And just like that, all the cards go up in the air, as the two presumed Internet favourites (Cloudia and Danny) land in the Bottom 2, and the Cliftons sail on to the final (Kevin’s fourth, Louise’s first, Karen’s fourth standing on the balcony screaming and crying that Kevin should win, yes even when she was also competing in it) on a wave of tears, particularly from Ore who is called safe first and doesn’t stop all evening. Our bottom 2 meanwhile have mixed emotions, with Cloudia and AJ landing on “sad” and Danny and Oti landing on “shocked” with the latter in particular saying out loud that she can’t believe they’ve fallen into the dance-off. As you’d expect Danny wins the dance-off, albeit in a debatable decision (he slips, but Cloudia’s posture looks so bizarre at points you half expect her to start doing the Exorcist Spider Walk) but Cloudia gets the sweetest forfeit of all – an official Best Bits Clips Package that she’ll no doubt have to watch again on It Takes Two 44 hours later.
Otherwise? A bird themed contemporary dance to Chandler’s Ear, a guest performance from Sting (…) and best of all, THE LAST EVER LEN’S GLANS! Even if you’re mourning our littlest dancers, that has to be a plus to take with you, right?
The mighty mighty Monk Seal 
Can anyone else recall a dance-off where the two dances were both the stand-out performances of the night, and possibly contenders for dance of the series? I hate it when people get Lisa-Snowdoned through the series.
All that gushing over Len when he’s ditched us for someone younger, flashier and much, much richer. I don’t blame him, but come on.
Poor Pasha. First Janette’s feathers and then Didn’t You, Oksana?’s whippy hair. I bet he’s rubbing Sudocrem on that tickle-rash right now.
“Poor Pasha. First Janette’s feathers and then Didn’t You, Oksana?’s whippy hair. I bet he’s rubbing Sudocrem on that tickle-rash right now.”
I volunteer to help, I’m completely selfless like that..
I doubt you’d be the only volunteer Mikey, there’d likely be a queue round the block.
I think the closest to it before is when Alesha did her Viennese Waltz (to Memory) against Letitia doing her Waltz (to The Impossible Dream). Damned Matt Di Angelo.
Can your poll include an option for “anyone I was remotely interested in seeing win has now been kicked out? Ta very muchly.
From a high-spirited main show to a results show that leaves a bit of a bitter taste…
Claudia F had a tough time of it this series, undermarked on several occasions and patronised to within an inch of her life. Yes, her jive was rubbish, yes the first ten narrative was annoying, and yes AJ’s a bit dull, but they produced some really fantastic routines and didn’t get credit for it.
ORE, ON THE OTHER HAND! Underwhelming, yet the judges can’t praise him enough. And he’s pretty insufferable in interview. Harumph. Ah well. I’ll console myself with the fact that even if he wins it won’t be as bad as Year of the Clancy.
They’re getting their money’s worth out of Pasha this year, aren’t they? I wholeheartedly approve.
Year of the Ore is going to be so much worse than Year of the Clancy..
and Year of the Clancy was pretty unbearable… I saw one of those giant deckchairs in Llandudno yesterday and it still makes me shiver!!
Year of the Ore may cause me to break out my very best (post final) Ricky Whittle impression..
Sidekick in a crappy group routine and 30 seconds of whirling to Sting is not NEARLY enough Pasha no.
Two lots of Pasha tonight…..does that make it a pasha doublé?!
Getting. My. Coat.
If it’s any consolation at all, I laughed.
Oh dear.
Since I knew the result I could watch it without caring but it did make me laugh when Danny’s DO was so much worse than the main show version with him slipping and nearly dropping Oti during the body wrap around. At least the end catch was better. And then Tess with her claw face wipe and “oh don’t cry widdle one” to Cloudia. Creepess.
