Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden had to bow out from the competition earlier in the month but made a comeback this evening.
The beloved BBC dance extravaganza sashayed back onto screens with yet another electrifying episode, as hopeful duos threw everything into their performances, eager to cha-cha their way into Musicals Week looming on the horizon.
JB, now twirling across the floor with Lauren Oakley, was originally matched with Wales’ own Amy Dowden, until an urgent dash to the hospital was needed post-performance as a “precaution” due to Amy feeling under the weather.
Unfortunately, this spelt the premature finale of her stint on the series, as she disclosed on companion show It Takes Two that she’s got an “insufficiency stress fracture” sidelining her from further jiving jamborees.
Yet, despite her ordeal, the 34-year-old made a heartwarming appearance cheerside, with devoted viewers catching sight of her amidst fellow stars and professional dancers, like Nikita Kuzmin, who was seen giving her a supportive embrace.
Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, buzzed with fans chiming in: “OMG, I’ve only just realised that Amy is there. It makes me so emotional.”
Emotion flowed with comments like one with teary-eyed emojis: “Nikita hugging Amy.”
A third message read: “I love that Carlos is always right next to Amy, silently supporting”, while a fourth was quick to point out: “Hang on… Amy is there!!!”
On tonight’s programme, the Samba-thon was in full swing, with all dancing pairs hitting the floor simultaneously, allowing judges to scrutinize their samba steps side by side.
To his immense joy, Amy’s ex-partner, JB, emerged triumphant tonight, securing the top spot in terms of points.
A thrilled viewer expressed their joy on social media, commenting: “JB and Lauren winning the Sambathon fills my heart with pride! ! Amy must be beaming with pride! This wins for you, queen!”
During the previous weekend, the duos graced the renowned Blackpool Tower Ballroom, showcasing their most opulent acts to date.
Whilst some participants dazzled the audience with their sparkling performances, a few failed to make a positive impression on the judges at this pivotal moment in the BBC contest.
JLS sensation JB divine with an energetic Quickstep to Rick Astley’s hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, while EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick made a showstopping entrance aboard a giant ketchup bottle for his Jive to ‘The Ketchup Song’, and The Only Way Is Essex’s Pete Wicks turned up the heat with a sizzling Cha Cha to ‘I’m Too Sexy’.
It was Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri, however, who captivated with her Paso Doble set to Nathan Laniers ‘Torn’, matching an impressive 39 points together with actress Sarah Hadlands moving Couple’s Choice performance to ‘Padam Padam’.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.