It was quarter finals week on Strictly and the twist this week was that after each couple had danced their first dance, they were all then going to take part simultaneously in a Waltzathon. If I rename this Waltzathon a STINKATHON, then you’ll get the idea of what I thought about it……lets just say I wasn’t all that impressed.

After the debacle last week of the ‘Around The World’ theme which, with the backing dancers made a right mess of things, it was a welcome return this week to the very successful tried and tested formula of previous shows. ie focusing solely on the couples with no gimmicks. The standard is so high across the board this season that none of the six couples would have looked out of place if this had been the final rather than only being the quarters. Simon Webbe opened the show with a very competent American Smooth. He’s not exactly my cup of tea possibly due to me detesting his boyband ‘Blue'(too many cocky cocks in that band for me haha), but there is no denying he does seem a genuine nice dude who loves being on the show.  Caroline Flack then gave the one of the performances of the series so far with an amazing Argentine Tango, it was electrifying. She had perfect music for the dance which underlined the stupidity of Jake Wood doing it last week to an unsuitable hand clappy Greek tune.  She ended up topping the leaderboard with a score of 39/40 and deservedly so in my opinion, she remains my favourite female on the show. Pixie ‘no charisma’ Lott then did a great Cha Cha as was expected but to be honest I tend to drift off and glaze over whenever she is on. She started off the competition too good and too dance trained so I stopped caring about her very early on. Oh and I’ve seen more personality in a carrot than there is in her, I’d also rather eat one of them than watch her dance on the telly thank you very much(harsh but fair is my motto ha ha). After last week’s ‘DANCE DISASTER’ Jake needed to knock everybody bandy with his performance and he did not disappoint with a brilliant circus themed Charleston number. Frankie Bridge did only an OK salsa and as she is the other trained dancer on the show along with Pixie, this did made me smile a bit…..her not doing that great I mean. I don’t think you should be allowed on the show if you are a skilled dancer beforehand, like these two girls clearly were.  By the time everybody had danced Frankie was somewhat surprisingly at the bottom of the leaderboard and my two favs Caroline and Jake, were in top two positions……..HOORAY!

In the last paragraph I skipped quickly describing Mark Wright’s performance because good Lord he needs a paragraph all to himself. Mr Verbal Diarrhoea with all his corny cliches was in full gibberish mode again on Saturday night, deary me! Firstly, I was already shaking my head after witnessing his ridiculous training VT clip. We see him supposedly unable to train properly, unable to put one leg in front of the other,  because he can’t get Eover the upset of being in the dance-off the week before. Then like a magical Fairy Godmother his fiancee actress Michelle Keegan speaks to him via his phone to cheer him up and then all of sudden he’s dancing around like bloody Billy Elliott. Michelle Keegan to Mark Wright was the like the human version of Popeye’s Spinach, it was corny beyond belief. I was also shocked to find out that Mark Wright’s fiancee is the ex Corrie actress Michelle Keegan……….afterall it’s NOT LIKE WE HAVEN’T SEEN HER ABOUT 50 ODD BLOODY TIMES ON SHOW ALREADY IS IT, LORD GIVE ME STRENGTH!  To top it off after he finished dancing Michelle Keegan is mentioned THEN AGAIN by either him, Tess or Claudia(I can’t quite remember exactly which one of them brought her name up). It’s like nobody else has ever had a fiancee before for crying out. LOOK WE GET IT, WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN SHE IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND YOU PLAN TO MARRY HER SOON…………COS YOU KEEP MENTIONING EVERYTHING BLOODY WEEK! You’re telling me the producers would have kept up these non-stop weekly reaction shots of her if she had a face like the back end of a bus………..I think we all know the answer to that one ladies and gentlemen argh. Furthermore, his latest annoying repeated phrase he is coming out with non-stop is that ‘he never expected to reached this far’. I think in the space of two weeks he said this about FIVE HUNDRED TIMES, or maybe it just feels like it. I can’t level arrogance because he’s not, he talks utter shite that’s all ha ha!

