The race for a place in the coveted Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool special intensified this Saturday, as the remaining celebrities took to the floor in a bid to secure their spot.
Opening Night and A 'Safe' Performance
Kicking off the live show were EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal and her professional partner Julian Caillon, who performed an American Smooth. The judges deemed the routine 'safe', awarding the pair a score of 27 out of 40. This marked a contrast to Sopal's highly-praised Bollywood-inspired performance from the previous week.
Strictly Legends Return for Blackpool Spectacular
In exciting news announced on the sister show It Takes Two, four beloved former finalists are set to make a spectacular return to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom next week.
The returning stars are:
- Ashley Roberts, 44, from the Pussycat Dolls.
- Danny Mac, 37, the soap star.
- Jay McGuiness, 35, from The Wanted.
- Layton Williams, 31, the actor.
Each will reunite with Strictly professionals to revisit some of their most iconic dances from their original series.
A Trip Down Memory Lane and A Group Dance Fusion
This homecoming will be a nostalgic trip for the stars. Danny Mac, who danced with Oti Mabuse in 2016, was a series finalist, placing second. Ashley Roberts also achieved a second-place finish in 2018 with partner Pasha Kovalev. Layton Williams reached the semi-finals in 2023 with Nikita Kuzmin, while Jay McGuiness was crowned the Strictly champion back in 2015.
After their individual performances, the four stars will come together for a show-stopping group dance. This highly-anticipated number promises to be a fusion, combining elements of Jay and Ashley's Jives, Danny's Samba, and Layton's Quickstep.
Speaking about her return, Ashley Roberts said: "I'm so excited and grateful to be back on the shiny floor in Blackpool again. Nearly a decade later, let's see if these jive legs can still do their thing!"
Danny Mac added: "Dancing in Blackpool was an absolute highlight of my time on Strictly."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6:30pm and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
