Strictly Come Dancing 2021: Emotional AJ Odudu breaks down in tears as she tops the leaderboard and scores an impressive 39 with her rumoured beau Kai Widdrington after ‘incredible’ Charleston
- The presenter, 33, and her professional dancer, 26, performed the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine and scored and incredible 39
- Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse , Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood gave gushing feedback with hard-to-please Craig simply saying: ‘Amazing!’ after the performance
- An excitable Motsi said in her comments: ‘Oh my goodness, I feel so proud of you! It was authentic, the acting was great!’
- Breaking down in tears in her chat after the dance, AJ said: ‘This week has been so hard, when you fall a lot it’s so hard, you lose confidence in yourself’
- It comes after insiders claimed to The Mail On Sunday that AJ and Kai are an item
An emotional AJ Odudu burst into tears as she topped the leaderboard with her rumoured beau and partner Kai Widdrington during Saturday’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing.
The presenter, 33, and her professional dancer, 26, performed the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine and scored an incredible 39 after making it through to the half-point in the competition.
Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood gave gushing feedback with hard-to-please Craig simply saying: ‘Amazing!’ after the performance.
Overwhelmed: An emotional AJ Odudu burst into tears as she topped the leaderboard with her rumoured beau and partner Kai Widdrington during Saturday’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing
An excitable Motsi said in her comments: ‘Oh my goodness, I feel so proud of you! It was authentic, the acting was great, you came in at a high level but you have sat on that high level and gone even further!’
Shirley added: ‘I don’t have a paddle big enough for you that was amazing!’, while Anton said: ‘It was incredible I loved it!’
The pair scored three tens and topped the leaderboard with an incredible 39.
Woah! The presenter, 33, and her professional dancer, 26, performed the Charleston to Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine and scored and incredible 39 after making it through to the half-point in the competition
Yay! Judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse , Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood gave gushing feedback with hard-to-please Craig simply saying: ‘Amazing!’ after the performance
Upset: Breaking down in tears in her chat after the dance, AJ said: ‘This week has been so hard, when you fall a lot it’s so hard, you lose confidence in yourself, but Kai manages to pull the confidence out of me and I’m so happy’
Breaking down in tears in her chat after the dance, AJ said: ‘This week has been so hard, when you fall a lot it’s so hard, you lose confidence in yourself, but Kai manages to pull the confidence out of me and I’m so happy.’
It comes after insiders claimed to The Mail On Sunday that AJ and Kai are an item.
Meanwhile Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden wowed the judges with their latest dance, scoring an impressive 38, after a disappointing performance last week.
The McFly star, 36, and his professional partner, 31, took to the dance floor to perform a Paso Doble to Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor.
The foursome were impressed, with Craig saying: ‘That was amazing, I have never seen such a good Paso Doble from a male at this stage.’
Amazing: Meanwhile Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden wowed the judges with their latest dance during Saturday’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing, scoring an impressive 38, after a disappointing performance last week
Motsi added: ‘Today for me it came together, such a strong performance from you after last week, you had such a strong character I loved it so much.’
Shirley also gave positive feedback saying: ‘Your foot positions closed perfectly, you executed it superbly’, before Anton added: ‘Amy that was brilliant choreography, well done to both of you.’
Speaking afterwards Tom said: ‘I think I really like this dance, its been so much fun, I loved it, the choreography was amazing.’
Stars: The McFly star, 36, and his professional partner, 31, took to the dance floor to perform a Paso Doble to Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor
Good job: The foursome were impressed, with Craig saying: ‘That was amazing, I have never seen such a good Paso Doble from a male at this stage’
They scored a whopping 38, with two tens from Shirley and Motsi, which is their highest score yet.
Elsewhere John Whaite and his professional dance partner Johannes Radebe performed a lively Rumba to Sting’s Shape Of My Heart.