But really when they asked Darcey before the DO what advice she would give Cloudia, given Darcey’s marking performance (glug glug), and she said “just do what you did before” with me ending her sentence with “so I can vote you out as I wanted!”. As long as Danny wins that is fine.
Louise is protected by the combined love of the Redknapp/Lampard wings of steel that stretches from West Ham to Liverpool and down to Bournemouth. I think we’ve forgotten that and that Jamie is a very popular pundit and League of their own bromances with James Cordon and Freddie Flintoff probably also draw in more support than we realise from outside the normal voting circles.
I think she is a genuinely nice woman though, and if Ore isn’t first boot next week (are they doing that with just the three?), I shall pout! A lot! Poor Cloudia!
I’m sure we’re cruising to not knowing the runner-up again but I live in hope.
Got to be Louise for the win now, hasn’t it? Never in the dance-off in spite of some very lacklustre performances. Not sure I buy the ‘didn’t vote for Danny because they thought he was safe’ argument. He’s going to be the next Curse of Hollyoaks victim (great dancer, no personality/just not famous enough to Strictly audiences).
I really want Danny to win, because I think Kevin getting to another final and not winning would be hilarious.
And goodbye Len. Pop off to Dancing With the Stars, where you’ll never have to score below an 8 again.
Danny to win because that’s what I truly want.
Ore to win for the sheer amusement of Joanne Clifton winning a final, over Kevin and it being her first final – for that matter.
However with 2 Cliftons to vote against, I’m not going to need to split my vote – the way I have been tempted to do if Claudia had made the final.
Snap. I would find it absolutely hilarious if Jo beat Kevin straight off the bat.
My votes going to Danny & Oti though.
I mean, purely on an “annoying Kevin” level, getting beaten by his kid sister would also be hilarious.
The “who do you want to win” poll needs an “I don’t care” option–took me a while to settle on my least worst choice.
In all the fanwarz that have now ignited I’m missing indignation over the not-so-clear-cut choice of Danny as winner of that dance off. I guess being slightly hunky and consistently on message (‘umble and training every waking hour) beats mumsiness or teariness.
Mm, I must say I looked for the “I don’t care option, particularly after not a single judge was prepared to acknowledge the brilliance of Claudia and AJ’s QS compared with an AS that still seemed to have a couple of awkward moves from Danny despite the clean up of the lift and the end catch that should have ruled out 10s in the main show.
I guess Ore hasn’t retrieved his testicles from the Previa car yet. Kevin and Joanne also appear to have trapped their testicles in the door of the Previa cars. Somehow Danny and Oti’s emotion over giving Claudia the boot seemed more genuine than the parade of tears over making the final.
Oh yeah, Oti was doing great heaving sobs while she was hugging Cloudia, you could see her magnificent bosom heaving up and down. Both she and Danny were in bits when they waved C&A off to Tess. And you’re right, it came across as totally authentic; I’ll never understand ppl who think Danny is arrogant. He’s been nothing but completely lovely – and unlike Louise, seems actually excited to be there. If he doesn’t win I’ll be very cross.
There’s a cut away shot of Danny and Oti during Claudia’s final dance and they both look completely devastated, but especially Oti..
So many testicles…
I don’t particularly support any of the three finalists but if justice is to be done it has to be Danny.
Is Louise the blandest finalist ever?
Colin and Frankie both have to run her close. Maybe even (PREPARE FOR BLASPHEMY) Kara.
I’m clinging to the hope that back in 2014 Kevin and Frankie had never been in a dance off (I think) and made the final yet didn’t win – but Caroline did. Granted, she wasn’t in the dance off in the semi-final, which makes me worry for Danny. Hopefully there will be a backlash and more people will vote for him after this week’s injustice.
The judges/production actively derailed Frankie in the final though – muting the push for her and actively taking the piss out of her showdance. It wouldn’t appear that we can expect the same for Louise.
Susannah had also never been in a DO either in her series with Kev, she didn’t win either
But this is 2016 and I no longer have any faith in public votes