Strictly’s Icons Week descends into insufferable studio mayhem
Strictly’s Icons Week descends into insufferable studio mayhem
Chris BennionSat, October 17, 2026 at 9:19 PM UTC
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The professional dancers’ conduct during Icons Week was tedious and unprofessional - BBC/Guy Levy
What are they pumping into that studio in Elstree? Introduced in 2024, Icons Week, with its fancy dress and idol-worshipping, has proven to be a giddy affair, a chance for everyone to cut slightly looser than usual. But this was ridiculous. Even if you have a strong stomach for Josh Widdicombe’s scripted zaniness or Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke dressed up as Liam and Noel Gallagher, it was impossible not to be distracted and irritated by the juvenile, attention-seeking behaviour of the assembled professional dancers upstairs. Hooting, hollering and chanting at every available opportunity, their conduct was tedious and unprofessional.
We should be talking about the dancing (or at least about the fact that Danny Dyer and Ray Winstone were sitting in the audience with one of the Chuckle Brothers). In a week where frontrunner Delta Goodrem could not perform (out with a rib injury), there was an opportunity for someone else to lead the way.
On an evening of strange scoring (the eight couples in the middle of the leaderboard are separated by a mere four points), Cach Mercer and Jaime Winstone lead the way with 34 each (more on both below), while there were stirring performances from the unlikely lads, Will Best and Lawrence Robb. Dame Sarah Storey looked in trouble going into tonight, and she looks doomed now, four points adrift at the bottom of the table. The dance-off surely beckons for Britain’s most decorated Paralympian.
How did the hosts fare?
All three hosts need to have a think about how they added to a frenzied atmosphere in the studio tonight.
Widdicombe and Emma Willis, were certainly distracted – twice while presenting links from the studio floor, they were interrupted by the whooping of those upstairs. It was insufferable and created an atmosphere that bordered on the unpleasant. It was a little like watching a delighted Year 9 class take advantage of a weak supply teacher.
On that note, Johannes Radebe needs to get tougher with his former peers. Perhaps because he was recently one of them, the pro dancers don’t afford him the same respect they gave Claudia Winkleman. For his part, Radebe tends to feed the manic energy, where Winkleman acted as counterbalance. He needs to learn to cool the temperature in the Clauditorium and only raise it on occasions. That said, the dancers owe him an apology after tonight. Their behaviour made his job all the more difficult.
Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis were interrupted twice by the professional dancers while presenting on the studio floor - BBC/Guy Levy
As with previous weeks, far too many of Willis and Widdicombe’s links became gags – the whole production needs to lean back on the “less is more” maxim. Widdicombe is certainly looking more at ease on the studio floor, despite saying “spectancha” instead of “spectacular” in his first link. He would do well to drop half of the scripted gags in favour of being naturally funny in the moment. He’s capable.
Radebe is the talking point. Like Widdicombe, he has shown real improvement, but he let the Clauditorium get away from him tonight – so much so that the behaviour upstairs bled into other areas of the studio. When huddled together, the pro dancers and resting celebrities have a tendency to get a little silly. After all, these are a gaggle of larger-than-life characters who live and breathe being the centre of attention. Winkleman knew when to let the leash go loose and when to keep it nice and tight. Radebe too often matches their energy, which they took advantage of tonight. I would like to comment on his presenting skills and questions, but he was so often drowned out by the noise that it feels pointless.
Dance of the night
The judges tied Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby with Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu. I am going to cop out and do the same, but because both impressed for very different reasons.
Mercer, we know, is the ultra-talented, rough-diamond street dancer whose style is a million miles away from ballroom. Could he, even with all his rhythm and musicality, master a foxtrot to Frank Sinatra? He absolutely could. And by sticking to the style of dance, without his customary flourishes, he melted the judges’ hearts. “You remind me of Sammy Davis Jr,” said Motsi Mabuse. Blimey.
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Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby melted the judges’ hearts with their foxtrot to Frank Sinatra - BBC/Guy Levy
As for Winstone, I have enjoyed her dances since Week 1, but the judges took until Week 3 to be won over. Her and Gu’s extravagant David Bowie-inspired paso doble was a sight to behold (the costumes alone were spectacular), a riot of stylised, Ziggy Stardust pomposity. “Wow,” is all Revel Horwood could say. “A piece of art,” said Mabuse. With Goodrem out of the picture for a week, Mercer and Winstone grabbed the evening with both hands.
Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu’s extravagant David Bowie-inspired paso doble was a sight to behold - BBC/Guy LevyMisstep of the night
The leaderboard will tell you it was Storey and Julian Caillon’s stiff tango to Shania Twain, which got 21 points and puts the former athlete in a heap of trouble. I can’t disagree, yet I am going to plump for Dani Dyer (forgive me, Danny).
Dani Dyer has been relentlessly average since Week 1 - BBC/Guy Levy
A few of the contestants tonight needed a big week, and no one more than Dyer. Not because she is in danger of being sent home, but because she has been so relentlessly average. She really isn’t bad, and she looks the part on the dance floor, but going into tonight, the jury was out on her ability to last long in this competition.
What we got was a completely fine, completely uninspired rumba in which Dyer looked like a breathy Disney princess swinging about the ballroom with her Prince Charming. “You were a bit reserved,” said Du Beke, which was extremely kind.
Biggest leap forward
Who else could it be? Emmerdale actor, Lawrence Robb, has not had a great series, posting scores of 20, 19 and 20. He’s a beefcake with a lovely Scottish accent and an enviable six-pack, which will certainly get him through a few weeks. However, his dancing has been creaky and clunky.
I feared for him tonight, only partly because his “icon” was Ricky Martin. While others got Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra and James Brown, he got Ricky Martin. Who has Robb offended in the production team?
Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal’s salsa was was sexy, funky and cracking fun - BBC/Guy Levy
And yet... Robb was clearly inspired by the Latino pin-up, pouring every ounce of effort into those suddenly slinky hips. His salsa was sexy, funky and cracking fun (helped enormously by the brilliant Jowita Przystal). His score of 30 – and full 50 per cent improvement on everything so far – was a little generous, but who can blame the judges for wanting to encourage Robb to produce more of this? “You did some lovely things with your body,” purred Shirley Ballas. Fetch the bucket of cold water!
Biggest surprise
For sheer eye-popping value, it has to be Mabuse’s outrageous – though excellent – dance to Crazy in Love. It was clearly scripted, and so Widdicombe and Willis knew it was coming, but they still looked stunned at the sight of the judge – who has arguably been this series’ MVP – giving it 110 per cent Bootylicious Beyonce. Ready for this jelly? They certainly weren’t.
Mosti Mabuse has arguably been this series’ MVP - BBC/Guy LevyJudge’s line of the week
As befits an evening when it went a little haywire, there was a plethora. Ballas gave us two mangled metaphors: “Your left hand was so sharp I could cut it with a knife,” and “We saw the tap of the iceberg.”
It was Mabuse, however, who was on a roll. Her demand to Lacey Turner was excellent and, frankly, weird: “You have plenty in your suitcase. Open it up and give it to us.” But it was her very first comment, to John Nellis, that takes the medal this week: “You never become like a little raisin, you are like a big grape.” There you go, John. You’re like a big grape.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
