6.42pm: Good Evening and welcome to tonight's Strictly Come Dancing liveblog. Heidi Stephens is off having some super-spangly pre-Christmas fun, so it's me in the liveblog chair tonight groaning at Bruce's jokes, "enjoying" the new and inventive renditions of tunes we all once loved, and goggling at the sheer number of sequins in evidence on the dance floor.
I'm rather sad that Russell Grant won't be with us tonight. His departure last week really did seem to come as something of a surprise – and not just to me, he's featuring on the front of the Radio Times this week despite not even being in the show any more – and it will be interesting to see how much he's missed during tonight's show. I know he wasn't the best dancer, but he certainly was the best entertainment.
But there are some great dancers left. Hopefully we'll see them pulling out the stops tonight. Join me from 7pm!
7.00pm: I had forgotten that each dancer performed twice tonight. The way the voiceover man said it, it did rather have the ring of a threat. As an aside: if you haven't watched the Frozen Planet stone-stealing penguin in its full glory yet, it's a real treat
7.02pm: Camilla really does get about. First the Archers cameo, now checking up on the Strictly cast. (Although thank god she's not taking to the floor). So, this week is a Strictly swingathon. Let's all boggle together at the possibilities of that title shall we?
7.08pm: I'm going to give Tess's dress a tenatative thumbs up. A nice bit of colourblocking and no unnecessary extra bits where you don't expect them. Does look slighty like she's lost half her hair though.
First up is Anita and Brendan. What? Oh Robin has an injury so Brendan is stepping in again. Notice that I haven't made a looooong torturous joke out of that Bruce - mainly because it is not at all complicated.
7.09pm: If all these clips involve Camilla and shouty bits about "playing" Wembley I can't be responsible for my actions later in the blog
So: they're dancing to Uptown Girl. Anita has a lovely frock, which might admittedly be improved if it wasn't the colour of American tan tights, but still. Her footwork is clean and lovely as always, but it doesn't feel like there's a great deal of joy in that dance. Or is that just me?
7.18pm: Len says the Cha-cha is a difficult dance, but Anita did well. Alicia says it was a bit messy in places and she is dancing with her face more than her body - which frankly sounds impossible. But it was "pleasant" - which is not the most flattering. Bruno says there is plenty of content, and Len says: "it lacks pressure on the balls to the floor" and "there was no true dynamic to it".
SCORES: 7 8 7 8
7.21pm: Next are Holly and Artem. Holly has stolen a rich old woman's hairstyle for the occasion and a dress that looks like it once belonged to Nancy Dell'Olio - although she rather sensibly abandons the boa before she gets near the floor. They are foxtrotting to some screeching from David Arch's orchestra and it doesn't quite work from my sofa.
7.23pm: Alicia says she wasn't sure if the dance would work with music but it did. (I would disagree). Bruno says Holly was like Gypsy Rose Lee - although I couldn't quite work out why that was important. Craig was concerned it wasn't going to be a foxtrot, but in fact it was fan-tast-ic, which only goes to show what I know. Although Len agrees with me. Not sure that is a good thing, to be honest.
7.29pm: Alex and James are dancing a Charleston, for which Alex is wearing a dress that you could almost wear out in public. I've always quite liked a Charleston. Top hats and pretend swimming – what's not to like about that? I think they lost time at one point, but that was a jolly and funny and quite charming.
7.32pm: Bruno says it was funny, although there were a few timing issues, and Len agrees. Craig says they've taken a step backwards because it wasn't extreme enough - which makes him sound rather like a sulky teenager
7.36pm: Was that an almost nice VT from Robbie and Ola? Strictly is full of surprises. They're doing a samba, that is short on the groin thrusts, but apparently big on Robbie grabbing his own buttocks. AND TAKING OFF HIS TROUSERS.
7.40pm: Robbie had an over-exaggerated bounce and his fingers were bad in the running promenade, says Craig. I can't work out whether he's cross that Robbie took his trousers off, or that he was wearing his football shorts beneath them. Len thinks Robbie needs to stop doing the tricks and just do the dancing.
Alesha says it's great the Robbie is relaxed and having fun and his dancing is entertaining. Quite broad then … Bruno says Robbie was like a kangaroo with lead feet, and includes some extremely unnecessary information on his pant choices.
7.48pm: On to Chelsee and Pasha via a joke about Bruce being passionate. Ho hum. They are doing the Argentine Tango. It requires tango but Chelsee things "it's quite cheeeesy and not quite me!". Perhaps that's why she was practicing in wellington boots.
Chelsee is wearing a purple poloneck dress dusted with crystal dandruff for her performance. It all looks tricky from where I'm sitting and technically impressive.
Len says course it was good, but Chelsee needs to act the dance more - but there was no intensity about it. He does so in the crossest manner ever. Seriously Len, get some sleep before next week's show. Bruno is a big fan of the technical precision, but says she needs to feel it more. Craig is complementary, and says it is fabulous
Well done Chelsee. She's a sweetie isn't she?
