Strictly Come Dancing fans were all aflutter as Nikita Kuzmin unveiled a striking new look for the show’s Halloween special.
The BBC’s beloved dance contest made its thrilling return to our screens on Saturday (October 26), with celebrities pulling out all the stops to remain in the running.
For this week’s Halloween theme, the pairs delivered spectacular routines and costumes, drawing inspiration from cult classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice.
The judges also embraced the Halloween spirit, with Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke transforming into The Shining’s infamous twins, Motsi Mabuse channelling Cruella de Vil, and Shirley Ballas embodying Winifred Sanderson.
But it was professional dancer Nikita who stole the show, causing a stir when he shed his clothes mid-jive with celebrity partner Sam, revealing the iconic Rocky Horror corset outfits beneath their prim Brad and Janet attire.
Motsi hailed the performance as the “cherry on the cake” of an already stellar evening with the pair scoring 31 points, marking Sam’s highest score yet.
Viewers at home didn’t hesitate to express their delight on social media about Nikita’s transformation.
A fan exclaimed on X, previously known as Twitter: “I’m sorry, but seeing Nikita in black suspenders is, well, rather special #Strictly #RockyHorror.”
Another penned: “Nikita’s costume is something I didn’t know I needed in my life #StrictlyComeDancing.”
While one more adored fan gushed: “Well, I’m looking at Nikita in a whole new way tonight #StrictlyComeDancing #strictly.”
One stunned viewer exclaimed: “Shut up…my head literally fell off when Nikita ripped his suit off, absolutely brilliant.”
Another revealed: “I really fancy @kuzmin__nikita in suspenders! #StrictlyComeDancing.”
In another comment, a fan enthused: “My favourite dancing is the Time Warp by Nikita and Sam. Wow! That was amazing. I loved it. I loved the costumes. #StrictlyComeDancing.”
With the results show poised for tomorrow night, the pro dancers are set to thrill with a Beetlejuice-themed act.
Ready to captivate the audience, the pros will deliver an act crafted by Matt Flint, featuring Carlos Gu as the notorious protagonist from Tim Burtons beloved 1988 horror comedy following the recent release of its sequel.
The previous week had seen sports star Paul Merson and dance partner Karen Hauer make their departure from the contest.
After battling it out in the feared dance-off against JLS icon JB Gill and Amy Dowden’s vivacious jive to Outkast’s Hey Ya!, Merson and Hauer were unable to remain, despite their energetic Samba to Rose Royce’s Car Wash garnering only 19 points from the panel of judges.
Strictly Come Dancing continues every Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.