Strictly Come Dancing live: Karen Carney and Carlos Gu burst into tears in emotional semi-final
All the live updates from semi-final of BBC dancing competition
Strictly Come Dancing has reached its penultimate week and Amber Davies, Balvinder Sopal, George Clarke and Karen Carney took to the dance floor to fight for their space in the 2025 final of the BBC competition.
The four remaining celebrities performed two new routines following last week’s elimination of former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and his professional partner Katya Jones after they were beaten in a tense dance off by Love Island star Davies.
It proved to be an emotional evening as the celebrities, their professional partners and even the judges shed a few tears.
Sopal’s pro partner Julian Callion broke down as he revealed his mum had surprised him by flying over from Australia to be in the audience for the semi-final. Later, Carney and her partner Gu both burst into tears after finishing their first dance, a poignant waltz to Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time”.
Recap Saturday night’s semi-final as it happened below...
BBC's 10-person shortlist for Claudia and Tess's replacement 'leaked' by insider
Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones, and Alan Carr are rumoured to be in the running to take over Claudia and Tess’s roles as Strictly Come Dancing presenters.
An insider reportedly claimed that there’s a shortlist of 10 stars who’re being considered by BBC bosses.
Rylan Clark, Zoe Ball, Rob Rinder, Holly Willoughby, Amanda Holden, Alison Hammond, and Angela Scanlon have also allegedly secured spots.
"They will go to a studio and be put into different pairs to see who works together best. It could be two mix. They will ultimately choose whoever has the best chemistry in each partnership,” the source told The Sun.
The BBC has declined to comment on the claims.
Strictly odds: Will Paddy McGuinness replace Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman?
Bookies name George Clarke as shock frontrunner of the competition
Although Karen Carney was previously tipped by bookies to lift the Glitterball trophy, the footballer has now been overtaken by YouTuber George Clarke, who has emerged as the new frontrunner with odds of 5/6.
Carney, Meanwhile is in second place at 11/10, with Sopal in third position with odds of 20/1. This shift in the bookmakers' predictions suggests that Love Island star Amber Davies, who was in the dance-off last week, will have to graft to reach the final. But it’s still all to play for.
Read more about George Clarke below:
George Clarke: Influencer swapping YouTube for the dancefloor on Strictly
Nikita Kuzmin surprises fans as he reveals his sister's reality TV past
Ahead of tonight’s semi-final, Strictly pro Nikita Kuzmin has surprised fans of the show with his sister’s reality TV past.
Anastasia, the star’s older sibling, who is also a pro dancer, has appeared on the Italian version of the BBC Dance Competition since 2012.
But the 32-year-old also took part in the Italian edition of Race Across the World and went on to win the reality travel show over a decade ago.
'Seeing her travel through India has inspired me to go there 10 years years later, which is still up to today the favorite solo travel trip I've ever done,” Kuzmin said.
Sweet!
Shirley Ballas breaks silence on Johannes Radebe rumoured exit
What time is Strictly on tonight?
Tonight’s semi-final kicks off at 6.35pm and the remaining couples must dance twice to secure a place in the grand final.
Tomorrow’s results show will air at 7.45pm.
What songs are the semi-finalists dancing to?
- Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon: Waltz to “At This Moment” by Michael Bublé and a Salsa to “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You / Get on Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan
- George Clarke and Alexis Warr: Charleston to “We No Speak Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool as well as a Samba to “Volare” by Gipsy Kings
- Karen Carney and Carlos Gu: Salsa to “Turn the Beat Around” by Vicki Sue Robinson and Waltz to One Moment in Time by Whitney Houston
- Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin: Couple's Choice to “Fly Me to the Moon” by Raye and Tango to “Higher” by Michael Bublé
Amber Davies says backlash over Lewis Cope's elimination has been 'tough'
Amber Davies has shared that the backlash online following Lewis Cope’s elimination has been “tough” for her to handle.
The Love Island star described the former Emmerdale star as her “rock” in the competition and said them facing each other in the dance off was “unfortunate”.
“I’d just like to remind everyone, I wasn’t meant to be here,” Davies told fans. “I am just doing my best.”
Balvinder's pro partner Julian Caillon reveals he almost gave up on Strictly
In a Sliding Doors confession, Strictly newcomer Julian Caillon revealed he almost gave up on the BBC dance competition entirely after several failed auditions.
He told The Independent, "I just missed out and for me, I was like 'okay, it would have been cool, but that's alright'". Look at him now...
Fans share concern for Katya after Lewis Cope elimination
Strictly fans were left concerned for Katya Jones after she was eliminated from the competition alongside Lewis Cope last weekend.
Jones broke down in tears as she hailed Cope and said she blames herself for his premature exit, leaving fans worried that she was being too hard on herself.
Read more below:
Strictly viewers share concern for Katya Jones after Lewis Cope exit
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