Live updates and response from Strictly Come Dancing week 5

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of Strictly Come Dancing as we enter week five.

Controversy returned to the show this week after Wynne Evans and Katya Jones’ infamous ‘hand incident’ set tongues wagging last weekend resulting in the pair defending their awkward encounter.

The pair will be hoping to put the incident and focus talk on their dancing when they attempt to cha-cha-charge up the leaderboard this evening.

We will provide a live commentary of all the dancers tonight and endeavour to bring you the most eye-catching pictures and video from proceedings plus your reaction on social media.

So for now sit back, relax and let’s see which celebrities rip up the dancefloor or face the risk of waltzing off tomorrow night.

The Eastenders actor’s performance did not disappoint, bagging an almost stunning score from the judges of 9, 10, 10, 10.

In total Jamie and Michelle were only ONE point off a picture perfect score!

The Eastender star was greeted with stunning reviews from the judges, who were grinning like cheshire cats following his passionate performance.

‘Paso bleeding tastic doll!,’ Craig raved as Motsi yelled: ‘Brilliant.’

Shirley said ‘outstanding choreography, basics and oval shapes, set the tone, remarkable.’

‘The dance was magnificent you will never dance a better dance than that you were brilliant,’ Anton said.

Jamie and Michelle landed in the top two last week with an astonishing score of 34 – and even TWO nines.

But can their Pasodoble bring the heat to the Strictly dance floor?

Punam and Gorka received the following score from the judges: 4, 6, 5, 6 for a total of 21 points

It looks like the pair may be in the hot seat again this week!

Motsi said ‘loved the wedding vibe, it was romantic and vulnerable, got on top of the mistakes but push it more and make it dynamic’.

Anton dubbed her dancing as ‘lovely’ but said she keeps it to herself, he added: ‘share it with us, too hesitant, crakc it out and commit.’

However Craig wasn’t too positives – is a low score on the horizon?

Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez are preparing to get their glad rags on after a rocky week in the bottom two last week. But will they be able to pull it out of the bag this week?

The pair will be performing the Viennese Waltz to She’s Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel

Electricity was in the air as the pair took to the dancefloor and even Craig Revel Horwood was won over.

‘You, my love, are a good one,’ Anton Du Beke praised the JLS dancer, dubbing him ‘absolutely super.’

Although there were some critiques of his technique, his brilliant performance was described as ‘divine’ by the judges.

They walked away this week with a stellar score of 30 from the panel.

Week five of Strictly is officially here – sit back, relax and watch with us as we welcome the first couple – JB and Amy Dowden – onto the dancefloor!

The pair will be performing Jive to Hey Ya! by Outkast.

The Welsh Opera singer took to Instagram to thank his 78,000-strong following for their support as he prepares to get his glad rags on and head to the dance floor.

Here we go it’s nearly showtime. Thanks for all the wonderful messages I’m certainly feeling love. Don’t forget to vote vote vote

Love you all you’re amazing.

By Madison Burgess

Strictly’s Wynne Evans put on a brave face as he left his London hotel and head to the studio ahead of Saturday’s live show, after becoming the bookies’ favourite to leave the competition next.

The opera singer, 52, – who was once a frontrunner for the Glitterball Trophy alongside his dance partner Katya Jones, 35, – is just 5/1 to be sent packing from the competition this week having been 25/1 in the same market last week.

The duo have spent the week defending their awkward exchange during Saturday night’s live show.

Viewers spotted the toe-curling moment Katya moved Wynne’s hand away from her waist and snubbed his attempt at a high-five with her.

But he’s not letting the disheartening results prediction get him down and was seen with a huge grin on his face as he made his way to Elstree solo.

Vito Coppola brought his energy from the dancefloor straight to the kitchen as he made his debut on This Morning’s cooking segment, following his MasterChef win.

The 31-year-old is competing tonight with celebrity partner Sarah Hadland and took a break from rehearsals to appear on the ITV show where viewers appeared enthused his his bubbly personality.

One said: ‘Please make Vito a regular. He brings such joy and innocent passion. I could listen to Vito talk all day’; ‘I really like Vito but my he can talk!’

Later in the show, Vito sat down for an interview alongside his Strictly partner Sarah. The pair were once again full of energy, prompting Ben to say: ‘Listening to you is exhausting’

Sarah replied: ‘I don’t know, we immediately connected, we are both like puppies.’

Vito added: ‘She’s more energetic than me, multiply by 10.

Last month, Vito was crowned the new winner for the 2024 series of MasterChef.

Read more here:

For those of you who can’t wait for tonight’s programme to start, here’s a treat for you.

Here is a list of dances that will be performed this evening and the numbers accompanying them.

Ever thought about doing the Rumba to Oasis…now’s your chance to see how it’s done

Tonight’s dances (may not be in order):

• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe – Couple’s Choice to Skeleton Move by KG, Zanda Zakuza
• Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez – Viennese Waltz to She’s Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel
• Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin – Quickstep to Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola – Samba to Do It Do It Again by Rafaella Carrà
• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec – Tango to Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine
• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell – Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas – Paso Doble to Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona
• JB Gill and Amy Dowden – Jive to Hey Ya! by Outkast
• Paul Merson and Karen Hauer – Samba to Car Wash by Rose Royce
• Pete Wicks and Jowitza Przystal – Rumba to Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis
• Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu – American Smooth to Get Here by Sam Smith
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones – Quickstep to Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

Before we look ahead to tonight’s offering…let’s just remind you what happened last week.

Nick Knowles, the oldest male celebrity in this year’s line-up, became the third star to be kicked off the ballroom after he and Luba Mushtuk lost the dance-off to Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu. LINK

And Tasha Ghouri earned the first 10s as she impressed judges with her performance of the Charleston with partner Aljaz Skorjanec to Unhealthy by Anne-Marie, Shania Twain

Here is the leaderboard in full:

• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec (9+10+10+10) = 39
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas (8+9+9+8) = 34
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones (8+9+9+8) = 34
• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe (8+8+8+9) = 33
• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell (6+8+8+8) = 30
• JB Gill and Amy Dowden (7+8+7+8) = 30
• Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu (7+8+7+8) = 30
• Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał (7+7+8+7) = 29
• Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin (7+7+7+7) = 28
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola (6+7+7+7) = 27
• Paul Merson and Karen Hauer (4+6+6+7) = 23
• Nick Knowles and Luba Mushtuk (4+6+5+6) = 21
• Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez (4+5+5+6) = 20

The Strictly story of the week has undoubtedly been Wynne Evans and Katya Jones’ awkward ‘hand incident’ after viewers last weekend spotted the professional moving the opera singer’s  hand away from her waist and snub his attempted high-five.

The dance partners have spent the week defending their toe-curling exchange during last Saturday night’s live show.

On Monday the pair appeared together on Strictly spin off show It Takes Two where Katya declared Wynne had been ‘portrayed as someone he is not’, as they insisted his ‘wandering hand’ incident was a silly joke.

Clinging to his arm, she said: ‘The idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is total nonsense, and those that have doubts, you guys have got it wrong. So hopefully this will be the end of it, and you just keep making me smile.’

However, Wynne admitted he had watched the footage of the incident back and confessed: ‘I can see how people may have misinterpreted it.’

Hours after the broadcast, neither Katya or Wynne raised a smile as they walked to their training studio in Wales ahead of rehearsals for tonight.

The controversy has left the pair in serious danger of being booted off Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday’s results show according to the bookies.

Opera singer Wynne, 52, – who was once a frontrunner for the Glitterball Trophy – is just 5/1 to be sent packing from the competition this week having been 25/1 in the same market last week.