoLouise Redknapp in second spot after jazzy American SmoothEd Balls bottom again but his hilarious Gangnam Style salsa breaks the internetEight remaining couples bidding to get through to next week’s Blackpool special A shock appearance in the dance-off last time, so can they bounce back? The rumba is notoriously tricky for celebrity males, as it’s slow, controlled and full of technique. A romantic rather than sexy rumba, with face-stroking and nice storytelling. Lots of walking, expressive arms and it picks up pace midway through. Nice dips and drags. Lacks a little continuous hip action but excellent effort on a difficult dance.Music: ‘Ordinary People’ by John LegendJudges’ verdicts: Darcey says it was “tender, romantic, seamless moves and lovely arm extensions”. Len says “your timing impressed me the most, it had mood and atmosphere but you could have improved your foot action”. Bruno says it was “expressive, musical, caring and loving”. Craig says he “hit it too hard and lost fluidity but very expressive and evocative”.Judges’ scores: 8, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 35 points. Top of the scoreboard so far. Slightly over-marked due to last week’s dance-off shocker, I’d suggest. Laurel and Hardy last week. Now Ed’s in an electric blue Psy suit with black piping, dancing a salsa to the novelty 2012 hit, incorporating the viral video’s famous moves. Disco dad dance moves but a hip swivel and he didn’t drop her during the lift, which is an improvement. The famous “invisible horse” and Ed is milking this for entertainment factor. A lift and roll-down. And then a floor slide through Katya’s legs to finish. Huge reception in the studio. Extraordinary scenes. Music: ‘Gangnam Style’ by PsyJudges’ verdicts: Len looks shellshocked: “There’s always a sense of anticipation when you’re coming out and I enjoy watching you. It was entertaining and if you don’t make it to Blackpool, the show will lose a lot of fun.” Bruno feels “queasy and queer”. Ed says the pelvic thrust was “for you”. “It’s the best worst dance I’ve seen.” Craig says: `’Three latter, darling: OMG.” Darcey says “that without fail will go down in Strictly history”. Everyone on the Clauditorium balcony greets the couple with the invisible horse move. Judges’ scores: 4, 7, 8, 6 for a total of 25 points. His first 8 from Len. Enough to get him to Blackpool? I reckon so. 9:18PMSaturday night dance-by-dance The pocket rockets get romantic. As a northern ballroom lad, AJ is keen to get to Blackpool – and Claudia’s never been. Can they bag two tickets ticket north with this loving dance? Lots of solo sections and then into a spinning waltz with lots of footwork flourishes for Len. Ropy song choice but solid routine. Music: ‘Breakaway’ by Kelly ClarksonJudges’ verdicts: Bruno says “Strictly adorable, lovely flow, gorgeous”. Craig says “fantastic movement and flow, gaw-jus”. Darcey says she “kept in character throughout, smooth and serene”. Len says “great maturity, wonderful style, a lovely performance”. Judges’ scores: 9, 9, 9, 9 for a total of 36 points – top of the leaderboard. Time to meet the stars of out show. Not much in the way of fancy dress tonight – unless you count Ed Balls in an electric blue suit with black trim, in tribute to South Korean rapper Psy. Time for our weekly comparison of the co-presenters’ frocks. Tess Daly in red knee-length. Claudia Winkleman in high-necked asymmetric black. Claudia shades it. Both sporting poppies, obviously.

The Judge notched his highest score last week but this is an even bigger dance for him, as it has personal significance: his grandparents Harry and Frances, both in their 90s, have come to watch and it’s their favourite dance. Awww. A classic ballroom number to a Frank Sinatra standard. Cute picnic-in-the-park theme. I’d like to see more movement around the floor, this is slightly stately but has a sweetly sophisticated quality. Some of the Judge’s trademark faces towards the end. Respectable but not spectacular. Wonder if the grandparents’ presence will get him sympathy points? Music: ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’ by Harry Connick JrJudges’ verdicts: Craig says “it lacked swing and sway but at least I can look at your face now”. Darcey says “you improve each week, there was flow and guide, kept the shoulders down, you really stretched yourself and are becoming a real dancer, great job”. Len says “you made it a walk in the park, light and fluffy as a Mary Berry soufflé with no soggy bottom, your best dance”. Bruno says “you lost flow at times but I enjoyed seeing gorgeous Robert”. Judges’ scores: 7, 9, 9, 8 for a total of 33 points. Same as last week. A tad generous. 7:12PMGreg and Natalie’s paso doble 7:44PMClaudia and AJ’s Viennese waltz Ed Balls boosts flagging national moraleOppa Ed Balls style! When news emerged that Ed Balls and his pro partner Katya Jones would be dancing a salsa to Psy’s novelty hit Gangnam Style, we knew we were in for a treat. So it proved – exactly what the nation needed on a rainy evening at the end of a dispiriting week. Resplendent in an electric blue suit, the dad-dancing politician threw everything at this routine. There were invisible horse-riding moves, there were hip-thrusts at the judges (don’t have nightmares, Bruno Tonioli), there were lifts – and thankfully, this time Balls didn’t nearly drop poor Katya. It left Len Goodman speechless and nearly caused social networks to crash. A score of 25 points still saw “Disco Balls” bottom of the leaderboard, six points adrift – but Ed’s sheer entertainment value will surely see him through to Blackpool. One last hurrah in the Tower Ballroom, then bye-bye? That’s not Mary Berry on Strictly. Channel 4 are testing out their new Mary Berry robot ahead of the new series of Bake Off. #Strictly— Weather Fairy (@ctweatherfairy) November 12, 2016 Good evening and welcome to our Strictly Come Dancing liveblog for week eight. It’s showtime at 6.55pm on BBC One, when our 