Cach Mercer topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard in Week Eight with a score of 39, a week after narrowly avoiding elimination. The former Love Island winner, 25, and his professional partner Maddie Ingoldsby competed against actress Bethany Antonia and her partner Nancy Xu in the dance-off last week.
After both couples danced, judge Anton Du Beke chose to save Mercer and Ingoldsby, while fellow judges Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood voted to save Antonia and Xu. Head judge Shirley Ballas had the deciding vote and saved Mercer and Ingoldsby.
Charleston earns top marks
On Saturday night's episode, Mercer performed a Charleston to Blame It On The Boogie by The Jacksons. After Ballas and Mabuse gave standing ovations, the latter also declared it was "the dance of the season".
Along with Du Beke, those three judges awarded Mercer and his partner a score of 10 for their dance, while Revel Horwood – who called their dance "amazing" – gave them nine. Mercer is now on top of the leaderboard with a score of 39.
Delta Goodrem dances with last-minute partner
In second place is Delta Goodrem, who was forced to undergo a partner change within 24 hours of the live show this week as Kai Widdrington was unable to perform after falling ill. During the live show, she also revealed that her partner had been taken to hospital.
The Australian singer, 42, instead performed the Argentine tango with Aljaz Skorjanec. When giving feedback, Mabuse said: "Dancing with a partner always needs a connection and time to get used to somebody and to get a partner at the last partner at the last minute, a beautiful partner and one of the best I must say, to actually have that energy between the two of you and atmosphere and balance and musicality at the last minute – I rate you so highly for that."
Du Beke added that their dance was "beautiful to watch", while Revel Horwood called it "superb". Speaking about stepping in to work with Goodrem, Skorjanec said: "I surprised myself a little bit. I'm not the quickest learner and it's not my forte – the Argentine tango. But it's dancing with the stars, not the pros." He told her: "That dance is so intimate and delicate – you did that, not me." They were awarded a score of 35 from the judges.
Other scores and bottom of the board
A week after being forced to sit out due to injury, Jaime Winstone was back on the dancefloor with partner Carlos Gu. The pair performed a Charleston to I Can't Do It Alone from Chicago, with Ballas saying the energy between them was "kinetic". They were awarded 33 points.
At the start of the show, host Emma Willis said: "We missed you so much last week and it feels like you are back where you belong on the dancefloor."
After topping the leaderboard last week, Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin are now in joint fifth place after being scored 30 for their paso doble. However, when giving his feedback, Revel Horwood told Kuzmin he was "taking the mick" with his choreography – and said the routine was "littered with illegal lifts".
Olympic skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker and her partner Mark Karmalita were given 30 for their Viennese waltz, with Ballas saying they were a "force to be reckoned with" in the competition. John Nellis and Katya Jones were given a score of 31 for their jive.
Three couples are sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard with equal scores of 27 – Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley; Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola; and Will Best and Dianne Buswell. While Hall was told by the judges his dance was littered with mistakes, Turner's professional partner received criticisms that his routine was not actually a foxtrot. Meanwhile Best was told his dance was "plonky" by Du Beke.
The next couple will be eliminated on Sunday night's episode, before Blackpool week is hosted next week. Strictly Come Dancing continues Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One.
