I’ve proved I’m no blob, says Lesley
WELL, THAT was dramatic, wasn’t it? There is nothing like seeing two of your favourites plummeting into the dance-off to remind you of the fragility of human existence.
In the end, poor Lesley Joseph lost out, after putting up a valiant effort against Daisy Lowe. But then, the writing really was on the wall for her on Saturday night.
She started her tango well enough, summoning the anger-driven intensity that the dance demands as only a seasoned actress knows how. But unfortunately, her steps couldn’t keep up. They seemed delayed and sloppy.
Judge Bruno Tonioli chided the actress, telling her that she clung onto dance partner Anton du Beke “for dear life”.
He added: “Because of your attachment and intensity, you lost your neck.” And he wasn’t wrong. The whole dance just seemed very uncomfortable, as the star fastened herself to her partner like a hair clip.
HeadjudgeLenGoodmanwaskinder than his colleague, telling Lesley: “It was all there. Steps, move, staccato and musicality”, but she herself admitted after the performance: “I went wrong in a couple of places.”
They were a popular couple; but 24 points from the judges couldn’t save them from the bottom two on Sunday night. And though her dance-off renditionof thefatedtangoshowedimprovement, it just couldn’t stack up to the more rhythmically gifted Daisy.
All judges voted in accord: Lesley was out, and Daisy lived to dance another day.
Later in the week, during her retrospective on spin-off Lesley grimaced as she watched a playback of the routine, confessing to presenter Zoe Ball that she hates watching herself dance. “I just see the blips, or the mistakes, or that I’m fat or something,” she said.
Her favourite part of competing, she revealed, had been the training. She loved learning how to dance ballroom.
And then the actress, who is 71, had a word to say to all her doubters.
“I think I was hired to be the token older woman who probably couldn’t do it, who would probably be dragged around the floor,” she deadpanned. “But I’ve worked in this business for 50 years, I do musicals half the time. I am very fit.
“I am fit and supple, and therefore I can do it. I honestly have more energy than people I know. So, for me, the time we have been training has proven that I’m not just a big blob — because that is not what I am.”
Quite right too. Lesley, we salute you. And we will miss you.
Back to Daisy, the model’s own placement in the bottom two drew gasps of shock. But, in honesty, I was hardly surprised.
Yes, she is very talented — and has proven she can deliver both ballroom poise and Latin sass well. But her Charleston lacked one key ingredient: goofiness.Therewasnothingsillyabout her and partner Aljaz Skorjanec’s performance.
Her beaming smile never fell, but the whole thing seemed far too measured, restrained, calculated. Their dance-off performancealsoshowedvastimprovement, with Daisy keeping to the beat throughout and finishing on time, unlike her earlier effort; but still, I was less than impressed.
Perhaps Sunday’s closeshave will light some fire in the 27-year-old, and she will return next week guns blazing. Let’s hope for her sake, because the judges’ points (she scored 32) are clearly not enough to see you through. You have to win over the viewers.
Daisy hinted as much when appearing later in the week on Discussing next week’s Halloween-themed dance, a passionate Paso Doble, Ball said she was excited at the prospect of seeing “that fiery señorita” come out of the model.
“I’m hoping that having been in the bottom two will help that,” Daisy said.
She also confessed that winning favour over Lesley in the dance-off had been a “bittersweet” victory. “I felt awful, because she is such an inspiration to all of us,” she said. “I’m going to miss her, so I was gutted.” Meanwhile, one contender who once again proved himself unstoppable on Saturday night was the glorious Judge Robert Rinder. He quite literally cartwheeled onto the dancefloor (a one-handed cartwheel, I should add) with more energy than a lifelong Duracell battery. His jive, judge Craig Revel-Horwood commented, was delivered with “reckless abandon”, while Darcey Bussell added: “That was one hard routine. The kicks were a bit wild but I loved it.” Twenty-nine points may be a modest tally; but, five weeks in, I’m calling it: Rinder is the people’s choice. He may not have the precision of actor Danny Mac or the natural flair of sports pre- senter Ore Oduba, but he is endlessly watchable.
T he 3 8 - y e a r - ol d regularly outwits Claudia Winkleman, delivers cutting put-downs with more venom than Craig can and, when he takes to the dancefloor, pulls off some remarkable routines.
As Bruno said on Saturday: “You weren’t just dancing, you were erupting!”
So, a sad farewell to Lesley; pull your sleeves up, Daisy; and Robert — keep doing your thing. The last dance: Lesley Joseph and partner Anton du Beke
I think I was hired to be the token older woman’