james and ola jordan

Ola and James Jordan's Strictly verdict: Hamza's perfect Salsa, Helen's unfair scores and the next celebrity exit

The former Strictly Come Dancing professionals predict the next celebrity exit...

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
October 16, 2022

The tables turned on Strictly Come Dancing when Fleur East unexpectedly landed herself in the bottom two, proving that nobody is safe from the dreaded dance-off.

READ: Helen Skelton's dance partner Gorka Marquez praises her after 'difficult time'

The former X Factor star made a major comeback with a showstopping Argentine Tango that earned her two perfect scores from the judges, while CBeebies presenter Hamza Yassin dropped jaws with a sizzling Salsa, Helen Skelton delighted with a powerful Paso Doble and Tony Adams gave it his all in an emotional American Smooth.

WATCH: Claudia Winkleman issues apology after Tony Adams' inappropriate moment

Here to weigh in on the night are former Strictly professionals Ola and James Jordan. Scroll on for their weekly column Strictly Speaking, where the much-loved dancing duo give their predictions for Sunday night's dance-off…

James: How good was Hamza?! We reckon that dance will go down in Strictly history as being one of the most memorable, naturally rhythmical Salsas to ever be performed on the show.

LOOK: Motsi Mabuse breaks chair after Fleur East's 'overwhelming' performance

RELATED: Strictly's Jayde Adams in tears as she remembers late sister – watch

Hamza Yassin topped the leaderboard

Ola: It was exceptional. Even the lifts and the tricks they managed to execute were so impressive. He was really flexible in his body and with his arm movements too. I did think his Salsa action was a little flat-footed for me, but he was still incredible. It definitely stood out as being one of the best we've seen on Strictly.

James: Long-time Strictly fans might remember Jake Wood and Janette Manrara's unforgettable Salsa from years ago - it's one of those dances that sticks with you because of the music and the tricks and the performance factor. But was Hamaza's technically better?

Ola: Definitely. It will be one of the dances of the series I think.

James: I agree. His Salsa was far superior, he made it look effortless. I was glad when he came onto the dancefloor. I feel like we're still seeing the weakest dances first, and then the show picks up towards the end. I just wish the running order was mixed up a bit so there's more of a balance.

Hamza received a near-perfect score

Ola: When Hamza and Jowita stepped onto the ballroom with their mesmerising Salsa the pace definitely picked up.

Who's in danger of the dance-off this week?

Ola: Tony Adams continues to impress me week after week. He might be the weakest dancer in the competition, but he's taking it seriously and he hasn't become the 'novelty' act. It's nice to see.

James: I love him! Is he technically a good dancer? Not really, but then he's never had any dance training before. He's going out there, he's taking part, he's competing against much younger people who have had professional training in the past… and yet he's just as entertaining. In fact, I think his dance was my second favourite dance of the night behind Hamza's incredible Salsa.

Tony and Katya tackled an American Smooth

Ola: The thing that is so great about Tony is he just gets really into the character of his performance. The American Smooth is meant to be a romantic, softer dance but he and Katya turned it into something that was quite sexy and sultry and passionate. We really enjoyed it.

James: I think Katya is doing a fantastic job as a professional with a celebrity who doesn't match the ability of other people in the show.

Ola: Everyone knows he's never danced before, and for that, he almost deserves more recognition. You just don't expect it from him. Every week he comes out and gives a better performance than the week before, and you warm to him. It's endearing! I highly doubt he'll be in the bottom two tonight.

James: He's holding his own and I think he's going to go quite far in the competition. He's embracing the show for what it is and I think he's doing great.

Ola: Sadly I think Matt Goss could see himself in the bottom two, or even leaving tonight. He was far more committed than in previous weeks and his enjoyment of the style and song was clear in his performance, but his actual Jive technique wasn't good.

Matt Goss landed himself in the dance-off last week

James: You could tell he was enjoying himself. Watching Matt dance is like he's trying to control his body but someone else has the remote control. I actually quite enjoyed his performance this week because he let himself go a bit.

