Saturday night's live episode of Strictly Come Dancing proved to be one of the most emotionally charged in the show's history, with tears flowing freely from both celebrities and professional dancers alike. The intense emotions highlighted just how much reaching the legendary Blackpool Tower ballroom means to every couple competing.
A Wave of Emotion Sweeps the Ballroom
The biggest emotional moment came from professional dancer Carlos Gu, who is known for his expressive nature. During Saturday's hour-and-a-half live show, Gu broke down in tears after he and his partner, former England footballer Karen Carney, received feedback on their dramatic American Smooth.
The judges were full of praise, with Craig Revel Horwood stating he "loved watching you dance" and Motsi Mabuse calling the performance "out of this world." Shirley Ballas specifically commended Carney for how her posture was "coming along beautifully" - a comment that held particular significance.
Carney has Scheuermann's disease, a spinal condition that causes a curved spine, meaning she must work considerably harder than other contestants to achieve the correct ballroom stance. Through tears, Gu told host Claudia Winkleman: "[Karen] worked so hard this week. I know the ballroom is not her strength, but she came into the training room and she said, 'Carlos, I really want to try hard. I know my back has problems, but I really want to try and I really want to show that I'm improving just a little bit'. And just hearing them saying that... you have no idea how hard she's been working."
Personal Tributes and Emotional Dedications
The emotional outpouring continued with George Clarke, who finally performed his poignant Couple's Choice routine after being denied earlier in the series. His rumba was set to "Somewhere Only We Know," a song his sister sang at their grandfather's funeral.
Adding deeper meaning to the performance, Clarke revealed in his VT that the dance was dedicated to his mother, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. "Unfortunately, recently she got diagnosed with cancer," he shared. "Nobody deserves what she has gone through, but least of all her. It feels like it's taking up so much of her life now."
Closing the show in typically glamorous style was La Voix with a Couple's Choice to Barbra Streisand's "Don't Rain On My Parade." The drag queen, who trains out of character as Christopher Dennis, used his VT to explain his drag journey and pay tribute to his parents.
While praising his father who was cheering from the audience, Dennis revealed his mother had died just months earlier. "My mum was the same as my dad, equally supportive, she was there at every single show," Dennis said. "I did a massive West End show in London and she wasn't well and I remember I'd gone from 1,500 people clapping and cheering to the next day, just your world's gone."
The Blackpool Dream: More Coveted Than The Final?
The heightened emotions weren't solely due to the poignant routines - the looming prospect of Blackpool Week significantly raised the stakes. The annual trip to the iconic Tower ballroom has become the holy grail for Strictly contestants, arguably meaning even more than reaching the final.
Blackpool Week began out of necessity in 2009 when Children In Need would take over the BBC Television Centre studio normally used by Strictly. Although the show stopped needing to relocate after Television Centre closed in 2013, the tradition had already become an essential milestone.
What makes Blackpool particularly special is that it gives technically challenged celebrities a realistic goal to aim for. While viewer votes alone cannot carry someone to the final, they can secure a place at the iconic Tower ballroom, as demonstrated by past contestants like Ed Balls and Pete Wicks.
At this stage in the competition, when themed weeks have concluded and dance-offs are becoming increasingly tough, Blackpool brings a much-needed dose of camp joy to both the show and the winter months. Saturday night's tears proved just how desperately every couple wants to experience that magical Blackpool moment.
