James Jordan's Strictly Preview: Week Four + TICKET COMPETITION
Strictly Come Dancing hall of famer, James Jordan will be with us exclusively throughout the 2025 series, providing Free Bets with his expert insight, no holds barred opinion and his best bets.
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COMPETITION TIME:
Dissecting last week's action
Following Week Three and the first elimination from this season's live shows, here's James' verdict on all the biggest talking ponts...
Was Thomas the right person to leave the competition first?
Yes, I do think so. Both in the dance-off weren’t very good, but Tom’s dance… I hated the music, I hated the costume, and him sticking his tongue out—I found it all a bit bizarre. I’m not saying it was a stitch-up, but he wasn’t given a very good song. Strictly’s demographic is generally older, and that track was one of the worst I’ve ever heard on the show. The lifts they billed as ‘the best Strictly has ever seen’ weren’t that impressive either. I felt sorry for him—if he’d had a beautiful waltz instead, he might have come through.”
“He had a salsa to a dreadful piece of music, a costume I wouldn’t want to be seen dead in, and choreography that my five-year-old could do better than. He didn’t help himself with the tongue thing, but he had no say in the other choices. That’s not his fault.”
Who’s standing out early on, and who do you think could go all the way?
The one that really impresses me is Lewis—he’s fully trained—and Amber, also fully trained. Then there’s George, who from what I understand hasn’t had any training. Out of those three, he maybe has more chance of winning because he’s so likable and, if he’s genuinely untrained, what he’s doing is remarkable. He was so good I wrote in my notes: has this guy had dance training we don’t know about? If he truly hasn’t, he’s doing an amazing job.”
My prediction is George to win. I think Lewis or Amber will be the best technically, but if George has had no previous training and he’s rubbing shoulders with them, he deserves it.
Which themed weeks do you enjoy the most, and what does Blackpool mean to the pros?
Movie Week was probably my favourite of the themed weeks, Halloween too. I’m not a massive fan of too many themed shows because they’re restrictive: the music, costumes, everything. When they do random ones like the BBC anniversary, dancing to the Casualty theme or the news anthem. I find that tacky and cheesy. Movie Week and Halloween are enough for me.”
Blackpool was always amazing. Getting there was everyone’s goal—anything after that was a bonus.
How demanding is life behind the scenes for the professional dancers?
You kind of don’t have a personal life. Some years Ola would be up north, I’d be down south. We wouldn’t see each other until Friday for rehearsals, then Saturday was the show, and Sunday you’re back in the studio choreographing for the next week. If you lived in London you might go out after training, but we were in Kent, no real social life during that period at all.
How did you handle nerves on live shows, and do you still get them now?
I suffered massively with nerves—even on Dancing on Ice in 2019, seven years after Strictly. Some people suffer more than others. I’ve learned to accept the feeling rather than fight it; trying to fight it just makes me worse. As a pro I could channel it into something positive, but for celebrities, those nerves can really knock you. Often they finish and say, ‘I’m so glad that’s over—I don’t even know what happened.’ I get that completely.
Could you ever see yourself returning to Strictly?
I’m too old to put my body through what the pros do now—the group numbers, eight-hour rehearsals, travelling to your celeb. If I went back, it would be in a different capacity, possibly as a judge.
What was it like when producers started taking more control of music and choreography?
Back in my day, we had much more control over song choice and costume. Losing that control was part of why I left—I actually fell out with a producer about it. I’m a professional dancer; I know what song I want and what my celeb can do. When that power was taken away, I didn’t enjoy it as much.
What do you think about the BBC removing the phone vote and moving voting online?
James: “I’m not very techy, so maybe there’s a reason. I don’t think channels would rig anything—they’d get in too much trouble for that. You can still vote online on your phone, so I don’t see it as a big issue. If older viewers don’t have smartphones, they should have both options—keep phone voting and add online so everyone can take part. It should be more accessible for the loyal fans who’ve watched since 2004.”
Week Two – James’ quick-fire verdicts and scores
La Voix & Aljaž Škorjanec – Jive (5/10; judges 4, 5, 5, 5)
“Such a fun partnership with creative choreography. I’m normally a traditionalist, but I liked the mix of tango and jive—it was entertaining. There was no rotation in La Voix’s jive action and no real bounce; it looked a bit stiff. That said, the timing was very good and I enjoyed the performance.”
Karen Carney & Carlos Gu – Tango (5/10; judges 4, 5, 5, 6)
“They had a great look and it was stylised well, with fantastic choreography from Carlos. But her body position was too close, posture and hand placement were off, and she walked too much on her toes. Her spins and timing were great, but overall it was a step down from last week.”
