Katrina Rees
This week marks CelebMix’s fifth birthday so we’ve decided to celebrate by dedicating articles to some of our favourite pop culture phenomenons. This one is all about the Strictly Come Dancing!
Since its launch on BBC One in 2004, Strictly Come Dancing has become a huge family favourite and a highlight of our Saturday nights. The competition sees professional dancers paired up with celebrities in a bid to teach them how to dance. Across the 17 series to date, over 230 celebrities have taken to the dance floor, producing a number of iconic dance routines.
We’ve rounded up five of our favourite Strictly Come Dancing performances to date for your enjoyment!
Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani Jive to ‘Misrlou’
Quite possibly one of the most iconic Strictly dances of all time, The Wanted and West End star Jay McGuiness and his partner Aliona Vilani delivered this flawless jive during week three of their series in 2015. Channeling Pulp Fiction vibes for movie week, if you didn’t know better then you’d be pushed to know who was the professional and who was the celebrity during this effortlessly slick routine. Following this ultra cool jive, it’s no wonder that Jay and Aliona enjoyed an incredible journey which saw them crowned as the series winners.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton Paso to ‘Malaguena’
Investigative journalist Stacey Dooley and her partner Kevin Clifton turned the Paso Doble into the Paso Dooley with their dramatic performance to ‘Malaguena’. Delivering a powerful performance full of passion, Stacey really came into her own during this fierce dance. Their explosive pairing also led them all the way to the final, where they were crowned the winners and awarded the coveted glitterball.
Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse Samba to ‘Magalenha’
Actor Danny Mac and his partner Oti Mabuse blew everyone away with their jaw-dropping Samba to ‘Magalenha’. Packed with sensational choreography which undoubtedly captured the essence of the Samba, it’s no surprise that this dance earned Danny and Oti a perfect 40. Danny became the first celebrity to score a 40 for a Samba, and following this sizzling routine, the pair made it all the way to the final.
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell Charleston to ‘Cotton Eye Joe’
YouTuber Joe Sugg showed off his fancy footwork on series 16 of Strictly with dance partner Dianne Buswell. Becoming the first YouTuber and social media star to compete on the show, there was a lot of doubt regarding his participation from long-time fans of the show, however, he soon proved to be a talented dancer and endearing character, making it all the way to the final. His and Dianne’s Charleston was a series highlight and remains one of our favourite dances to date. The pair delivered a dance packed with humour, as well as classic Charleston movements.
Ed Balls and Katya Jones Salsa to ‘Gangnam Style’
We couldn’t do a list of our favourite dances without mentioning the incomparable Ed Balls, who blew our minds with this outrageous Salsa with dance partner Katya Jones. It’s no secret that Ed was more of a ‘two-left feet’ man than anything else, but with the help of Katya, he pulled it out of the bag during this Salsa. It’s far from perfect but it’s SO entertaining and packed with complicated choreography, impressive lifts and THAT moment at 0:45. Credit where credit’s due, Ed and Katya delivered one of the most phenomenal moments in Strictly history.
