Strictly Come Dancing: Chris McCausland opens Blackpool extravaganza with ‘phenomenal’ American Smooth in 100th celebrity dance at the Tower Ballroom

Up next is Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal with the Cha Cha Cha.

Scores are in and Wynne and Katya have 31 (7,8,8,8).

To the Torreadores from Bizet’s Carmen. Wynne is aptly dressed as a matador.

Anton declares it ‘extraordinary’, but says that Wynne looked exhausted two thirds of the way in from when his form dropped.

Craig disagrees about the loss of momentum – but still complains about flat-footedness and swivel (or lack of).

Craig says it was ‘a little too perfect’ but nonetheless says ‘spec-tac-ular darling’.

Motsi says Hadland has ‘smashed Blackpool’, while Shirley thinks it was the couple’s best dance yet.

And to top it off they get a score of 39 (9,10,10,10) – the highest so far.

Sarah Hadland is up next with a Couples Choice. In training she says she has done Strictly at ‘just the right time in my life’.

It’s to a somewhat darker version of Kylie’s Can’t Get You Outta My Head.

It’s a total of 35 (8,9,9,9)for Montell and Johannes.

Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe are getting hot with the Salsa to Thelma Houston’s Don’t Leave Me This Way.

It finishes with Montell covered in streamers and the audience on their feet.

Motsi praises her ‘consistent’ improvement.

Shirley calls the former Olympian a ‘natural born performer’.

Craig is naturally less kind, picking out ‘sticky moments’ and the need for Montell to ‘engage her body a bit more’.

The first scores are in and Dianne is crying after the pair get two tens from Shirley and Anton (didn’t take too long for them to come out)

Chris and Dianne get 37 (8,9,10,10)

It’s a big opener to a big band number – Paul Anka’s Jump.

Tess reveals Chris is the 100th celebrity to take to the Tower Ballroom floor.

‘Your feet were the best feet I’ve seen in a long time’, gushes Shirley who brands it ‘phenomenal’.

Anton has set the bar high already; ‘If anything can beat this tonight, I’ll be amazed’, he declares.

Craig has some grumbles about arm extensions and swing or sway to pour cold water on a great performance.

First on the floor are Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell with the American Smooth.

We’re just seeing them in training – Chris is shown practicing with his lack of ‘point of reference’ – quite remarkable

Well what a start! Tess and Claudia are on (Tess in red and Claudia in a sparkly outfit)

Plus Craig has donned a mustard-colour jacket for the occasion.

And just to prove he has one, he has revealed us his ten paddle! Phew!

The familiar theme music is playing and we’re underway at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

To start we’re being treated to the live performance by Pet Shop Boys – a medley of their hits including What Have I Done To Deserve This and their new single All The Young Dudes.

Complete with a lively routine from the Strictly pros of course.

Legendary pop duo Pet Shop Boys are tonight’s special guests in Blackpool.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe will open the show with a medley of some of their greatest hits while Strictly pro dancers perform a routine.

During Sunday night’s results show, which is recorded tonight, the pair will debut their new single All The Young Dudes (originally written by David Bowie for rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972)

The BBC has released some facts and figures ahead of Strictly Come Dancing’s return to Blackpool Tower following a two-year absence:

• 52 – Professional dancers to perform in the ballroom
• 99 – Celebrities to have featured at the venue
• 107 – Perfect ten scores awarded by judges for routines with Bruno Tonioli handing out 31 of them

The dance styles that have received the most ‘tens’ at Blackpool are:

• Quickstep – 22
• American Smooth – 15
• Charleston – 13

Six couples have received a perfect 40 at Blackpool:

• Danny & Oti – Charleston, Series 14
• Ashley & Pasha – Jive, Series 16
• Fleur & Vito – Couple’s Choice, Series 20
• Harry & Aliona – Quickstep, Series 9 (Final)
• Harry & Aliona – Argentine Tango, Series 9
• Jason & Kristina – Show Dance, Series 9

The bookies have Wynne Evans as the favourite to drop out of the show this weekend, followed by Pete Wicks. The Welsh tenor was in the bottom two last week but was saved by the judges in the dance-off.

Behind them are Montell Douglas and Jamie Borthwick.

Not to long to wait to see which couples come out strong…

Jamie and Michelle practicing their moves on Blackpool seafront

Strictly’s remaining eight celebrities have had their say on taking to the dance floor at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom in one of the biggest nights of the series so far.

Asked by the BBC why the Lancashire seaside town holds such status in the world of dance and Strictly Come Dancing, this year’s cohort gave the following answers:

I think just because the venue is so iconic, and the production is so much grander.

Everyone gets really pumped up for Blackpool – it just feels so much more special. You hear about the historic ballroom competitions held there, and it’s such a respected space in dance, which is why everyone loves it so much.