Craig was impressed, saying: ‘I will teach my fiancé this for my wedding dance, I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, you could have a straighter leg but I totally loved it it was brilliant.’
Motsi said: ‘I felt like there was just the two of you and me. It was so subtle and sensitive it was great to watch.’
Shirley added: ‘I felt moved and quite emotional really, your precision is amazing, you stripped it down and it was great.’
Happy: Speaking afterwards Tom said: ‘I think I really like this dance, its been so much fun, I loved it, the choreography was amazing’
Speaking after the dance and holding back tears, John said: ‘I didn’t think I would get the chance to do this dance, I was so emotional at the start of the week, this dance is about mutual respect and the movement and to do it with this man is amazing.’
They scored an impressive 35, the highest Rumba of the series.
Elsewhere Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice danced the Samba to Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson, impressing the judges yet again.
Wow: Elsewhere John Whaite and his professional dance partner Johannes Radebe performed a lively Rumba to Sting’s Shape Of My Heart
Anton said in his feedback: ‘It was one of your most nervous performances but you came into your own half way through, other than that good job.’
Craig added: ‘It looked so natural on you, it could have had more fluidity, but how you do that one and two step is so good, you amaze me’, while Motsi said: ‘You have such confidence in you Latin dances.’
Rose said after the performance: ‘I didn’t love the Samba to be honest, but I didn’t understand what I was struggling with so it was hard!’
The pair scored an impressive 32, being given eights from each judge.
Here we go: Elsewhere Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice danced the Samba to Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson , impressing the judges yet again
Yay! The pair scored an impressive 32, being given eights from each judge
Next Adam Peaty and Katya Jones danced the Jive to Little Bitty Pretty One by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers.
The Olympic swimmer made several footwork mistakes during the routine – which was set in an American diner – that the judges picked up on.
Shirley said: ‘You had a beautiful postural stance, but you did make an error and that did make you hesitant to get those kicks up again.’
Stars: Adam Peaty and Katya Jones danced the Jive to Little Bitty Pretty One by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
Oh dear: The Olympic swimmer made several footwork mistakes during the routine – which was set in an American diner – that the judges picked up on
Making a funny inuendo Anton said: ‘You were looking to her for all the, you were up on your balls beautifully, you did make the mistakes but overall good effort and energy.’
Craig said: ‘The mistakes put you completely out of time and you just lost the rhythm, but I did like your kicks and flicks.’
They scored 27 for the dance.
Up next Rhys Stephenson and his pro partner Nancy Xu performed a Quickstep to What A Man Gotta Do by The Jonas Brothers. They scored a respectable 34.
Feedback: Making a funny inuendo Anton said: ‘You were looking to her for all the, you were up on your balls beautifully, you did make the mistakes but overall good effort and energy’
Motsi: ‘It’s all about that rhythm and you did amazing!’, before Shirley said: ‘You are a natural dancer and when you are out of hold it’s great but you need to work on the stance out of hold but you are a force to be reckoned with.’
Tilly Ramsey and Nikita Kuzmin spiced up the dancefloor with a Tango to Kings & Queens by Ava Max. They scored an impressive 31.
Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova danced a Couple’s Choice to Classic by MKTO.
Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec have been putting in consistently strong performances each week and on Saturday performed a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. They scored an impressive 33.
It comes after insiders claimed to The Mail On Sunday that AJ and Kai are an item.
A source on the BBC One show said AJ and Kai had made no effort to keep a secret of the fact that they had fallen for each other during intense, gruelling training sessions.
However, they haven’t been struck by the show’s infamous ‘curse’ because both of them are single.
Star: Up next Rhys Stephenson and his pro partner Nancy Xu performed a Quickstep to What A Man Gotta Do by The Jonas Brothers, which impressed the panel
Kai who made his Strictly debut this year, is said to have been ‘floored’ by his partner, who is best known for co-hosting Channel 5’s spin-off Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
In an audio clip on Strictly’s Instagram account recorded after a performance, Mr Widdrington, who once turned down a football career with Southampton, was heard whispering: ‘I love you, I love you so much.’
