Love Island star Tasha Ghouri has topped the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard after receiving the first scores of nine of the series.
The reality star, who is the show’s second deaf contestant, dazzled the judges with her elegant Viennese waltz to Misty Blue by Dorothy Moore with her partner Aljaz Skorjanec.
After landing the top score of 35, host Claudia Winkleman revealed it was the highest score for the Viennese waltz in week two in the show’s history.
Winkleman also pointed out that Ghouri’s father had been crying in the audience while watching the performance.
Judge Anton Du Beke appeared blown away as he praised her, saying: “You flow was seamless, your frame is immaculate, your head is perfect and your footwork is gorgeous.”
Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas also all agreed it was the dance of the evening, which brought her total score to 65 after last week’s score of 30.
Miranda star Sarah Hadland and last year’s Strictly winner Vito Coppola wowed the judges with their striking paso doble to Freed From Desire by Gala Rizzatto which secured her a score of 32, bringing her total to 62.
Revel Horwood told her the performance had “fire, attack, power, passion – everything you would expect”.
JLS star JB Gill and his professional partner Amy Dowden continued their successful run with their cha cha, which landed them a score of 27.
The pair, who topped the leaderboard last week a score of 31, delivered a slick routine to Closer by Ne-Yo which featured sharp movements and chest pops.
Revel Horwood felt there was “too much attack” but the hip rolls blew him away as well as praising his “timing, musicality and performance”.
Opera singer Wynne Evans impressed the judges with his Viennese waltz, with Du Beke saying it was the dance he wish he could have done.
Dressed in a tuxedo, Evans guided his professional partner Katya Jones across the dancefloor during the elegant performance to operatic number The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II, landing a score of 30 which brought their total to 56 after last week’s 26.
Olympian Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe brought the heat to the dancefloor with their samba to Fuego by Eleni Foureira, which landed them a score of 30 and a total of 56.
Ballas praised the athlete as an “absolutely bright light” and said the couple’s chemistry was “off the chart” while Revel Horwood said he “absolutely loved it”.
Comedian Chris McCausland, the show’s first blind contestant, received a standing ovation and score of 29 for his foxtrot with his partner Dianne Buswell to Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy by The Tams, bringing his overall total to 52.
After giving the comic a standing ovation, Ballas praised him as “an example to every celebrity upstairs when it comes to footwork”.
McCausland joked with Revel Horwood that he had to think of an original comment which was not about his frame, to which the judge countered by critiquing his finger positioning but said he “loved” his spirit in the dance and musicality.
Earlier in the show, McCausland also poked fun at Revel Horwood following some of his critiques to other contestants, joking: “By the sounds of the way things are going, I think Craig’s blinder than I am.”
Former X Factor winner Shayne Ward revealed he had a knock this week after receiving criticism online as some viewers thought he was “over confident”, when in fact he felt “terrified” before the performance.
This week he returned with a striking tango with his partner Nancy Xu to The Door by Teddy Swims, which landed him a score of 31 and also brought his overall total to 52.
Ballas praised the routine and told him to keep his confidence up and to hold his “head high”.
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick and Michell Tsiakkas landed a score of 27 for his rumba to Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers, taking his total to 50.
Meanwhile, former hockey player Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin delivered a lively Charleston to Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys, which secured her 22 points and a total of 45.
Revel Horwood criticised her footwork but Mabuse felt she was a “changed women” this week as she brought “a lot of personality” to the dancefloor.
Donning sparkly and fringed outfits, Olympian Tom Dean kicked off week two with an energetic cha cha with partner Nadiya Bychkova to Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Before receiving a score of 20, bringing his total to 43, Ballas praised the gold medallist swimmer for being a “good student” as he took her note to stand up straighter.
DIY SOS star Nick Knowles performed one-armed lifts on his return to the dancefloor after injuring his arm and shoulder earlier this week.
His hopes of performing on Saturday’s live show had been thrown into doubt after he damaged his bicep when trying to change a car tyre, but he confirmed on Thursday he had medical clearance.
Knowles landed a score of 21 and a total of 39, with his professional partner Luba Mushtuk for their American smooth to Parklife by Blur.
Ballas said what they had achieved with only 16 hours of rehearsal time was “absolutely amazing”.
Reality star and podcast host Pete Wicks performed a country love story-themed American smooth with his partner Jowita Przystal to I Had Some Help by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, landing a score of 22 and total of 39.
Morning Live’s Dr Punam Krishan brought the “sass” to her foxtrot to Shania Twain’s hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman! with her partner Gorka Marquez.
The NHS GP dressed in a black dress with a white suit panel reminiscent of Twain’s outfit in the music video for the performance which saw her strut and perform high kicks.
Before picking up a score of 18 and total of 37, Revel Horwood said he “loved the sass” of the dance and felt she “nailed the characterisation”, but felt she needed to work on her posture.
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson got the studio bouncing along with his joyful salsa to Fireball by Pitbull while wearing pink leopard trousers and a pink floral Hawaiian-style shirt.
He picked up a score of 15, bringing his total to 32, for his performance which featured a dramatic lifts.
Du Beke said his performance “thrilled me no end” and hailed him as “extraordinary” as he joked that he did not want to talk about the technique “because there isn’t any”.
Singer Toyah Willcox and Neil Jones remain at the bottom of the leaderboard after their jive to Nutbush City Limits by Ike & Tina Turner picked up 18 points, bringing her total to 30 after they also placed at the bottom last week with a score of 12.
Du Beke said it was “a thousand times better than last week” and Ballas agreed telling her she did “very well”.
The contestants face their first elimination of the series during Sunday’s live results show, which will air tomorrow at 7.15pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