It’s a synonymous place, isn’t it? I believe it’s the Wembley for ballroom dancers, and two months in, maybe I’m a ballroom dancer now!? I knew nothing about ballroom dancing eight weeks ago.

I understand it’s the home of ballroom dancing so it’s the spiritual home.

So many incredible people have danced on the iconic Blackpool ballroom floor. World Championships have been won there. I’ve performed there as part of JLS as well so it’s going to be nice to be back there dancing instead of singing and taking in that incredible atmosphere.

I think that Blackpool holds such a very iconic space and special moment for everybody in the Ballroom and Latin world because it’s just the place to be. It’s the place where dancers aspire to go to it is the Olympics for an athlete.

When any of the pro dancers talk about Blackpool they get this kind of reverence in their voice. When Vito talks about it, a glitter mist comes over him and he talks about winning there when he was younger. It seems like it’s the Oscars of ballroom.

Blackpool is the place that all the professional dancers talk about, where they’ve had their biggest successes and I think that kind of storytelling rubs off on the celebrity partners. I know Katya had so many successes at Blackpool, she’s won multiple world titles and I’m excited to go and share the experience of Strictly with her.

With just 20 minutes to go before kickoff, here are dances we can look forward to tonight. Note that couples may not appear in this order.

• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe will bring the heat with a Salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola will deliver a Couples’ Choice routine to Padam Padam by Kylie Minogue.
• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Skorjanec will bring the drama in a Paso Doble to Torn by Nathan Lanier
• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will take on the American Smooth to Jump by Paul Anka.
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas will energise the ballroom with a Jive to The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) by Las Ketchup.
• JB Gill and Lauren Oakley will perform a Quickstep to Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.
• Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał will add some cheekiness with a Cha Cha to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones will perform a Charleston to Carmen Suite No. 1: 5. Les Toréadors by Georges Bizet.

Strictly typically heads to Blackpool each series in a week in November, although it missed out on the trip to the Tower Ballroom for the last two series, and on three occasions the final was held there.

But there was a logistical reason for heading to the nation’s premiere dance destination half way through the series.

It dates from when the show was filmed at Television Centre in west London – which also hosted the BBC’s annual Children in Need show in November, giving Strictly the perfect excuse to decant from its regular home and head North for the week.

TV centre has since closed and regular Strictly episodes are now broadcast from Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, but the mid-November pitstop stuck around.

Strictly celebrities have been pictured in Blackpool throughout the week as the show moves to the town’s legendary Tower Ballroom.

Alijaz Skorjanec and Tasha Ghouri arrive in Blackpool armed with coffees

JB poses for a picture with a fan outside the town’s Primark store

Jamie and Michelle dance on the promenade with a bag of chips

Wynne and Katya arrive in town after narrowly avoiding elimination last week

• Read more about how celebrities spent the week in Blackpool here

Before we look ahead to tonight’s dances, let’s recap last week’s leaderboard to remind you who’s waltzing into Blackpool in high spirits and who’s looking for a turn of fortune.

Here’s how things stood last week:

• Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec (8+10+10+9) = 37
• JB Gill and Lauren Oakley (9+9+9+10) = 37
• Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał (8+9+10+9) = 36
• Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe (9+9+9+9) = 36
• Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola (8+8+8+9) = 33
• Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell (7+8+9+9) = 33
• Wynne Evans and Katya Jones (7+8+8+9) = 32
• Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu (pictured) (7+8+7+8) = 30 – eliminated
• Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas (7+8+7+8) = 30

Nancy Xu has said she is ‘gutted’ that she and partner Shayne Ward will not being dancing at Blackpool as she opened up about their Strictly exit on Instagram on Sunday.

The professional dancer, said it is unfair that the X Factor singer received criticism throughout the BBC series because he had never danced before the show.

Shayne became the seventh celebrity contestant to be eliminated after a tense dance off with Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans, after failing to impress on Saturday with his rumba.

Read the full story by Bethan Edwards here:

Last week Shayne Ward’s journey on Strictly Come Dancing came to an end after he narrowly lost a dance-off against Wynne Jones. Here’s the moment judges made their decision.

Whose road will come to an end this weekend?

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of Strictly Come Dancing week nine as the show moves to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

The series is returning to the venue after a two-year absence.

The traditional pitstop comes usually around the midway point of the series with eight couples in the running for the Glitterball Trophy.

Last week, Shayne and Nancy waved farewell to the class of 2024 after the X-Factor singer and actor lost a dance off with Wynne Evans.

Two pairs, Tasha and Aljaž and JB and Lauren, topped the leaderboard last week but who will steal the limelight this week?

Join our live coverage for the latest developments throughout the evening plus the best pictures, videos and reaction from viewers at home.