How did we end up here?! Yep, we have made it the Semi-Final of Strictly Come Dancing 2024. Sarah Hadland, Tash Gouri, Chris McCausland, JB Gill, and Pete Wicks have all survived weeks upon weeks of non-stop dance to make it all the way to the Semi-Final. And now two dances are all that stands between them and a place in the coveted Strictly Come Dancing Final next week.
After last week's Quarter Finals Musicals Special (that sadly saw Montell and Johannes eliminated), the five remaining couples now have to tackle two dances. But you wouldn't know that there was added pressure on them, because the Semi-Final was full of high quality performances.
Who stood out with some powerful performances and what went down on the dancefloor?
Strictly spoilers and results: Week 12 Leaderboard
It's safe to say that this was a high-quality Semi-Final. The couples brought the absolute best that they could and performed well, especially those with some very difficult dances. And it showcased that all of them were willing to do whatever it takes to make it into that Final next week.
Tasha and Aljaž performed a stunning Waltz that saw them score their second 40 of the series, while JB and Lauren also danced a 40-scoring Salsa that had the judges raving about them. Sarah and Vito delivered a powerful Tango and an adventurous Jive that had the judges complementing her incredible energy, while Chris and Dianne moved people with a beautiful Viennese Waltz. Pete and Jowita delivered an intense Argentine Tango that earned praise for its passion.
Here are all of the results from the Strictly Week 12 Saturday night Semi-Final show, the scores that each of the dances earned, and the Leaderboard we were left with at the end of the show:
- JB and Lauren danced the Paso Doble/Salsa - 39 + 40 = 79
- Tasha and Aljaž danced the Salsa/Waltz - 35 + 40 = 75
- Sarah and Vito danced the Tango/Jive - 36 + 36 = 72
- Chris and Dianne danced the Charleston/Viennese Waltz - 33 + 36 = 69
- Pete and Jowita danced the Foxtrot/Argentine Tango - 32 + 33 = 65
Who is in danger on Strictly Come Dancing Week 12?
Here we have a very interesting Semi-Final because, for the first time in the business end of the competition this series, there are no ties on the Leaderboard. What does that mean? Well, first of all, it means that the judges' vote carries more weight than it has in previous weeks (as the ties meant that the public vote would have more power). It also means that Pete is in a lot more danger of facing the Dance-Off this week than ever before.
Pete and Jowita are bottom of the Leaderboard, but this time they only have the single point that being at the bottom of the Leaderboard would give you. In past weeks, there have been ties, so they would often have two points or three points. But this time, it's just one, and that means that his public vote would need to be really strong to lift him out of the Dance-off. Which means that if he isn't polling in the Top 2 (although topping the vote would be the safest way for him to escape), he will likely end up there.
Right now, it's also looking like Tasha will find herself in her second Dance-Off. We've seen in the past that the stronger dancers don't have as strong support as some of their fellow contestants and that can put them in danger in the last few weeks of the competition. As Tasha is second on the Leaderboard, she's likely not high enough to escape the Dance-Off since she found herself there from second last week.
There is also an outside chance that Sarah and Vito could find themselves in their first Dance-Off. They are in the middle of the Leaderboard, which makes them a bit more vulnerable. However, they have shown themselves to be remarkably popular so, provided that they aren't in the bottom two of the public vote, they could escape.
Right now, we're predicting a Tasha and Aljaž vs. Pete and Jowita Dance-off, with an outside chance that Sarah and Vito might land there instead of one of the others.
Update, Sunday December 8: Pete and Jowita found themselves in their first Dance-Off while Tasha and Aljaž faced their second. The judges unanimously saved Tasha and Aljaž, sending them through to the Final and eliminating Pete and Jowita from the competition.
It goes without saying that Pete grew a great deal throughout his time on the show and did extremely well. Revisit his and Jowita's passionate Argentine Tango here: