Strictly Come Dancing: Helen George gives ‘breakthrough dance’ after emotional breakdown
HELEN GEORGE delivered what Bruno Tonioli called her “breakthrough” performance on Strictly Come Dancing tonight.
Helen George stunned on the dancefloor
The Call The Midwife star and professional partner Aljaz Škorjanec scored 39 points - just one point short of a perfect 40 - for her Viennese Waltz to Etta James’s ‘At Last’.
The judges - Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli - delivered unanimous praise to the actress, with all apart from Craig giving her full marks.
Len enthused: “Tickle my bum and call me Donald. Dancing is a marriage between music and movement. This was a match made in heaven.”
“I’m absolutely charmed to the core with this dance,” Bruno added. “Everything came together perfectly. It looked weightless, as if you were dancing on a cloud. This is your breakthrough dance.”
Helen scored 39 points for the routine
She was thrilled by the reaction
I’m absolutely charmed to the core with this dance
Darcey called the performance “dreamy and close to perfection”, while Craig called them “gorgeous”.
Helen had been seen in her VT suffering insecurities after a chilly reception from the panel in last week’s Blackpool special.
“I’ve lost my confidence,” she said. “I can see his little face getting all disappointed when I’m not doing the holds, and it’s the worst thing in the world.”
Her score of 39 was, at time of writing, the joint highest score to be given this series so far, putting her alongside Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice.
Helen worried in training
She scored her best score yet
Earlier in the episode, there was an awkward moment when Craig was giving critique to Katie Dereham and Anton Du Beke.
Referencing a specific Argentine Tango step, he said: “[Bruno is] definitely right about the gunchos, they need to bounce off Anton’s inner thighs. You need to explore that a little bit more.”
The couple laughed with embarrassment at the remark, with the studio audience in hysterics.
Strictly Come Dancing continues with another elimination tomorrow at 6:15pm on BBC One.