That was a cha-cha-challenge | Susan Calman comes bottom of the Strictly leaderboard © BBC

That was a cha-cha-challenge

Susan Calman comes bottom of the Strictly leaderboard

Susan Calman came joint last on Saturday night's Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard.

However, she was not selected to take part in Sunday night's dance-off, so lived to dance another week.


She and professional partner Kevin Clifton scored 16 out of 30 - down from the usual 40 maximum as judge Bruno Tolioni was away.


The pair danced the cha-cha-cha to Shout Out To My Ex by Little Mix, which the comedian confessed to having trouble mastering. 'I'm frustrated that I can't get it. I just can't get it,' she said in the filmed introduction to their live dance.


As usual, they played out a mini-drama with Kevin calling on a depressed Susan at home in her dressing gown - apparently down after a break-up with judge Craig Revel Horwood - before cheering her up with the dance.


Host Tess Daly said: 'It's like a soap opera when you dance.'


Revel Horwood said: 'I thought something was going to split when you went into that split. I love your energy and I love your performance.


'I really do have to mark you technically.  There was no hip action to speak of. Technically it wasn't great.'


He awarded a four out of 10


Fellow judge Darcey Bussell gave a seven said: 'It was packed with dance content... but you step up too much and then the technique suffers, so keep it tight so you can manage it better.


'Not your best dance but you sold it - which you always do.'


Shirley Ballas gave five points and said: 'I love you and I would never break up with you. I think you bring cheeky to the cheeky cha-cha-cha.'


And she said Calman's commitment to the dance 'sometimes came at the sacrifice of technique'.


Afterwards, Calman said: 'Clearly I've never been dumped. I had to channel someone who might have been dumped.'


The bottom of the leaderboard was a four-way tie between Calman, Simon Rimmer, Brian Conley and Ruth Langsford.


In the end,  Brian Conley and his partner Amy Dowden were voted off.

Published: 21 Oct 2017

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