James Jordan's Strictly Preview: Halloween Week
Joshua Kerr 
It's Halloween Week and once again, Strictly Come Dancing hall of famer James Jordan is back with us to preview Week Seven, providing the team at Free Bets with his expert insight, analysis and predictions throughout the series.
Want to ask James a question of your own? Submit a question in the box below and we'll put it to him for next week's blog. Each week, James will pick his favourites to answer!
Predictions: Bottom Two, Next Out, and the State of the Vote
Who’s going to be in the bottom two this week?
I’d put money on Balvinder & Julian being there. The public support isn’t coming through and the tie-heavy leaderboard makes drops brutal. If they land against Harry & Karen, it gets interesting — the dance choice will decide it.
Next to go?
On balance, I think Balvinder goes — unless she draws a dance that flatters her and Harry draws one that exposes him. He’s a big lad; rhythmical dances will be tougher.
Why was the bottom two such a surprise last week to some people?
When you’ve got four couples tied on one score and three tied on another, you only need to ‘drop’ a couple of places to fall into jeopardy. That’s how we ended up with surprises like Amber in the dance-off. She didn’t actually collapse down the board — the ties dragged her there.
Is there anyway to fix the maths to avoid less ties in the leaderboard?
I’d add 0.5 increments to the judging so we don’t get these massive blocks of ties. It’s fairer and it stops the table turning into a lottery.
Are there any patterns within the voting that has caught your attention?
You can see Balvinder isn’t getting votes. And now, clearly, Amber isn’t either — not as many as you’d expect for her standard. She’s a trained performer, and some viewers still punish that. It’s a shame, and oddly it happens to the women more than the men.
The Jimmy Factor: When Overmarking Backfires
I was gutted to see Jimmy go. I really liked him and Lauren — I thought they were improving every single week. He’s a non-dancer, but you could see how hard he was trying, and she was doing a brilliant job with him.
I actually gave their performance a six. The judges were giving sevens and eights, which for me was too high. That kind of overmarking can really hurt you because people at home see that and think, ‘Oh, they’re fine, they don’t need my vote.’ So then they don’t pick up the phone, and that’s when you end up in the bottom two.
If they’d scored him more realistically, I think he would have got more public support. I’ve seen it happen loads of times — when you’re overmarked, the audience assumes you’re safe. When you’re a bit undermarked, they rally behind you.
It’s a shame, because I think Jimmy still had a lot more to give. The song choice and costume didn’t help — it was a bit dull, and that matters more than people realise — but he’s one of the ones I’ll miss watching. He’s a good bloke and deserved another week.
New Blood, Fairer Rules, and a Return to Real Teaching
There seems to be a bit of a Strictly shake-up coming — where would you look next to improve the show?
I think it’s time for a proper shake-up among the pros. Don’t get me wrong — there are some fantastic professionals on that show, but we’ve reached the point where certain faces have been there too long. You lose hunger over time, and Strictly thrives on hunger, passion and fresh ideas.
So how big a change are you talking about?
I’d say replace half the line-up — not because they’re bad, but because you need that sense of renewal. Bring in dancers who are desperate to prove themselves, mix the cast with new British talent and top international names, and make the show feel unpredictable again. We have world-class ballroom and Latin dancers in this country who deserve that platform.
The Judges: “Honest, Brave, and Technical Again”
What’s your view on the judging panel at the moment?
There’s a softness now — a fear of being honest. The show doesn’t need cruelty, but it needs truth. When judges pull punches to avoid Twitter backlash, it stops being a genuine critique and becomes performance.
So what would you change about the panel itself?
Bring in one or two new judges who are willing to call it as they see it, not play characters. I’d even consider rotating judges more often — keep them sharp, keep the audience guessing.
Would you ever take a seat on the judging panel yourself?
I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’ve lived that floor for eight years, I know what the celebs go through, and I’d bring honesty with empathy. I wouldn’t sit there trying to go viral with a one-liner — I’d talk about the actual dance. People deserve feedback that helps them improve.
What about the scoring system — would you tweak that too?
Half-points should be introduced. It’s ridiculous when four couples tie on 30 and another three tie on 28. It makes the leaderboard meaningless. Give the judges more flexibility so the public gets a clearer picture.
Tess and Claudia’s Replacements: Chemistry First, Then CV
What kind of qualities should the BBC look for in their replacements for Tess and Claudia?
You can put two immaculate CVs on a shiny floor and still get flat TV if they don’t spark. This job needs wit, empathy, speed of thought, and proper listening — and especially upstairs you need someone who can read adrenaline and nerves, poke fun without bruising, and ask one sharp technical question before getting out of the way.
Why Zoe Ball and Anton Du Beke Are James’s Perfect Pair
If you could pick the next hosts, who would they be — and why?
Zoe Ball is a natural for Claudia’s world: quirky, kind, funny, and nimble with a live interview. She’s done 'It Takes Two', she knows this ecosystem and its rhythms. Anton Du Beke brings old-school polish with a touch of Bruce, that wink to camera, the warmth, the ability to land a gag and then steady the ship.
Together, they give you familiarity that feels fresh — a duo viewers already trust, with complementary energies. I’d move Anton off the judging desk and let him anchor with Zoe; it restores that classic masculine/feminine presenting balance that sits so naturally with ballroom and Latin’s own dynamic. It’s a proper Strictly reset while maintaining crucial elements of the Strictly furniture.
Score Analysis (Week Five Review)
(Format: Judges’ total shown as four individual paddles; James’s mark out of 10 follows. Then his notes.)