8 surviving couples take to the ballroom floor, bidding to make it through to next week’s Blackpool special. Last week, it was a case of remember, remember the 5th of November. There were fireworks in the ballroom as five maximum “10” paddles were held aloft and six couples notched their highest scores yet. Louise Redknapp topped the leaderboard with a near-perfect 39pts for the first Argentine Tango of the series. Laura Whitmore was eliminated after shock dance-off against Ore Oduba, while Ed Balls’ Laurel & Hardy routine saw him sail safely through againTonight, the bright lights of Blackpool in sight, as the eight surviving couples aim for next weekend’s annual trip north to the iconic Tower Ballroom. Danny Mac will dance this year’s second Argentine Tango. At the other end of the choreographic quality scale, we’ll get to see Ed Balls salsa-ing to Gangnam Style. Daisy Lowe and Greg Rutherford are bookies’ favourites for the bottom two but we could be in for another shock.We’ll be liveblogging from 6.30pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, recaps and analysis, so watch along with us. Please join in too – you can email me on michael.hogan@ telegraph.co.uk or tweet me on @michaelhogan. I’ll keep an eye on both and report the highlights here. Nearly time to staaaaaaart dancing… They were relieved to escape the dance-off last week after two in a row. Now it’s a fun, frisky disco salsa to open the show. Scooby van prop and Daisy’s sporting a psychedelic print dress. Leggy, good timing and sychronisation but I’m not sure there’s enough salsa hip rotation for the judges. Spectacular lifts and spicy spirit, though. Music: ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ by Deee-LiteJudges’ verdicts: Len says he was “twitching and gyrating throughout, you sold it well and danced through the little blunder”. Bruno says “The looks! The legs! The lifts! Easy sex appeal and Mary Berry (who’s in the studio audience) would approve. I loved the retro Seventies styling”. Craig says the “footwork was haphazard, it was disjointed, loved the leg extensions, lifts great but sticky transitions”. Darcey says “soften the knees to help your balance”.Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 8, 8 for a total of 31 points. Not her best. Dance-off danger? Ore Oduba and Judge Rinder over-markedAfter early pace-setter Ore Oduba’s shock appearance in the bottom two last week, the judges seemed to be deliberately over-praising him to keep him in the contest. Ore’s romantic rumba was highly respectable but nowhere near as spectacular as the panel’s gushing implied. Judge Rinder also seemed to be treated generously – surely influenced by the fact that his proud grandparents, both in their 90s, were in the studio audience. His foxtrot was pleasant enough but was it really two points better than Daisy Lowe’s salsa or Greg Rutherford’s paso doble? I’d venture not. 6:38PMOppa Ed Balls style! If ever we needed a little light relief, it’s this week. Even Ed Balls says sitting down for Strictly on a Saturday night will act as a soothing balm to bring us back together. Just 15 minutes until showtime… The current series of Strictly Come Dancing is officially the most popular in the programme’s 12-year history. An average of 10.9m viewers have so far tuned into the Saturday night show – the highest ever figure at the halfway point of a series. Five minutes until that ba-ba-daa theme tune… 6:57PMFrockwatch I am almost admiring @edballs for @bbcstrictly now. Let’s face it now in this world he could win.If Trump can do it so can Ed— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) November 12, 2016 7:18PMJudge Rinder and Katya’s foxtrot Here’s your recap of all the ballroom action… Balls for PM— Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) November 12, 2016 Ed Balls is the hero we both need and deserve in these dark political times #SCD #StrictlyComeDancing— Liss (@AliciaFayeMyers) November 12, 2016 Daisy and Greg in dance-off danger?Model Daisy Lowe and long-jumper Greg Rutherford finished joint second bottom of the scoreboard, six points above Ed Balls. But assuming the pelvic-thrusting politician gets viewer votes for his demented dancing and sheer entertainment value, these two look most at risk. Daisy has already survived two dance-offs but it could be third time unlucky. Greg’s been lingering around the lower reaches of the leaderboard for a few weeks now but is he popular enough to be hauled clear? If so, Judge Rinder or Ore Oduba could come into the reckoning. The Sunday night results show airs at 7.15pm on BBC One, so please rejoin us on the liveblog then. And in the meantime, of course, keeeeeeep dancing! They got their first 10s for last week’s fast, furious jive. Now it’s the second Argentine tango of the series – but Louise and Kevin have set the bar high. Gangster-and-moll theme with the requisite flicks and kicks. Slick and sensuous with lovely lifts, synchronisation and sharp footwork. Fast and fierce spins as the music gathers pace. One of those routines where you forget which one’s the pro. Superb.Music: ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ by Marvin GayeJudges’ verdicts: “You need more of an A-frame, need to lead with the solar plexus not the arms, a bit too aggressive… but incredible”. Darcey says it was “frantic, busy, a little too aggressive. The technique was stunning but I wanted more still moments”. Bit harsh. Len says “the clarity and precision, the pain and passion – it swept me away, brilliant”. More like it. Bruno coos about “stallions, storytelling, arguments, precision – it was a killer Argentine tango”.Judges’ scores: 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of 38 points – top of the leaderboard. Danny’s tearful 7:29PMOre and Joanne’s rumba 6:58PMBlackpool drinking game 6:41PMForget Donald Trump, let’s dance We don’t mean Brexit. We mean Blackpool. Expect next week’s Tower Ballroom special to get mentioned A LOT tonight.