[starttext]
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
It's been a pleasure: DJ Goldie hugs his dancer partner Kristina Rihanoff as they become the first couple to be voted off Strictly Come DancingGoldie became the first celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing tonight after viewers' votes saved Ann Widdecombe to dance another week.
The former MP for Maidstone and the Weald treated millions of viewers to a unique version of the salsa but her lack of passion or technique left her bottom of the judges' scoreboard.
The show's fans were entertained, however, and voted to save Widdecombe and her partner Anton Du Beke.
Goldie and partner Kristina Rihanoff had been praised by the judges but were left in last place when the panel's scores were combined with viewers' votes.
The couple with the lowest score are automatically eliminated this year after the dance off was scrapped to give judges the chance to save the better performers of the two lowest scoring pairs.
Goldie and Kristina tied with former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and his partner Erin Boag, but they were saved by judges Len Goodman, Alesha Dixon, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood.
Who will it be? Goldie and Kristina wait with Peter Shilton and Erin Boag for the first elimination resultsGoldie took the bad news on the chin, saying: 'It's all right. I've had a great time and been superfit, so I'll keep that.
'Kristina is fantastic. It's been a good experience for me - onwards and upwards.'
The contestants and the audience were also treated to a live performance by Robbie Williams, who sang his hit song Rock DJ.
Rock DJ: Robbie Williams performed his top ten chart hit on the showThe scrapping of the dance off gives more power to the public, a spokesman for the show said.
In the event of a draw when scores are combined, the couple with the lowest number of viewers' votes will automatically get the boot.
Fans have often favoured the less gifted dancers and Widdecombe's survival suggests she could become as popular with viewers as John Sergeant did in 2008.
We'll miss you: Other Strictly contestants, including Pamela Stephenson in red, gather round Goldie to bid him farewellThe former political journalist often came bottom of the judges' scoreboard but was kept out of the dance off by viewers who loved watching his hilarious performances and voted for him to stay week after week.
He eventually quit the show, saying: "The trouble is that there is now a real danger that I might win the competition. Even for me that would be a joke too far."
The remaining couples in this year's competition will dance either a rumba or a quickstep next week.
Widdy's salsa was as sexy as a web kipper, writes Claudia Connell
Sexy. Sultry. Steamy. Three words that nobody will ever use to describe Ann Widdecombe’s salsa on Strictly.
And Widdy wouldn’t have it any other way because, just like her great idol, the lady’s not for turning − or twirling, or shimmying and shaking for that matter.
Ann said she didn’t see why Latin dances had to be seduction rituals – why couldn’t they be ‘good old jolly hockey sticks fun?’ Why indeed.
So it was on Saturday night that we were treated to a salsa that was about as sexy as a wet kipper, as raunchy as a morris dance and, for all that, still possibly the most entertaining thing ever seen on TV.
Taking to the floor in another shiny, voluminous creation from the Frumps-R-Us range, Widdy delivered the most chaste Latin dance ever seen on Strictly. If Nicole Kidman’s acting was once described as ‘theatrical Viagra’, then Widdy’s Latin dancing is surely the equivalent of a dance floor cold shower.
Saved: Viewers voted to keep Anne Widdecombe and her dance partner Anton DuBeke in the competition for another weekThe routine ended with Anton bravely lifting Ann up and swinging her around – which looked about as elegant as a grocer trying to lift a sack of spuds over his shoulder.
Their game effort earned them a last place score of 12 and a woeful 1 from judge Craig Revel Horwood.
But then we are talking about a dance so devoid of rhythm and co-ordination that it made John Sergeant’s Paso Doble seem not so bad after all.
Ann wasn’t the only one doing rather a lot of stumbling. Brucie didn’t have the best of nights either. He forgot to introduce the judges and lost his way several times.
Wisely, he has given up on his, ‘I’m not doddery, doddery I am not’ catchphrase – or perhaps he just can’t remember it.
Poor Tess, who continually has to prompt him, is as much a carer as a co-star these days.
As for judge Bruno Tonioli, his comments are now so loaded with innuendo and double entendres that he’s starting to make Sid James look like Noel Coward.
But what of the other celebrities? While Widdy was good because she was so bad, there were plenty of other contestants who were just good.
The biggest surprise of the series so far has to be Pamela Stephenson who is proving to be a very talented dancer and topped the leader board on Saturday.
She’s a doctor by the way, just in case that escaped your notice, as she only likes to mention it four or five times on every show.
And, just to hammer the point home, she started her salsa routine dressed in a doctor’s white coat before stripping it off to reveal a red sequinned number.
In fact (Widdy aside) stripping off seemed to be a theme on the show.
Gavin ‘I’m shy’ Henson removed his shirt and treated us to training session footage of him bare chested and pumping iron, while EastEnders’ Scott Maslen danced with torso on display and sleeves rolled up to reveal bulging biceps.
Last week the judges told a nervous Patsy Kensit to let her hair down and go for it – and, boy, did she take them at their word.
Looking like a Blackpool barmaid on a night out, Patsy delivered a salsa that left little to the imagination, even her butch partner Robin looked a little scared.
Perhaps Ann’s Victorian salsa was why producers decided to add extra raunch to the traditionally more staid ballroom dances.
Whatever the thinking, there was something disconcerting about seeing so many foxtrots being performed like dances you’d normally have to pay for in a private club.
I can’t imagine the original Come Dancing featured a foxtrot that ended with the man on the floor and the woman sitting astride him like Matt Baker and his partner Aliona’s did.
All the same, it was a night of TV gold thanks to one old battleaxe and the word’s most sexless salsa.
source :dailymail
[endtext]