Lewis & Katya — Quickstep
Judges: 9, 8, 8, 9 | James: 8
Great show-opener: high energy, big coverage, difficult content. But his ballroom is still too balletic — head left position looks fixed and a bit stiff; needs more softness and drive through the standing leg. Anton and Shirley scored it right; for me it wasn’t a nine.
Karen & Carlos — Rumba
Judges: 7, 7, 7, 7 | James: 6 (overmarked)
Plenty of effort on leg action but the overall look was stiff, with balance wobbles and turned-in feet. Connection wasn’t there, arms unfinished. Week One jive might still be her peak. The track and costumes saved the impression.
Ellie & Vito — Salsa
Judges: 6, 8, 7, 7 | James: 7
As a performance it was infectious. Start to finish fun. Technically messy in places but I loved it. Vito’s balance of basics and personality is clever. They’re my daughter Ella’s favourites — and I get why.
Alex & Johannes — Foxtrot
Judges: 7, 8, 8, 9 | James: 8
Elegant, proper ballroom with grounded weight and clean drive. Not as flashy as Lewis & Katya, but fundamentally better in technique. A seven was harsh; nine is generous but defendable.
George & Alexis — Jive
Judges: 6, 7, 6, 8 | James: 6 (‘never an eight’)
Love them as a partnership and Alexis is a great new pro, but the choreo was wrong — too many intricate timings, not enough basic jive for impact. Minimal bounce, little retraction in the kicks, errors late on. Popularity saved them — rightly so — but this wasn’t their week.
Vicky & Kai — Couple’s Choice
Judges: 8, 8, 8, 9 | James: 6 (‘ridiculously overmarked’)
I adore them and still have them as dark horses, but this isn’t what Strictly is about. No partnering or ballroom/Latin requirements to judge. Looked safe and ploddy, synch issues, a bit heavy. Judges were talking rubbish here — and Kai knows I love him!
Balvinder & Julian — Quickstep
Judges: 7, 7, 7, 7 | James: 6
Awkward to score because I felt some of the technical problems came from the pro — posture and frame issues that make it hard for a celeb to look good. Movement across the floor was weak, synch off. He’s a lovely guy, but last week I think he let her down.
Harry & Karen — Argentine Tango
Judges: 6, 9, 7, 8 | James: 7
Welcome to the competition, Harry. Strong, staccato, in character. I liked the lighting, drama and the whole concept. The judges were oddly tough given the theme — it worked as a performance. He’ll still struggle in softer, rhythmical dances, but this was a proper step forward.
Amber & Nikita — Cha Cha
Judges: 8, 8, 8, 9 | James: 8
She’s good — of course she is — but I expected more. Too stiff through the body, not enough hip settle or leg action, arms not always finished. Costumes and choreo didn’t help. She’s getting the backlash for being trained; oddly, the men get forgiven for it more often.
Jimmy & Lauren — American Smooth
Judges: 7, 8, 7, 8 | James: 6
Gutted to see them go. He’s a non-dancer who was improving weekly. The song was morbid, the costume (those trousers!) did him no favours, and there were mistakes. Also: when judges overmark, viewers assume a couple is safe and don’t vote — that hurts someone like Jimmy.
La Voix & Aljaž — Salsa
Judges: 6, 7, 7, 8 | James: 6 (overmarked)
Compared with last week, a masterpiece — fun, lifts landed, clean-ish timing. But there’s no softness or fluidity; at one point they ditched proper steps to just do arms, which annoyed me. Hats off to Aljaž with the lifts, they were tremendous. Overmarked, but I still enjoyed them.”
Pairings & Partnerships: Credit Where It’s Due — Producers Nailed It
You’ve been pretty vocal in the past about pairings. How do you feel the producers have done this year?
Honestly, credit where it’s due — they’ve nailed it this year. Normally I’d have one or two that feel mismatched, but this time it’s spot on. You can see they’ve really thought about personality balance, physicality, and storylines. It’s the best set of pairings they’ve had in years.
Who stands out as the best partnership of the series so far?
Ellie and Vito. This is the blueprint. Vito is building routines that protect and reveal in equal measure — enough basics to educate, enough personality to delight. The coaching is sensitive: he knows when to give Ellie the fizz and when to ground her, and he’s coaching technique without draining her joy.
They’re the couple I’d happily put in a final on storytelling alone, and the only question is whether Ellie can adapt to the more serious ballroom. If she can, watch them fly.
What about Lewis and Katya — they’ve been top of the leaderboard a lot.
Katya’s packing content and structure in; the brief now is to de-ballet the ballroom — make it softer through the standing leg, less fixed in the head — without losing the crispness that makes him pop. If they solve that, they’re the benchmark.
George and Alexis have become real audience favourites. What’s your take on them?
Alexis is a superb first-year addition. She’s learning what to simplify and when to let George’s charm lead. Smart fixes on the jive will pay off; they’re public darlings and rightly so.
You’ve praised Kai before, what makes his partnership with Vicky work so well?
Kai’s one of the best teachers on the show. He’s setting Vicky challenges she can meet while keeping the partnership warm and watchable. If you want the ‘journey’ couple, this is it.
Amber’s had a lot of attention this year, not all of it fair. How do you see her progress?
Amber needs softness and finish; Nikita’s job is to craft choreography that forces those qualities to the front rather than leaning on speed and tricks. They can do something special if they chase feel over flash for a couple of weeks.
Harry’s been hit and miss in the scoring — what’s the key to getting the best out of him?
Argentine Tango showed the way: lean into shape, focus, and attack. Build the rhythmicals from grounded basics and keep the choreo uncluttered.
And finally, La Voix and Aljaž — what do you make of them as a pairing?
Aljaž is doing smart, personality-led routines and solving lifting problems you don’t see at home. It’s good producing on a micro scale.
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