It never fails to showcase the very best of ballroom glitz and sparkle.
And Strictly Come Dancing‘s Musicals Week got off to a fabulous start as Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice dazzled with an incredible Viennese Waltz to She Used To Be Mine from Waitress.
The duo put on a very emotional performance as they took to the dancefloor after the TV presenter spoke very candidly about finding confidence in herself in a VT and received glowing comments from all three judges.
Wow! Strictly Come Dancing’s Musicals Week got off to a fabulous start as Ranvir Singh and Giovanni Pernice dazzled with an incredible Viennese Waltz to She Used To Be Mine from Waitress
Motsi Mabuse was left emotional after the routine, telling them: ‘I was moved from your words from your VT and I think every mom has a connection but I’m more emotional about your dancing!
‘Because now you’ve finally come into you… all your qualities came together today. For me that was such a magic moment.’
Craig Revel-Horwood: ‘You told the story so naturally was totally real and believable… apart from the pastry rolling at the beginning! Your back is beautiful, it goes on for days…. little advice, the spin back in was a little messy. You’ve come a long way should be so proud
And Shirley Ballas, who gave them a standing ovation, added: ‘I was captivated, it was like poetry in motion. I feel like you’ve found yourself. And the freckle! Probably the best footwork I’ve seen on strictly. Your frame was phenomenal.’
The duo ended up with an impressive 27 points at the end, with all the judges giving them 9s.
Incredible: The duo sizzled on the dancefloor and ended up with an impressive score of 27
The show kicked off to an unexpected start with theatre icon Andrew Lloyd Webber made a cameo in support of the stars and the UK’s closed theatres.
Producer Andrew opened the show with a pre-recorded message, speaking directly to viewers about his sadness over theatres having to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He said he and theatre lovers around the country couldn’t wait for the empty theatres, which are such ‘sources of joy and wonder’,to be open again and for shows to be live.
Andrew added: ‘Strictly is the perfect tonic for the country at all times, but now paying tribute to musical theatre is exactly what we want.’
Emotional: Judge Motsi Mabuse got a little emotional and said she could relate to Ranvir’s comments about being a mom
Partners: The duo put on a very emotional performance and received glowing comments from all three judges
During the special segment Andrew sat in the stalls to watch the celebrity contestants rehearse ahead of musical week, shouting words of encouragement danced.
Making sure to set the standards high for the quarter final, the professionals also took to the floor with Giovanni, Gorka and Johannes dazzling as they donned drag to show off their skills.
Viewers were then treated to a very lively group dance by the pros, to musical delights Go West and Finally.
However it was Giovanni, Gorka and Johannes who stole the show as they quick changed into drag halfway through the routine.
Anton Du Beke also stood out in his glitterball-inspired hat, which boasted several disco balls stuck atop each other and certainly lit up the dance floor.
Surprise: The show kicked off to an unexpected start with theatre icon Andrew Lloyd Webber made a cameo in support of the stars and the UK’s closed theatres
JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden kick started the show on Saturday and dazzled with their Charleston to 1968 musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s title song.
Giving feedback, Shirley Ballas said: ‘What a way to open the show with that iconic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! I never knew how long your legs were! To keep them coordinated with your upper half is no mean feat… you executed that choreography amazingly!’
While Motsi Mabuse said: ‘Shirley discovered your legs and I discovered your smile! You get so serious sometimes, but this time I saw you laugh. It’s a fast dance but you never missed a beat. You could work on the stopping moments..’
And Craig Revel Horwood added: ‘It was too stop and start for my liking, just like Motsi said, you need to dance all the way through. The Charleston movement was a little bit flat… but I thought you could go a little more goofy with the characterisation. You do have wonderful elevation in your jumps!’
Time to impress! Andrew watched the couples rehearse during the exciting segment
Craig gave a 6, Shirley a 7 and Motsi a 7, meaning they walked away with 20 points.
Speaking after the feedback, Amy praised her partner saying: ‘The physio team said today that he’s doing moves which should be impossible! Well done JJ.’
The Musicals Week extravaganza comes after reports that Strictly’s live audience is set to make a return next week.
It is thought that the contestants will finally get to perform to fans at Elstree Studios, although had to miss out on the notorious Musicals Week due to the time frame being too tight for the show to sort out logistics.
The BBC show has taken a number of precautions to keep dancers safe and the show going during the pandemic, with bosses now said to be ‘delighted’ at the change.
A source told The Sun: ‘The BBC are delighted they’re able to slowly introduce an audience back up at Elstree.
‘All guests will be sat in bubbles of up to four from a single household and all must wear masks throughout the show and remain socially distanced from all other members of the crowd.
‘The BBC are delighted they’re able to slowly introduce an audience… it’s part way back to normality.’
MailOnline has contacted Strictly Come Dancing’s representative for a comment.
Strictly introduced strict new guidelines for this year’s series to go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic. Couples dancing on the series have formed their own separate bubbles so they can train and perform.
However, celebrities and pros from separate bubbles are not allowed to mix during filming or backstage, and must maintain social distancing at all times.
Strictly was thrown into chaos earlier in November after Nicola Adams and Katya Jones had to drop out of the show due to the pro testing positive for coronavirus.
And contestant HRVY did test positive for the virus ahead of the shows kicking off, however he has still been able to compete alongside pro Janette Manrara.
On last week’s Strictly Clara Amfo and Aljaz Skorjanec, 30, became the fifth couple to be sent home after a dance-off against Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer.
The dancing duos both had to perform their routines again for the judges on Sunday’s show, with Clara dancing a Jive to River Deep – Mountain High by Tina Turner and Jamie a Tango to Tanguera by Sexteto Mayor.