The source said: ‘Kai thinks AJ is sexy. They have this lovely romance going on, things have definitely changed in the last week or so and they are inseparable, not just as dance partners but away from that, too.
‘It’s nice to see a Strictly romance where there is no curse, just two people who have fallen head over heels for each other.
Dance: Tilly Ramsey and Nikita Kuzmin spiced up the dancefloor with a Tango to Kings & Queens by Ava Max. They scored an impressive 31
‘Those involved in the show have been watching this closely over the weeks and have thought this was always on the cards. It’s lovely.’
AJ admitted last week that they had ‘chemistry’, adding: ‘There is a lot of passion… a lot of romance, it’s thrilling.’
A Strictly spokesman declined to comment on their relationship.
Strictly Week 7 Song and Dance List
AJ & Kai – Charleston, Don’t Bring Lulu by Dorothy Provine, Pinky, The Girls
Rose & Giovanni – Samba, Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson
Sara & Aljaz – Quickstep – 9 To 5 by Dolly Parton
Tilly & Nikita – Tango – Kings & Queens by Ava Max
Adam & Katya – Jive – Little Bitty Pretty One by Frankie Lymon & The Teenager
Dan & Nadiya – Couple’s Choice – Classic by MKTO
John & Johannes – Rumba – Shape Of My Heart by Sting
Rhys & Nancy – Quickstep – What A Man Gotta Do by Jonas Brothers
Tom & Amy – Paso Doble – Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor
Rose, 26, and Giovanni, 31, catapulted to the top of the leaderboard last week after getting the earliest ever perfect score awarded in the dance contest’s history.
The EastEnders actress and her professional partner left the judges gobsmacked after they took to the floor with a sexy Tango to Ed Sheeran’s new track, Shivers, for the Halloween special.
Rose, the show’s first deaf contestant, gave it her all on the dance floor on Saturday night and the couple nailed the flawless tango, filled with fancy footwork, ‘out of this world’ technique and plenty of attitude.
The incredible dance left head judge Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse on their feet, while Craig Revel Horwood simply said that Rose ‘smashed it’.
Much to Rose and Giovanni’s delight, Anton Du Beke said: ‘I’ve written a few things down, and they all basically say perfect. Congratulations!’
While Shirley gushed: ‘You are absolutely brilliant! One of the best parts of that tango is how you keep your body closed and your head to the right and that little extra shoulder that went in. Wasn’t she fabulous darling.’
Meanwhile, a particularly excited Motsi said: ‘I’ve been sitting and judging for 14 years, I’ve been a couple of numbers, but this one will remain epic. This was absolutely one amazing dance.
‘From the beginning, your acting skills, the way you two dance together, the technique in the dance, this was out of this world!’
Rose was dubbed the ‘Queen of the tango’ by Tess Daly, while the judges were true to their praise and each awarded the couple 10 marks, giving them a total of 40 – the earliest a perfect score has ever been given out in the show’s history.
Rose recently opened up about representing the deaf community, telling Metro: ‘It’s amazing, when I was a child, I never grew up seeing anyone like me on telly.
‘It could be a really isolating place for a Deaf person, so I feel like if being on Strictly can change somebody’s life, it can happen – because there are some parents out there with a Deaf child and they’re like, ‘Oh, what do I do?’
‘Then they see me on the telly and think, ‘Oh it’s not that bad, they can actually do what a hearing child can do.’ That’s why I feel really good doing that.’
Strictly Come Dancing aired on Saturday 6th November at 6:45pm, with the results show on Sunday 7th November at 7:15pm on BBC One.
Fun: Dan Walker and Nadiya Bychkova danced a Couple’s Choice to Classic by MKTO
Looking good: Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies and Aljaz Skorjanec have been putting in consistently strong performances each week and on Saturday performed a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. They scored an impressive 33
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