James Jordan’s Strictly Preview: Semi Finals
The Strictly Come Dancing Semi Finals are here, and hall of famer, James Jordan, is back with us to preview the penultimate weekend of ballroom drama, providing the team at Free Bets with his expert insight, analysis and predictions throughout the series.
With the final just a week away, only three spots in the showpiece event available, let's see see what James has made of what has been a dramatic week of ballroom and latin drama.
Why the leaderboards were categorically wrong
What did you make of Lewis and Amber ending up in the dance-off – and Lewis going home?
Honestly, it didn’t actually shock me when I found out the result. What shocked me was the leaderboard before I’d even seen the show.
When I first saw the leaderboard, I immediately turned to Ola and said: “That’s a joke.”
With five couples left, three of them were tied in the middle. As soon as I saw that, I knew something bad was coming. I even jumped on my social media and said, before the result was announced, that the leaderboard was a mess and something controversial was about to happen.
Here’s the problem: with three couples tied in the middle, Amber, who was at the top of the leaderboard, only had to drop one place when the public vote was added to end up in the bottom two. That’s ridiculous. At this stage of the competition, the scoring should be separating the couples, not bunching them together.
In any proper dance competition, you do not have:
“In first place we have Couple A…
and in second place we have three couples, all tied.”
In real competition you have first, second, third, fourth, fifth. That’s it. You don’t have three couples in joint second because you couldn’t be bothered to distinguish between them.
From a dance point of view, the leaderboard should have looked like this:
- Amber & Nikita
- Lewis & Katya
- George & Alexis
- Balvinder & Julian
- Karen & Carlos
That’s how I would’ve ranked them, and I genuinely believe any experienced ballroom and Latin judge would have done the same. That’s my honest, professional assessment.
The only way Lewis was ever going home was if he was put up against Amber in a dance-off. And the only reason that became possible was because the leaderboard was structured so badly. That’s what frustrates me.
People say, “It’s just an entertainment show, does it really matter?” For me, yes, it does matter. It’s people’s livelihoods, reputations, and months of hard work. They’re training 10–12 hours a day. It has to be fair.
And then there’s the abuse Amber is getting. She’s being absolutely hammered online for being a trained dancer. Yes, she’s trained. Would I personally prefer that fully trained dancers weren’t in the competition? Probably, yes. But it’s not her fault she was asked to compete. If Strictly ring and offer you a spot on one of the biggest shows in the world, you don’t say no.
So, if viewers don’t want to vote for her because she’s trained, that’s their choice. But she still deserves fairness from the judges. The leaderboard wasn’t just slightly off, in my opinion, it was categorically wrong, and that’s why we got the result we did.
Changing the scoring system
What would you change about the way Strictly is scored?
The first and most obvious thing: I’d get rid of ties on the leaderboard!
With five couples, you should have positions one to five. End of story. If two couples end up on the same number from the judges, then the judges should be forced to decide who they thought was better and rank them accordingly. They already do that in the dance-off every week, they’re asked to pick one couple over another, so it’s not a new idea.
Give them half-marks if you need to, 7.5, 8.5 and so on, to create spacing. But you cannot have three couples bunched together in the middle, all getting the same leaderboard points, when we’re this deep into the competition. That’s how you end up with scenarios like last week, where your best dancer only has to slip a single place on the combined scoreboard to end up in the dance-off.
I’d love to see a Eurovision-style reveal too. Get rid of the mystery. Show the judges’ leaderboard clearly, no ties, and then show how the public vote changes it.
Let the viewers at home see who’s getting the most public support and who’s struggling. It would be brutal for the celebs, but unbelievable TV, and it would help everyone understand why people fall into the bottom two.
The other part of “scoring”, for me, is casting. Either:
Stop booking fully trained dancers and make it a level playing field,
or
Be completely open and honest about everyone’s background and accept that you’re effectively mixing pros and non-dancers in one competition.
If you have fully-trained dancers , like Lewis, Amber and Karen,
Right now, it’s half and half. If you have fully trained dancers , like Lewis, Amber and Karen, and then others who have never danced in their lives trying to compete on the same leaderboard. If you want fairness, you can’t ignore that gap.
Getting back the show’s authenticity
What do you mean when referring to Strictly losing some of its “authenticity”?
I still love the show. I still sit down and watch it like everyone else. But it doesn’t feel as real as it used to.
When I was on Strictly, the VTs often showed what was actually going on: the frustrations, the tears, the moments where someone stormed out of the room, the arguments over choreography, the stress of trying to get a lift right. That’s the reality of learning to dance at this level in such a short space of time. Strictly is hard – physically, mentally and emotionally.