Just before the Waltzathon started I thought to myself,I bet they end up putting Pixie in first place here, thus less likely to be in the Dance-Off tomorrow. I could feel I was in danger of having a MAN TANTRUM at the prospect of this ha ha. of Although something a bit different the waltazathon did not work for me. The camera shots could not really give us the required shots at home to enable us compare how each couple was dancing in relation to one another. It was a bit like going to the fairground and watching fast rides go zooming past you, it was all over a bit too quickly without much sense made of it. My worse fears came true and surprise surprise class swot Pixie came first adding a further six points to the thirty-five she already had for her cha-cha. Jake came last in the Waltzathon and so went from second in the points standings to now only joint third with two other couples. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. It didn’t seem right that Pixie and Frankie should end so high up the overall leaderboard,  which was solely down to this ruddy Waltzathon. Therefore, I went from thinking Jake should easily make the semi-final after his Charleston, to the worrying on results night that his days might indeed be numbered. I feared Pixie had dodged a bullet, lucky girl!

Sunday was results show and boy I was really nervous watching it. I thought this could go either way for Jake Wood if I’m honest. I had been reading how popular he was on twitter during the week, so I was hoping his ‘Eastenders’ fanbase might be enough to see him through. I don’t mind if he doesn’t even win it but prior to this show I didn’t want both Frankie and Pixie getting to the final.This week a good dancer was guaranteed to be going home though…ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh the tension ha ha.  The biggest shock of the entire series happened when Pixie Lott and her dance partner Trent Widdon were the first couple named in the Dance-Off. Pixie finished second from the top remember after the Waltzathon so it was a huge surprise to see her there……..or was it? If lots of people had been thinking the same about her as me(too well trained a dancer in the first place), then maybe it was not a shock to have seen her there afterall? Can you believe Mark ‘Verbal Diarrhoea’ Wright was the first celebrity to get through to the semi-final, I was staggered that he had not come in the bottom two. I guess people like an underdog and a trier, I can see where they are coming from if these are some of the reasons why people are voting for him. He’s a nice enough bloke but just irritates the life out of me…….I think I’ve got that across  to you all by now ha ha ha. Dance-off vetern Simon Webbe and his dance partner Kristina Rihanoff were the other couple named in the bottom two. I was bricking it right til near the end  because Jake Wood with his dance partner Janette Manrara were the last ones to go through to the semi-final.

With the shock still of Pixie being in the bottom two for the first time, the dance-off had a real sense drama and edge4 about it. I dreamed and hoped Pixie would be voted off but was almost one hundred per cent sure Simon Webbe would be the one leaving. After Craig Revel Horwood saved Pixie I did a grimace because I knew the rest would duly follow suit. Darcey Bussell then mixed things up by voting for Simon but this was then cancelled out by Bruno Tonioli picking Pixie. At two one to Pixie but with the all deciding casting vote, it all came down then to Head Judge Len Goodman to decide who would make it through to the semi-final. He started this meandering speech over the decision he was about to make and the more he went on the more I sensed he was going to plump for Simon Webbe to stay. Seconds later this was confirmed when he stated he had chosen to save Simon over Pixie. This was the biggest shock of the series but one I’m unashamed to admit I was delighted with. I’m sure Pixie is a lovely girl in real life but for me she should never have been on the programme in the first place. How can you get behind somebody who is too good to start off with and seemingly has zero personality…….answer is I never could(think I might be in danger of repeating myself) haha. I’ve seen some of her fans aren’t happy and threatening to boycott watching the show, oops ha ha ha ha. You then take a moment and think blimey, all this furore just over a ballroom dancing show ha. Hey, it took me three weeks to get over Thom Evans getting voted off so I feel your pain you PIXIE LOTT-ITES ha ha.

There we have it then that was my look back at week eleven on Strictly, hopefully it made you giggle in bits.  Next Saturday is semi-final time and with them doing two dances each it should be a cracker. I want Caroline and Jake in the final and Mr ‘Verbal Diarrhoea’ to finally bow out gracefully………….and WITHOUT A LOVING EMBRACE FROM MICHELLE KEEGAN ON CAMERA IF HE DOES. Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan are seeing each other by the way and getting married, just in case you didn’t know!!!! ;D