READ: Who is Strictly's Matt Goss: Everything you need to know - age, love life, more

Ola: If he does go this week, it's a shame because he will have left on one of his best dances.

James: I agree, there were points during his performance on Saturday where I thought he could be in with a chance of staying in the competition a bit longer.

Ola: I was surprised to see Ellie Taylor getting higher marks than Helen Skelton last night...

James: It was okay, but I do think it was quite a forgettable performance. We could even see Ellie in the bottom two this week.

Ola: I really hope Helen isn't in the bottom two, she just doesn't deserve to be there. I think Kym Marsh could possibly see herself in the dance-off but then she scored quite highly on the leaderboard, so it's difficult to say.

Has the dark horse of the competition lost his edge?

Ola: We need to talk about Will Mellor… He was our frontrunner right from the start of the competition but he fell behind last night.

James: The Rumba was not his dance. It didn't suit him at all. It was awkward, his posture wasn't right, his core collapsed, and his shoulders were hanging back. It was strange for me. I didn't love it which is such a shame.

Ola: The Rumba is a really tough dance and it's actually a good thing that he's got it out the way at the beginning of the series. I don't think he's in danger of leaving tonight.

Will and Nancy's Rumba didn't impress the judges this week

James: It's always tricky when you get a dance that doesn't suit you, but Ola's right, at least he's done it earlier on in the series. He's definitely still a contender in the competition, but we'll have to see if he goes all the way to the final.

Ola: Tyler West is a great example of someone who performed a dance that really suited them. He looked so good doing that Street Dance with Dianne, though we don't love the Couple's Choice category.

James: It was so good, but I've always felt that the Couple's Choice category just doesn't have a place on Strictly. The programme has always been about Latin and Ballroom dancing, never about Contemporary, Street, or Hip Hop. It can be jarring to judge a show when there's one stand-out dance style that doesn't compare to the others.

Ola: We didn't have the Couple's Choice category when we were on the show, I think we just missed it. There are lots of dance styles on the show now.

James: The judges must have been drinking something by the time Helen and Gorka danced… I cannot get my head around how she scored so low. She definitely doesn't deserve to be that far down the leaderboard.

Ola: Maybe the judges are being harsh on her because they know she has potential?

James: Well, in my opinion, Helen was better than Fleur East last night. And yet they get marked so drastically different. For me it was ridiculous, I have no explanation for why she was marked so low.

Did Helen do enough to avoid the dance-off?

Ola: Helen made the Paso Doble look effortless. She did need more power and more confidence and 'zest' to make it perfect, but technically it was brilliant, it's a shame she didn't score higher. I really hope she's not in the bottom two.

James: I get the sense that people have mixed feelings about Helen. I've seen things on Twitter that suggest not everyone is warming to her, but I don't see it! I think she's brilliant and I love her partnership with Gorka, she deserves to go far in the competition. Has Fleur East done enough to save herself from the dance-off?

Ola: Do we think Fleur East has made a big enough comeback to stay out of the bottom two this week? We were so surprised to see her in the dance-off.

James: I think her Argentine Tango was great, and I believe she still has so far to go in the competition. Her performance was in my top three of the night, but do I think it was worth two 10s? I don't.

Ola: It really suited her. It's easy to get wrapped up in the choreography and the passion, the performance factor, but the technical aspects of the dance weren't executed enough to get a ten I don't think.

Fleur made a comeback with a firey and passionate performance

James: As Ola said to me, it looked like Vito was supporting her through quite a lot of the dance. Saying that it was still brilliant! I would have given it an eight over a ten if I was on the judging panel. I just don't think you can compare her performance to Hamza's. If Fleur's is a ten, then Hamza should have got 15. But that's just my take!

Ola: I don't think she needs to be worried about having been in the dance-off. I've seen it before where people have been in the bottom two and then gone all the way to the final. I'd like to see a bit more from her in the weeks to come.

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