7.55pm: Next up, doing the Charleston are Jason and Kristina. Oh Strictly! With all these Charlestons you really are spoiling us! Although I could do without the ever-more surreal VTs we get with them. I immediately want to give Jason top marks for his correspondent shoes which are very snazzy indeed.
This looks technically more difficult than Alex and James' dance, and Jason's facial expressions are something to behold. He could be a Wallace and Grommit character.
Bruno says it had high energy and great expressions, Craig says it wasn't perfect but it was a proper Charleston. Len calls it fabulous, while Alesha slightly pours cold water on proceedings by telling Jason he is "a hard worker". Doesn't that just mean tries hard but doesn't quite get there?
8.03pm: Harry and Aliona are dancing a quickstep together - number two on my list of faintly ludicrous but quite jolly-looking dances. Harry is in proper tie and tails looking very handsome indeed, and they gallop round the floor at a cracking pace. It looked super-fast and super-difficult.
Craig, however, thinks that Harry has a lazy left foot which is oddly sickled and pigeon-toed, but that it is all he can find wrong with it. Len says Harry has a lovely sway, while Alesha thinks it was outstanding. Bruno is beside himself with excitement. superb!
Harry is king of the leaderboard. If he doesn't win this I will be astounded.
8.05pm: This is where we would normally say goodbye - but this week there's a Swingathon as a kind of Strictly Come Dancing pudding course. (No, I don't think that sentence quite worked either). "The rules? There are no rules!" says Len, making things sound possibly more exciting than they're actually going to be. But still: good frocks!
8.10pm: Right. If it's as exciting as promised, this Swingathon is going to make my night. Let's see …
First to go: Robbie and Olla
Second: Anita and Brendan
Third: Holly and Artem (who to be fair, did look a bit like kids messing about in the playground)
Fourth: Jason and Kristina, possibly for crimes against shorts suits Fifth: Alex and James Sixth: Chelsee and Pascha, which is a shame because Chelsee looked adorable in that spotty dress.
AND THE WINNERS ARE: Harry and Aliona. Shall we just skip to the final at this point do you think?
Craig said they had stamina and athelticism, and there was a body ripple in the middle. Basically they are both amazingly fit.
8.12pm: And so to the leaderboard. Harry and Aliona, rather unsurprisingly are in the lead, with Chelsee and Pasha following, and Jason and Kristina in third place. In the bottom two are Anita and Brendan and Robbie and Ola.
I feel slightly let-down that we haven't had the marvellous Russell tonight, even if we did have a slight surfeit of Charlsetons. Who will go? I'll be back for the results show tomorrow tonight which apparently has Cee-Lo Green on it. Let's hope he's not wearing that odd leather suit he wore for X Factor. Have a good evening! Don't be scarred by the BBC One Christmas trail! See you then
SUNDAY NIGHT RESULTS SHOW
Evening all. I have spent most of the afternoon sitting mournfully by my broken down campervan wondering why its engine won't work. So it is a joy to be at home, in the warm, watching Strictly. Not even Lens Lens seens too bad in that context
7.30pm: And to the strains of badly-sung Adele I fund myself wondering: why don't they re-edit the titles of Strictly as it progresses? If M&S can do it, surely the BBC can.
We open with dancers in see through skirts and Tess in a spangly minidress and very long earrings that don't quite go. Claudia is, as always, in black and lots of eyemake-up. Huzzah. And … now onto the recap.
7.35pm: Crikey, it's the results: Harry and Aliona are (unsurprisingly) safe, along with Chelsee and Pasha (ditto). Jason and Kristina are also through while Holly and Artem are in the bottom two
7.40pm: Oh Clauds has a nice red skirt on. Lovely. I must say I find the entire concept of dancing in a tie, like Harry, a very odd one. Surely you're being energetic? Chelsee is being cute and not understanding the concept of Shrek. "She's still a princess though?' she asks like a five year old.
Cee-Lo Green has swapped his X Factor leather tracksuit for a peach satin version with a spotty lining. The effect is 1980s teenage girl bedroom. All he needs is a bit of lace festooning and he'd have the full look.
7.47pm: It's time for, oh dear, Len's Lens. In brief: Harry was brilliant. Holly was brilliant. Chelsee was brilliant. Alex was not quite as brilliant. Ola was furious.
Next week is movie week. I think Strictly needs to stop doing themes X Factor has already done to be honest. Unless someone is actually going to do the Ghostbusters theme. That would be OK.
7.50pm: More results: Alex and James are through to next week, and Robbie and Ola. Which leaves Anita and Brendan in the bottom two.
7.55pm: Anthon and Erin are dancing together, although Erin seems to have been dressed as a Barbie princess which is a bit odd (although presumably Chelsee would approve).
Holly and Anita are both being really generous and sweet. Anita most of all of course, because she's the nicest woman on earth
7.56pm: And the couple leaving are Anita and Brendan. BOOOOOOOOO! Lovely Anita. She's been a treat.
7.59pm:
That's all for tonight. Thanks very much for your comments as always. Next week Heidi will be back on the liveblog sofa. See you then. And don't forget the X Factor results liveblog now