Tonight, the ballroom sparkled as Dancing With The Stars kicked off with a fiery paso doble from Felicity Ward and Aric Yegudkin. Helen Richey felt knee walks were too masculine for a lady’s routine but praised Felicity’s confidence and delivery. Sharna Burgess disagreed, declaring: “I love me a badass feminine woman doing masculine things.”
Hot on their heels, Kyle Shilling and Lily Cornish hit the stage with a high-energy cha-cha-cha. Mark Wilson noted posture issues but praised the rhythm. Craig Revel Horwood was less forgiving, saying bluntly: “That wasn’t a cha-cha-cha in any way, shape or form.” Sharna loved the vibe but called out sloppy technique. Helen saw promise, complimenting Kyle’s musicality and care for his partner.
Karina Carvalho and Andrey Gorbunov delivered a graceful Viennese waltz, although not all were swept off their feet. Craig said it lacked emotion, Helen agreed. Mark, however, countered: “I thought you really sold the performance beautifully.”
Mia Fevola surprised the judges with a confident cha-cha-cha with partner Gustavo Viglio, cheered on by her famous family. Craig admitted she caught him off guard – in the best way. Sharna praised her potential and urged Mia to let Gustavo push her further.
It was a tough night for Osher Günsbergand Sriani Argaet, who landed at the bottom of the leaderboard with their foxtrot. Craig didn’t hold back, calling it a “dance disaster”. Mark said it was entertaining, but for the wrong reasons. Helen offered a gentler take, reminding viewers that foxtrot is one of the most difficult dances, encouraging Osher to keep working.
Shaun Micallef and Ash-Leigh Hunter brought the house down with a cheeky and crowd-pleasing quickstep that rocketed them to the top of the leaderboard. Sharna called it “really fun to watch”, while Mark described it as “pantomimey”. Even Craig, despite calling it technically rubbish, admitted he loved it. Helen, who expected little, was delightfully surprised.
In a special highlight, iconic Strictly Ballroom star Tina Sparkle (aka Sonia Kruger) returned to the floor for a magical waltz with reigning champ Ian Waite – a dream moment for fans.
Final leaderboard for the night:
- Kyle and Lily’s energetic cha-cha-cha: 24
- Shaun and Ash-Leigh’s expressive quickstep: 24
- Karina and Andrey’s elegant Viennese waltz: 23
- Mia and Gustavo’s strong cha-cha-cha: 23
- Felicity and Aric’s powerful paso doble: 22
- Osher and Sriani’s charismatic foxtrot: 9
