Strictly Come Dancing has now reached the halfway point and there’s already been a lot of drama, controversy and amazing dances. I am going to break it all down and discuss who I think the front runners are at this point.

On 23rd October, it was announced that Amanda Abbington had decided to withdraw from the competition. Before Strictly started, there was a lot of controversy surrounding her casting because Strictly fans found transphobic comments on her X account. She called her past comments ‘stupid’ and ‘ill-informed’ and apologised for them. In her statement on Instagram about her early departure, she said she was unable to continue due to personal reasons. Noticeably, her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice was omitted from her statement in which she praised her fellow contestants and thanked the production team. Her absence means there will only be three couples in the final this year.

Her absence means there will only be three couples in the final this year

Layton Williams has been accused of having an ‘unfair’ advantage because he has extensive musical theatre experience. This situation happens every year on Strictly. He has responded to the criticism, saying ‘Anybody who ever saw me in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie knows I didn’t do a Salsa or Tango there on stage’. Despite not having the specific experience of Ballroom and Latin, having musicality and the stamina needed for regular dance training does give him an advantage. However, Layton is not the only contestant with dance experience; Nigel Harman performed in multiple West End shows and Angela Rippon trained as a classical ballerina. We all like a journey, but if all the celebrities were complete novices, it would make the first weeks very boring. Ultimately, Strictly is a popularity contest, so having a dance advantage does not really make a difference if you’re not loved by the public.

We all like a journey, but if all the celebrities were complete novices, it would make the first weeks very boring

One of the best parts of this series has been the interactions between Claudia Winkleman and Jay, Krishnan Guru-Murthy’s 16-year-old son. At first, Jay refused to watch his dad dancing, but he soon relented after seeing how happy dancing makes his dad. In Week 4, he was in the studio audience and Claudia held up a sign saying ‘Welcome Jay’. Then she wore a ‘Hello Jay’ t-shirt. For Halloween Week, she gave all the celebrities and pros Jay masks, and Jay joined in on the joke as he wore a ‘Hello Claudia’ t-shirt. I am excited to see how far it goes. It’s great that Jay gets to watch his dad getting better every week. Krishnan might be the underdog, but the British public loves an underdog.

Krishnan might be the underdog, but the British public loves an underdog

In my opinion, the front runners at this point are Ellie Leach & Vito Coppola, Layton Williams & Nikita Kuzmin and Bobby Brazier & Dianne Buswell. Ellie & Vito have great chemistry and, apart from one blip, their scores have steadily improved every week. In the last two weeks, they have upped their game: their fierce Paso Doble and their daring Salsa were both showstoppers. They just need to continue on this trajectory and they will be in the final. Layton & Nikita also have brilliant banter. Nikita has even made changes to his style because of Layton’s influence. Although Layton has dance experience, he does not seem arrogant. So many of their dances have been amazing, but the two that stand out are their Quickstep and their Cha Cha. Bobby & Dianne have such a cute brother and sister vibe. Bobby has grown up in the public eye, so he already understands what it feels like to be scrutinised. Their Romeo & Juliet themed Samba was top-notch, and I don’t think their Strictly journey will be a tragedy.

Strictly continues to deliver high quality Saturday night entertainment.

---

Read more from TV here:

My Comfort Show: Doctor Who

Review: Black Mirror Season Six

Hidden Gems: Marble Hornets