Strictly Come Dancing: week six – live

Tasha Ghoruri suffered a rare dip for last week’s bumpy tango but with 172 points across five weeks, they’re still the contest’s highest scoring couple in 20 years, with three points more more than Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin at his stage. I know, right? It’s a fun, family-friendly, Franken-samba with them playing a creature couple. Technically tricky, robotic before it loosens up, lots of hip work, plenty of voltas. Body ripples and bounce. Travelling around the floor well with speed and changes of rhythm. Tiny timing snafu, I thought, but leg lift to end and all-round terrific.

Song: I Like to Move It by Reel 2 Real. The 1993 ragga-house hit was originally released on aptly named US record label Strictly Rhythm. It has since become familiar from the Madagascar film franchise. Simon Webbe and Kristina Rihanoff danced a Strictly samba to it a decade ago.

The surprise dance-off survivors are back in their comfort zone. JB Gill is something of a ballroom boy who loves being in hold. They’re playing scarecrows who come to life on a pumpkin farm in the moonlight. A nice nod to JB’s agricultural day job and cutesy storytelling. Glide and gorgeous frame. Sweet and lovely, although I slightly feel that the theme got in the way of the foxtrot’s elegance.

Song: Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader. The 2000 cover of the 1970 Boffalongo original. Strangely, Toploader performed at both the Conservative and Labour Party conferences last year. A cynic might suggest it almost like they’ll do anything for a few quid.

Another frothy routine for Wynne, following last year’s slapstick quickstep, to help shake off the lingering whiff of the “handgate” scandal. Katya apparently kneed him in the head practising their lifts this week. Wynne has great rhythm and musicality but needs technique too. Devilish outfits and a long shoulder lift to start. Katya barely touches the floor in the opening 30 seconds. Side by side stuff, shimmies and shakes. Huge fun if lacking in spicy salsa flavour for me.

Song: Canned Heat by Jamiroquai. The cat-in-the-hat performed it live in the Strictly ballroom back in 2006. The 1999 nu-disco funk hit was also used in the climactic dance scene of cult film Napoleon Dynamite.

The bookies’ favourite to go home this weekend bid to defy the odds. They’re playing undead pirates from a ghost ship. Punam’s sporting a shredded black and red dress. Short, sharp movements. Having a decent crack at the required passion, drama and intensity but lacking staccato. Not enough content in hold for me. They should be glued together, lying low and moving as one but the hold isn’t quite compact enough. Fun but wobbly.

Song: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics. Synth-pop duo Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart’s breakthrough 1983 hit is a bit of a favourite for Strictly tangos. Both Jonnie Peacock and Sophie Ellis-Bextor danced to it in previous series.

Confidence should be high for this loveable couple after last week’s milestone Couple’s Choice moment, which closed the show and notched a near-perfect 39 points – the joint highest scote of the series so far. Now Team MoJo back to Latin for the first time in four weeks. She’s making a concoction to play a trick on Johannes. Slightly wonky opening, then gets going. Flirty Cuban disco feel. Fast and controlled, then maybe a little mistake in front of the judges, I think. Bags of fun.

Song: Love Potion No. 9 by The Clovers. This 1959 rock song famously appeared on the soundtrack to George Lucas’ American Graffiti. It was later covered by The Searchers, Elkie Brooks, The White Stripes and The Tygers of Pan Tang. Ed “Glitter” Balls danced a cha cha cha to it on the 2016 Halloween special, which the producers might be hoping we’d forgotten.