Strictly Come Dancing 2021: quarter-final results – as it happened (2024)

So that’s it for another week on Strictly – we’ve now got our four semi-finalists and next week AJ, Rose, John and Rhys will battle it out for a place in the Grand Final. That feels like the right four based on performances across the series, but feel free to air your grievances in the comment box below if you feel like there’s been a terrible Strictly injustice.

Each couple has TWO DANCES next week, so there’s everything to play for – join me at 7.05pm on Saturday. Thanks for joining in and I’ll see you then! Hx

Dan and Nadiya say lovely things about the show and the other contestants and each other, including an obligatory FRIENDS FOR LIFE from Dan and some tears from Nadiya. They take to the floor for their final dance, to ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ by The Four Tops.

All the judges vote to save AJ and Kai, although they make a valiant effort to pretend it was a difficult decision.

Dan says he would have saved AJ and Kai too, which I kind of love him for.

Party Latin definitely isn’t AJ’s forte, but I think if this season of Strictly has taught us anything, it’s that Party Latin is NOBODY’S forte. And when we remind ourselves that AJ is a TV presenter from Blackburn rather than a Salsa goddess from Havana, it’s a pretty impressive effort.

NAILED that final lift. Good work, AJ. Fab to see what that ending was supposed to look like.

I actually quite liked this Tango last night, and I think Dan actually does a pretty decent job. It’s still a bit ploddy and lacks drive, but it’s also a long way from the kind of dancing he was doing in the early weeks. He should be really proud of his Strictly journey, Nadiya’s made a dancer of him.

Ooh, next week John and Johannes are doing their Couple’s Choice, to ‘Hometown Glory’ by Adele. Reckon that might be one to watch. I mean, obviously I’ll be watching either way, it’s my job. But still, might keep both eyes on the telly rather than just the one.

So who’s joining AJ and Kai in the bottom two? It’s DAN AND NADIYA, so John and Johannes are safe!

Well, that’s a done deal, surely (SHIRLEY). Dan’s had an incredible run and has improved immensely, but neither he nor AJ have any dance experience and I think we can all sensibly agree that AJ is in a different league. So unless she and Kai manage to entirely stuff this up, it’s less of a dance-off and more of a…Dan’s Off.

Time for a musical interlude, courtesy of the finest X Factor runners up EVER (sorry One Direction and Olly Murs). I’ve only been to one gig this year and it was JLS at the O2 a few weeks ago, so I’m happy to declare myself a FAN. They’re singing their new single ‘Postcard’ while Neil and Dianne do some contemporary wrestling.

Yeah, OK. That was kind of horrible. Let’s pretend it never happened.

So which couples are through to next week’s MASSIVE SEMI? Rhys and Nancy are safe, and you’ve never seen two people so relieved and excited. Rose and Giovanni are also safe.

First couple in the bottom two: AJ AND KAI. Well, that’s not entirely unexpected, but at least she now has a chance to do that routine again without the shambolic final lift.

The big questions is...will she be up against Dan and Nadiya or JoJo? EEEEK.

Incidentally, I watched Rhys’s Argentine again this morning and decided my issue wasn’t Rhys’s dancing per se, it was the sheer number of lifts in that routine. For me an Argentine is a close contact dance, where any lifts are part of the push-and-pull tension of the whole thing. So the beginning and middle were great, but the acrobatic lifts in between broke that tension and spoiled the flow.

It’s just my opinion, and it doesn’t detract from the fact that Rhys delivered outstanding control and some really great footwork. He absolutely deserves to be in the semi-final next week.

Last night on Strictly – short, sweet and emotionally draining.

Highlights: Rose and Gio’s swan dive American Smooth, moody Rhys, Oti and Graziano emoting, Claudia’s red disco frock (possibly my favourite of the season so far).

Lowlights: this lift is not currently working, please use the stairs.

Tess in the darts scoreboard from your local pub. Claudia in black trousers and festive sparkles. LOVE that shirt.

And we’re off! Tonight’s opening pro dance has a ‘leading ladies’ theme, to a medley of Janet Jackson bangers. There are a lot of bad wigs and trashy ponytail hairography, but Aljaz in a white suit is the early Christmas gift we didn’t know we needed.