Strictly Come Dancing 2023 week 11 recap: Best moments from epic show
The first perfect score of the series was awarded!
We're just a couple of weeks away from the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 final, with this year's line-up returning to the dance floor for their eleventh live performance last night (Saturday, 2nd December).
It was announced that there would be no public vote on Saturday evening and no elimination on Sunday after Nigel Harman was forced to withdraw from the competition along with his professional partner Katya Jones, but the remaining celebs still brought their A-game.
Ellie Leach kicked off the show with a Beauty and the Beast quickstep, while Annabel Croft followed with a Wicked foxtrot.
Both of them received high praise for their performances, but it was Layton Williams who topped the leaderboard with a perfect score of 40 – the first of the series – with an outstanding Paso Doble to Backstage Romance from Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
It was an epic comeback for Layton, who was in the dance-off the week before.
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Shirley Ballas described the routine as "absolutely sensational", while Anton Du Beke said: "That's the best thing you've done on the series so far."
Bobby Brazier and his professional partner Dianne Buswell then transformed into Jennifer Gray's Baby and Patrick Sqayze's Johnny from the 1987 classic Dirty Dancing, but their performance was marred by a wobbly lift, resulting in the pair receiving a total score of 34.
Harman had been due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins, but with just hours to go until the live show, it was announced that he had been forced to exit the contest after suffering an injury.
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"I was leaping off a rostrum and was about to be caught by some very handsome men, and as I flew I was Peter Pan and as I landed I was in A & E," he explained. "So I've done something to my rib basically, and it's quite painful. I'm a little bit high on painkillers as well but I'm having a lovely time."
Speaking about his time on the show, he said: "I've loved it. And I am [still] loving it - it's too soon to say 'loved'. This hasn't really sunk in, when I watched everyone come down the stairs, I was a bit sad. I've been avoiding Kat all day because that makes it really real, as well."
Co-hosts Claudia and Tess Daly clarified at the beginning of Saturday's live show that the judges would still be scoring the performances and that their votes would be carried over to next week, which means we'll still get a three-couple final.
Read more:
- Who is Bobby Brazier? Meet the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 contestant and EastEnders star
- Strictly Come Dancing 2023 week 10 recap: Best moments from epic show
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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