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink & Lauren Oakley – Cha Cha (6/10; judges 6, 6, 6, 7)
“Jimmy has no prior dance training but has a natural rhythm and coolness that you can’t teach. Technically, you could pick apart his leg action and footwork, but his timing was impeccable and I really liked the feel of the dance. Some might say it looked lazy, but to me, it was just cool.”
Lewis Cope & Katya Jones – Viennese Waltz (8/10; judges 7, 7, 6, 7)
“One of the best-choreographed Viennese Waltzes I’ve ever seen on Strictly. Katya absolutely smashed the choreography. It needed more basic content—more natural and reverse turns—and I could pick at his footwork, but as a performance, it was exceptional. I’d happily pay to watch that live.”
Alex Kingston & Johannes Radebe – Samba (6/10; judges 7, 8, 8, 8)
“A good routine and a great track for the samba, which helped massively with audience engagement. But I thought it was overmarked. Alex was heavy in the feet, lacked contraction through the centre and proper samba rhythm, and her arms were a little lazy. No way should it have outscored Lewis, George, or Amber.”
Ellie Goldstein & Vito Coppola – Waltz (5/10; judges 5, 6, 6, 6)
“Once again, I absolutely loved watching them dance. Ellie had a magical calmness this week, and the choreography was beautiful—especially the ending. Technically, she needs more drive through the standing leg and better posture, but she exceeded my expectations from last week.”
Ross King & Jowita Przystał – Waltz (3/10; judges 2, 4, 4, 5)
“A simple, pleasant routine that was appropriate for his level. It’s proof that without any dance experience, it’s really hard to compete on Strictly now. I liked that Jowita didn’t overcomplicate things. The kilt was a clever move for the Scottish vote!”
Vicky Pattison & Kai Widdrington – Foxtrot (5/10; judges 6, 6, 6, 6)
“I didn’t like the song—it didn’t feel like a proper foxtrot and came across too frenetic. Her steps were too small and she was too upright and close to Kai. It didn’t move across the floor as much as it should have. A bit disappointing after last week, though she’s still better than I expected.”
Chris Robshaw & Nadiya Bychkova – Viennese Waltz (4/10; judges 3, 4, 4, 5)
“Nice routine and music. Chris is a big lad with no dance experience, and this is exactly what it should look like at this stage. He needs to improve posture, frame, and musicality, but you can’t fault his effort. Compared to trained dancers, it will always look weaker—but he’s trying hard.”
Stefan Dennis & Dianne Buswell – Cha Cha (3/10; judges 4, 4, 4, 5)
“The routine was too ambitious for his ability. The syncopated basic steps were too much, making it stiff and off time. He looked uncertain about which leg to straighten or bend. Overall, it was stiff and awkward, and that floor section—no idea what was happening there.”
George Clarke & Alexis Warr – Paso Doble (8/10; judges 7, 7, 8, 8)
“Bloody brilliant. I loved the music, the drama, the production, everything. It built beautifully and had real intensity. If George truly hasn’t had dance training, then I’m even more impressed. He needs more strength in the legs and sharper lines, but as an overall performance—it was fantastic.”
Balvinder Sopal & Julian Caillon – Charleston (7/10; judges 7, 8, 8, 7)
“A really fun, high-energy Charleston to close the show, and I understand why it was placed last—it was upbeat and crowd-pleasing. I loved the flow and the energy, though when I focused on her alone, it looked a bit awkward at times. This might be her best dance of the series, but I hope she proves me wrong.”
Amber Davies & Nikita Kuzmin – Samba (8/10; judges 8, 7, 7, 7)
“One of my favourite sambas on Strictly in years. You can clearly see her dance background—she’s confident, powerful, and precise. She still struggles slightly with the authentic samba leg action, but that’s because it’s such a technical dance. She and Nikita are definite front-runners.”
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey & Karen Hauer – Quickstep (6/10; judges 6, 7, 6, 7)
“Harry is infectious and athletic, and that shines through. The routine was okay, but his posture and frame weren’t great, and there was too much gapping. I’m still not totally convinced by the partnership, but he’s got a great personality and potential.”
Thomas Skinner & Amy Dowden – Salsa (2/10; judges 2, 3, 4, 4)
“This felt like a total stitch-up. The worst song I’ve ever heard for a salsa, an awful costume, and weak choreography. Those much-hyped lifts were nothing special. I’d love to say something positive, but I can’t. And the tongue-out thing—why? It just didn’t work.”
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