Now, a lot of VTs are “Let’s go to a Christmas market”, “Let’s visit a fair”, “Let’s do a cute little skit.” I understand why they do it, it’s sweet, it’s family-friendly, but it’s not the truth of the process.
If it was my call, I’d stick cameras in the training room all week. Film everything. Don’t tell them when the crew is coming, just capture real life. Show the elation when something finally clicks. Show the late-night rehearsals. Show people snapping at each other. Show the bruises, the bad moods, the self-doubt.
The same goes for the judging. It feels like everyone is terrified of being too harsh now. Everything has to end on a compliment, even if the dance was poor. You can’t really say, “That wasn’t good enough,” without worrying about a social media storm.
But if you sign up to a dance show, you must accept that sometimes you’re going to be told the truth, that you weren’t good enough that week. I don’t believe the British public want everything sugar-coated. They want highs and lows. They want to feel the stakes.
With Tess and Claudia leaving, I honestly think the BBC have a chance to reset the tone a bit. New presenters, yes, but also a slight shift back towards authenticity:
More actuality in the VTs
More honesty from the judges
Less panto, less over-producing
The format is still brilliant. It just needs a bit more of that raw reality back.
Scores and Analysis – Quarter Finals
Before I get into the scores, it must be acknowledged that Musicals Week actually started on a massive high. The opening group number, with all the celebs and pros, was one of the best I’ve ever seen on Strictly.
Matt Flint, the choreographer, did an incredible job.
Each couple got their own solo moment woven into a big, dynamic routine. It was full of content, clever transitions, and proper choreography. I’ve worked with Matt before and I know how good he is, but even by his standards it was special.
That’s the kind of number that reminds you what Strictly can be at its best.
George & Alexis – Argentine Tango
Judges: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 8
I thought this was a really strong and dramatic way to open the show. The musical they were given is iconic, and the staging, the set, the lighting, the costumes, all created a powerful atmosphere before they even started dancing.
The first section of the routine, before the music properly kicked in, was good rather than great. The track didn’t give them obvious phrasing or drive, and that made it harder to sell those opening moments with real attack and clarity. Once the track lifted, the whole dance stepped up: it became far more intense and cinematic.
Technically, there were a few issues. His shoulders rose at times, which weakened his frame and made him look slightly smaller in the upper body. In Argentine Tango you need that grounded strength from the man.
But some of the intricate footwork and lifts were genuinely high level. Alexis was doing some fabulous tricks in the air, and that only works if your partner is leading and supporting properly. His partnering skills impressed me a lot. He kept her safe, he stayed in control, and he committed fully to the story.
I really enjoyed it overall. For me, it was a solid 8 and a strong quarter-final opener.
Karen & Carlos – Samba
Judges: 8, 8, 9, 9
My score: 7
Difficult one for me, as, in my eyes, this simply wasn’t a proper samba. It was more of a couples choice.
Yes, there were samba basics in there, samba walks, promenade runs and a few recognisable figures, but the essence, the feel, was missing.
Her body was very stiff, which meant the natural samba bounce and fluidity just weren’t there. She didn’t look comfortable in the style.
She also made a noticeable mistake fairly early in the routine. Anton mentioned it on the show, but the others glossed over it. For a dance that was supposedly worthy of a 9, that error should have been taken into account.
The thing that “saved” it for a lot of people was Musicals Week itself. It was choregraphed very well. The big production, the other couples involved, the theatrical staging, all of that made it feel like an exciting number. But if you strip the theme away and judge it as a straightforward samba, it simply doesn’t stand up in the same way.
From a purist point of view, it felt more like a Couple’s Choice dressed up as a samba. It was a fun performance, and I completely understand why viewers at home enjoyed it, but technically, that dance was NEVER worth a nine and I don’t understand why the judges don’t mark what they see. The judges also should have pointed out that this wasn’t really a samba, too. It was too much of a couples choice, rather than a samba. Very frustrating.
Balvinder & Julian – Viennese Waltz
Judges: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 8
Well done. Her best performance by far on the show to date.
The music choice was perfect for them, very emotional, very sweeping, and that instantly pulls the audience in. When you hear those first few bars, you’re already invested in the story, which is a massive advantage in a ballroom dance.
The routine was sensibly choreographed. It was simple in the best possible way: lots of rotation, lots of classic Viennese content, nothing over-fussy. With a celebrity at her level, that’s exactly what you want.
