Ballroom blitz! Katie Derham shocks Strictly Come Dancing judges with 'elegant' Viennese Waltz that TOPS the leaderboard in unexpected show-stopper
PUBLISHED: 20:38, 17 October 2015 | UPDATED: 21:28, 17 October 2015
Last week her performance was likened to a bad internet connection.
But, in the space of seven days, news anchor Katie Derham has performed an impressive u-turn on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing.
The media personality and her partner, Anton Du Beke, delivered an unexpected triumph which vaulted over their competitors' efforts and topped the leader-board.
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Success: Katie Derham performed an impressive u-turn on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, which saw her top the leader-board with class and style
The stunning pair turned heads with their Viennese Waltz, which was praised as both gracious and sophisticated.
Together, they earned a total of 33 points, which put them above Helen George, Jamelia, Peter Andre and Kellie Bright, who were sharing the top spot.
Katie's show-stopping performance was a genuine shock for fans of the long-running BBC series, which in part was thanks to her daughters who cheered her own during rehearsals.
Gorgeous pair: The stunning pair turned heads with their Viennese Waltz, which was praised as both gracious and sophisticated
All four judges threw plaudits at Katie and Anton, who were celebrated for such a vast improvement from the previous week, which saw Katie dismissed as hopeless.
'You were effortlessly elegant and bring a truly timeless quality to the dancefloor,' said Len, while Craig Revel-Horwood added: 'I saw only two minor errors. You were fantastic. So much better than last week'
Darcy and Bruno followed suit with similar praise, before the final figures were announced - clearly delighting them both equally.
Getting better! The brunette beauty was cheered on by her two daughters, who attended her rehearsals
Not that they were the only impressive contestants, of course. The show opened with Anita Rani and her dance partner Gleb Savchenko.
They gave an energetic performance which involved lots of flesh-baring and hip-shaking, much to the delight of Bruno.
However, his eagerness was nothing compared to the weekly drooling of Darcy over the male contestants. 'I was so distracted by your shirtless co-star', she mused.
Hips don't lie: The show opened with Anita Rani and her dance partner Gleb Savchenko
Abs-olutely fabulous: They gave an energetic performance which involved lots of flesh-baring and hip-shaking, much to the delight of Darcy, who drooled over the male dancer
Daniel O'Donnell then performed an aviation-themed dance with Kristina Rihanoff.
'It was Premium Economy, but I wanted First Class' Bruno said. 'You need to inject more wow-factor.'
Craig then added: 'You've got great musicality and your timing was good. The lifts were great, but your arms were all over the place.'
Failure to launch: Daniel O'Donnell then performed an aviation-themed dance with Kristina Rihanoff
Nearly, but not quite: 'It was Premium Economy, but I wanted First Class' Bruno said. 'You need to inject more wow-factor.'
Kirsty Gallagher then took to the floor with Brendan. Wearing a black and pink, she certainly looked glam, but her performance was dull.
'It had the shape of a broomstick. It only worked when you were in Brendan's arms,' Craig critiqued, whereas Darcy swapped her objectivity for sisterly solidarity, wholly praising the duff display.
Len said: 'It was like a Paella - tasty in places, but with a few funny bits'. Despite Darcy's overly-generous scoring, they were awarded just 21 points.
Flat: Kirsty Gallagher then took to the floor with Brendan. Wearing a black and pink, she certainly looked glam, but her performance was dull.
Damning: 'It had the shape of a broomstick. It only worked when you were in Brendan's arms,' Craig critiqued
Georgia May-Foote then danced the quick-step with Giovanni to the Cathy Dennis-penned Reach.
Following last week's barbed comments, Len was kinder in his guidance, saying: 'From drab to fab! You were fantastic. Full of life and vibrant - I loved it.'
They ended up with 29 points, which was the highest of the quick-step dances so far.
Magical: Georgia May-Foote then danced the quick-step with Giovanni to the Cathy Dennis-penned Reach
Not bad at all! They ended up with 29 points, which was the highest of the quick-step dances so far
Radio 2 DJ Jeremy Vine didn't fare quite so well - being labelled 'like a stalk that had been struck by lightening', but still received a standing ovation from the live audience.
Together they were given a collective score of 20, which was respectable - at least for the mis-matched pair.
They were followed by Kellie Bright, who dedicated her foxtrot to her grandparents.
Good sport: Radio 2 DJ Jeremy Vine didn't fare quite so well - being labelled 'like a stalk that had been struck by lightening', but still received a standing ovation from the live audience
Together they were given a collective score of 20, which was respectable - at least for the mis-matched pair
Wearing a beautiful blue and white dress, she cut a timeless figure as she moved along the floor with Kevin Clifton, was was equally attractive in a fitted suit.
'My grandparents met at a dancehall and they loved that song [Dream A Dream Of Me], so I'm doing it for them,' she enthused.
Unsurprisingly, it went down a storm and garnered the show's best episode - 32 points.
Not like her EastEnders character! Kellie Bright cut a timeless figure as she moved along the floor with Kevin Clifton, was was equally attractive in a fitted suit
Putting on a show: Former pop star Jamelia was the perfect flapper girl in her sexy outfit
That said, it didn't remain that way for long - as Tristan and Jamelia also scored 32 points with their dance to Paula Abdul's Straight Up.
Carol Kirkwood and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev gave a Spanish-themed performance, which afforded her a surprisingly accomplished routine.
And, although she didn't storm it, she earned decent scores from the judges.
Glamorous: Carol Kirkwood and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev tried their very best for the show
Following a tricky week - which saw him face an early exit, last Saturday - Ainsley Harriot managed a much more solid delivery.
Performing a waltz to What A Wonderful World, the TV presenter garnered praise from all four judges, including the difficult-to-please Craig.
Clearly delighted by the improvement, he seemed content with anything other than disaster.
Cooking on gas! Ainsley managed to perform much better than last week, which saw him in the bottom two
Aesthetics: Wearing a red and white mini-dress the blonde was seemingly hoping to trade on her looks and sexuality, but that failed to fully wash with the judges
Helen George and her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec then performed an energetic showdown to Gloria Estefan's 1980s smash-hit Dr Beat.
Wearing a red and white mini-dress the blonde was seemingly hoping to trade on her looks and sexuality, but that failed to fully wash with the judges.
'I'd like to see you earth the grind a bit more,' Craig said, while Darcy tempered her praise with claims she's 'wooden'. Still, they managed a string of eights, joining Kellie and Jamelia atop the leaderboard.
Last up were Peter Andre and Janette Manrara, who also scored a collective 32 points.
Leg-ends! Last up were Peter Andre and Janette Manrara, who also scored a collective 32 points
Anthony 'I feel sorry for Obi' after Strictly exit
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