Delta Goodrem has been called a “force to be reckoned with” after topping the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard. The Australian singer, 41, is paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, 31, on this season of the BBC series.
After coming second with a score of 29 on last week’s show, they are currently topping the leaderboard following their performance on Movies Week. The pair performed an American smooth to I’ll Never Love Again from A Star Is Born, earning a score of 30 points this time around.
Judges’ Praise
They are now sitting at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 59. Judge Motsi Mabuse told Goodrem she had a “special talent to give feeling”. “You’ve got everything it takes. I believe in you,” she said, while head judge Shirley Ballas called her a “force to be reckoned with”. Fellow judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood said they “loved” the performance.
Ahead of the first elimination of the season, Gavin And Stacey actress Melanie Walters is at the bottom of the leaderboard. She and partner Aljas Skorjanec performed a waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound Of Music and were awarded 15 points, bringing their total score from the first two shows to 30.
Other Standout Performances
Currently trailing behind Goodrem is “The Dogfather” Graeme Hall and his partner Lauren Oakley – who were given a score of 31 for their waltz to The Godfather Waltz from The Godfather. Mabuse called it “mesmerising” while Du Beke said: “I think you could become one of the best ballroom dancers we’ve ever had on Strictly.” Speaking to the couple after their performance, host Johannes Radebe even held back tears while praising their efforts.
Sitting in equal second place with 55 points is EastEnders’ Lacey Turner and partner Vito Coppola. They scored 28 for their quickstep to I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy Story 5. An improvement of one point from last week, Du Beke said their level had “shot up so immediately”.
Bottom of the Leaderboard
Sitting at the other end of the leaderboard are Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden with a total score of 33. This week they tackled a cha cha to I’m Always Here from Baywatch. Mabuse and Du Beke said they saw “huge improvements”, with the latter adding: “The performance was another level, and the dancing will keep improving if you keep at it.” Appleton – a celebrity hair stylist – said he did not want to let his partner down, adding: “I am really trying but also really enjoying it.”
Sitting third from the bottom are Big Brother host Will Best and his partner Dianne Buswell. After opening the show last week, they took on a foxtrot to Old Time Rock & Roll from Risky Business, earning 19 points. They now have a total of 37.
First Performances of the Night
The first performance of the night came from former Love Island winner Dani Dyer and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, who performed a foxtrot to Beauty And The Beast from the film of the same name. The pair were awarded a score of 23, with Du Beke saying he “loved the attention to detail” and calling it a “joy to watch”.
They were followed by John Nellis and Katya Jones, who topped last week’s leaderboard with 31. This time around they had a couple’s choice to An Irish Party In Third Class from Titanic. Revel-Horwood said it was “too heavy-footed” and called the end an “entire tragedy”, as the couple were awarded 23 points.
Last week former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and his partner Alexis Warr were one of the couples at the bottom of the leaderboard with 15 points. Closing the show, the pair did a salsa to You Should Be Dancing from Saturday Night Fever, which Mabuse said was a “huge improvement” from a week ago. “You improved off the charts,” Ballas added. They were awarded 25 points.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday at 7.10pm on BBC One.
