Seeing Kaye go home last week made this series all the more real. The first few weeks of contestants leaving doesn’t normally make me feel sad as they tend not to be that great. However, the longer the series goes on, the more attached you get to each partnership! Shall we crack on with my Strictly 2022 week 3 review?
Richie and Giovanni
What a way to open the show, such joy and energy! Richie never disappoints on the performance aspect, but I thought the technique was fairly good this week. This routine was stuffed full of Samba content but it could always be tidier with footwork. I mean, who doesn’t love Hakuna Matata? Richie and Gio also looked a picture as Timon and Pumba!
Judges’ scores: 5, 7, 8, 7 = 27
My score: 7
Molly and Carlos
My favourite movie of all time and this song always gives me goosebumps. Wow, Molly and Carlos were sensational. She’s a real ballroom girl, with gorgeous storytelling, lovely footwork and a solid frame. Molly really plays with the music well with her movement and fills every beat. It’s okay just doing the steps but musicality is what gets you to the final!
Judges’ scores: 8, 9, 9, 8 = 34
My score: 9
Kym and Graziano
Holy moly, that was phenomenal! Kym was in her absolute element in that one with the style and character. I adore the Charleston elements alongside the ode to Fosse. By far, her best dance so far! Her face and energy dropped a little bit as the routine went on, so she needs to work on her stamina and conserve her energy. Graz’s new short hair is delightful too.
Judges’ scores: 7, 9, 8, 9 = 33
My score: 9
Hamza and Jowita
I find Hamza really easy to watch, but I agree with the judges. I’d loved him to push a bit more; everything feels safe and placed rather than dancing through the movement. Craig saying it was dull was a bit rude though. Rumbas are pretty boring and also incredibly difficult to do well as a male celebrity. It was pretty and accurate, just not really thrilling! Then again, whoever’s idea it was to do the Rumba to Jurassic Park should be benched for future Movie Weeks. Decent attempt at a hard dance!
Judges’ scores: 5, 7, 6, 7 = 25
My score: 7
Ellie T and Johannes
Ellie T always brings the character every week, but this wasn’t her best. Ballroom is going to be her friend instead. Maybe she’ll do better with the more spontaneous Latin styles, like Salsa. Footwork is obviously going to be her downfall though. She tends to stumble and doesn’t have crisp technique. For a tall woman, she should be travelling a lot more too! Not her best but at least it means the Cha Cha is out of the way!
Judges’ scores: 4, 6, 5, 6 = 21
My score: 6
Matt and Nadiya
Matt was much more expressive than in previous weeks. However, his hands and arms are bugging me though He needs to make them much smoother so everything has a better flow to it. Rather than just plonking an arm out, it should extend from the stomach, through the shoulder and right to the fingertips. Everything else was okay but the acting was much improved.
Judges’ scores: 3, 6, 5, 7 = 21
My score: 6
Tyler and Dianne
One of the best songs from a musical ever! Wow, that was packed from start to finish. Tyler’s energy definitely dipped towards the end, but I can forgive him after the marathon! Not sure the judges spotted that! 100% on the character and acting though. These high-energy dances really suit him but we know he can be equally as graceful too. I’ll be interested to see him do a Latin style where he has to use his hips though.
Judges’ scores: 9, 10, 10, 9 = 38
My score: 9
Fleur and Vito
Fleur’s acting was beautiful in this one and their chemistry is insane. I’d love for her to take some ballet classes to work on her arms and turns. Lengthening her core and legs should help her to spot better too. Getting in and out of hold felt a bit sloppy but her footwork was much better this week. I feel like she’s playing a bit safe, which means she’s always in the danger zone for points. Attack the dances more and keep pushing!
Judges’ scores: 6, 8, 7, 8 = 29
My score: 8
James and Amy
Not my favourite of his dances so far, probably because I don’t like the Cha Cha. However, for a male celeb, it was a good effort for James. He always goes for it but he slides his feet across the floor, rather than placing his feet. Work on the footwork and hips more and he’ll fly. He’s obviously got the acting down to a tee and he seems like a real showman.
Judges’ scores: 4, 6, 6, 6 = 22
My score: 6
Ellie S and Nikita
I adore Ellie S but out of hold, her rhythm is completely off. All the side-by-side stuff was out of time! In hold, she’s phenomenal though! I felt like her footwork wasn’t as good as it has been in previous weeks. That could possibly be due to the style of the Quickstep as many steps just look like you’re running. This style really suited her though, her frame is even better and the choreography was solid too.
Judges’ scores: 6, 7, 7, 7 = 27
My score: 6
Will and Nancy
I’ll start by saying that Dirty Dancing is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Sorry, not sorry. Will’s first attempt at ballroom is good though. I wanted a bit more content/in-hold stuff, like it was good but not the best I’ve ever seen! A sexy ballroom dance isn’t something we see often, nor are hips! I’d really love for him to do something more traditional on his next one.
Judges’ scores: 8, 9, 8, 8 = 33
My score: 8
Tony and Katya
Well, I’ve seen more of my childhood hero than I ever wanted to see! That dance was on another planet! Although it was highly entertaining, I thought there was plenty of Samba content and it wasn’t too bad! Those football drills make him light on his feet too. Was it ever going to be executed fully? No, but whilst he might be the joke act, Katya is definitely getting some basic steps in there and he’s giving them a real go.
Judges’ scores: 2, 6, 4, 6 = 18
My score: 6
Helen and Gorka
Helen is a gorgeous ballroom dancer and realllly easy to watch. I need her to work on her acting though, she has the same expression throughout. Whilst she has a beautiful smile, her dances would be on another level if she showed us how she feels. Her footwork is some of the best in this series and she moves across the floor beautifully. For two short people, they cover a lot of the ballroom floor.
Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 8, 8 = 31
My score: 8
Jayde and Karen
How incredible do both Jayde and Karen look in those leotards? Send us one in the post, please! The Cha Cha elements were a tiny flat-footed but this pair is a joy to watch. Such a fun performance! And yes, dance is for everybody and every BODY! However, I don’t want her to just be the fun one to watch. I’d love for Karen to keep pushing her and hone in on the footwork as ultimately, it could be her downfall.
Judges’ scores: 7, 8, 7, 7 = 29
My score: 7
To say last week was a bit up and down, I thought everyone this week upped their game. It’s so much easy to perform with a character-driven dance! It definitely felt like my Strictly 2022 week 3 review was all about improvement for everyone. Molly, Kym and Tyler got my votes this week but Tony was the real standout!
Enjoyed my Strictly 2022 week 3 review? Catch previous weeks right here or follow me on Twitter for a live tweetalong.
