Comic lands just one from bottom on the leadboard

Ellie Taylor appeared heartbroken after scoring just three points from Strictly  judge Craig Revel Horwood last night.

Some viewers said he had been ‘cruel’ and ‘harsh’ to award such low marks fror  the rumba she performed to Alone by Heart with her dance partner Johannes Radebes.

Horwood said he felt the dance was ‘stiff’ and ‘it felt like you were just walking around… it lacked any hip action, and that’s is mainly what we are looking for mainly in this dance – and therefore it lacked passion I’m afraid’.

Shirley Ballas was almost equally unimpressed, awarding four points. She said that for a rhumba there should be ‘a fluidity and flexibility about the body – and that was totally missing for me.’

But Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke were more positive, and both awarded seven points.

Mabuse said she enjoyed the performance but could have been better technically, while Du Beke said: ‘You have an elegance and a sophistication… your footwork is immaculate [but] I don’t see a lot of fluidity and it feels a bit safe.’

Taylor seemed upset by the comments, and, while being interviewed by Claudia Winkleman, told Radebes: ‘I’m just so sorry they didn’t like it’

She added that she struggled with the rumba as it is emotional and serious – and she finds it ‘hard to take myself seriously’.

The score of 22 left them one place from bottom in the leaderboard, just above football star Tony Adams and his partner  Katya Jones.

It is a far cry from last week’s ‘couple's choice’ dance when the pair topped the leaderboard with 35 out of a possible 40.

Even before yesterday’s mauling by judges, Taylor was named bookies’ favourite to be sent home this weekend at 2-1.  William Hill has her at just 100-1 to win.

Here is the dance:

Published: 6 Nov 2022