Strictly: Janet Jackson praises Bill Bailey for street-dance routine inspired by ‘Alright’ music video

Jackson shared the clip from last week’s show on social media

Janet Jackson has praised Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse for their most recent dance on Strictly Come Dancing.

Appearing on the show last Saturday (14 November), comedian Bailey continued to wow the judges with a Street/Commercial routine to “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, scoring a total of 27 points and their first 10 for the routine.

The routine took inspiration from the video for Jackson’s 1989 single “Alright”, in which Jackson wears a pinstripe suit and dances on the steps of a New York street.

Sharing the clip on social media on Thursday (19 November), Jackson wrote: “Nice! #GoinIN,” before adding a fire emoji and tagging Bailey and Mabuse.

In response, professional dancer Mabuse commented on Instagram: “Omggggggggg!!!!!! Wowwww thank you so much - I’m going to faint with excitement.”

Bailey is currently the bookies’ favourite to win Strictly 2020, with the 55-year-old saying this week that he enjoyed being praised by the judges for the lack of irony in his dancing.

“I think when I came on the show… a lot of people assumed I was going to be some sort of comedy addition the whole thing, I was going to dress up in silly costumes, I was going to be no good at it,” he told Zoe Ball on Strictly’s sister show It Takes Two.

“It’s quite gratifying, people realising I am taking it seriously and giving it 100 per cent because I want to do justice to the dance, I want to do justice to Oti’s hard work in the training room and also to the show. This is about dance and trying to bring the best out of you.”

This week’s episode of Strictly will see Bailey and Mabuse perform an American Smooth to Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, as the cast bring the magic of Blackpool to Elstree Studios.

Strictly Come Dancing returns Saturday 21 November at 7.15pm on BBC One.