Her frame has come on hugely. Earlier in the series she looked quite insecure in hold; here she looked far more settled and elegant. She did still get a bit “skippy” at times and I would’ve liked more real drive through the standing leg to carry her across the floor, but that’s me being picky.
Emotionally, she was completely in it. You could see how much it meant to her and that came through in her performance. I was genuinely pleased she got to have that moment, especially after so many weeks in the bottom two.
I do still think the leaderboard situation played a big part in her avoiding the dance-off, but in isolation this was a lovely, deserved personal best for her.
Amber & Nikita – Charleston
Judges: 10, 10, 10, 10
My score: 10
Wow. Wow. Wow. From the first second to the last, it was world-class. The concept, the use of extra dancers, the choreography, the lifts, the musicality, everything clicked. The energy never dipped, the characterisation was spot on, and she never once looked out of control, which is incredibly hard in such a fast, detailed Charleston.
Technically, the swivel, the isolation, the timing, the transitions in and out of lifts, it was all top drawer. It reminded me how brilliant she is when she gets material that really showcases her strengths.
Now, of course, the conversation always comes back to training. She’s a West End performer. She has danced at a high level before. I completely understand why some viewers feel that’s an unfair advantage compared to the true non-dancers.
But if I park that debate for a moment and just judge what was on the floor that night, it was a 10. I’d put it alongside Lewis and Katya’s Couple’s Choice as one of the standout numbers of the entire series.
Lewis & Katya – Salsa
Judges: 8, 9, 9, 9
My score: 9
Ok, this is another really difficult one for me, too. This is where the music choice really hurt them.
They were told they were doing a salsa, but the track they were given simply wasn’t a salsa track. It didn’t have the right groove, it didn’t ask for a traditional salsa feel, and that massively limits what you can do choreographically if you still want to honour the dance.
Considering that, I actually think Katya did an incredible job putting the routine together. She packed in a lot of content, some very ambitious tricks, and she tried to make the most of a track that wouldn’t have been any salsa pro’s first choice. This is a rare occasion where the music and theme have outweighed the dance.
In terms of difficulty, what Lewis was doing in that routine was on a different planet to most of the other couples. The combinations, the speed, the control in the lifts, if you look at it purely from a technical, dance-quality perspective, he was still ahead of George, ahead of Balvinder, ahead of Karen.
I didn’t love the overall “feel” of the number because the music just didn’t give me salsa vibes, but that’s not his fault. My job is to judge the dancing he produced, and for me that was worth a 9.
The fact that this dance contributed to him leaving the competition just brings us full circle: the leaderboard was wrong, and the system allowed a situation where a dancer of his level could be eliminated at the semi-final stage for reasons that, in my view, weren’t entirely fair.
The leaderboard should have read as follows:
1st Amber and Nikita
2nd Lewis and Katya
3rd George and Alexis
4th Balvinder and Julian
5th Karen and Carlos
FACT!!!
Semi-final preview
Who do you think is most likely to go this week?
As harsh as it sounds, I still think the most likely person to go is Balvinder.
She’s had an amazing run. Five dance-offs, five escapes, that’s remarkable in itself. She’s also improved a lot, and last week was a genuine high for her. But now she has to learn two routines, and that’s going to expose the gap between her and the others more than ever.
I don’t think the public will save her again. Last week felt like her “moment”, the dance where the viewers got behind her and lifted her out of the danger zone. My gut says they’ll feel like they’ve done their bit now, and that it’s someone else’s turn in the final.
If she ends up in the bottom two against someone like Amber in a straight dance-off, I just don’t see a world where she survives.
Who do you think ends up in the bottom two?
If I had to nail it down right now, I’d predict: Balvinder & Julian and Amber & Nikita
Even if the judges get the leaderboard absolutely spot on, Amber is still vulnerable purely because she doesn’t seem to have huge public support. For her to drop into the dance-off from the top of the leaderboard last week, everybody else had to have more votes than her, which tells you a lot.
But if she’s there, she wins the dance-off unless she has a complete meltdown. Over two semi-final dances, her technical level is just too high for anyone to realistically beat her.
Finally, who makes the final?
Looking ahead, if I’m predicting rather than picking with my heart, I think the final three will be: Amber & Nikita, George & Alexis, Karen & Carlos
And if you asked me right now who I think will win, I’d say it’s probably between George and Karen, with Karen just edging it based on the way the show and the narrative are currently leaning.
Would she be my personal winner? No, I’d still prefer George to lift the trophy. But if I’m reading the room, the edit, and the momentum, that’s where it feels like we’re heading.
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