The Strictly stage singers became the stars of the show on BBC Two’s It Takes Two and it blew everyone away – including Zoe Ball.
Joining the presenter on the sofa on Wednesday, days before the semi-final, the four band members Tommy Blaize, Lance Ellington, Andrea Grant and Hayley Sanderson agreed it was the “best series so far”.
It isn’t often that the voices behind the songs that the contestants dance to live on every show take the limelight, but Twitter certainly gave them the praise they deserved…
Just catching up with #ItTakesTwo @BBCTwo - how great are @lanceellington @TommyBlaize @SanderSing & Andrea Grant #scdband 🎶👏🏻
— Jacki 💚 (@JackiHicks) December 7, 2016
Those singers should bring out a cd - strictly the best.X #ItTakesTwo #band https://t.co/l3s8d0CXr7
— madeleine masterson (@madeleinemaster) December 7, 2016
Lovely to see the singers getting air time on #ItTakesTwo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻...All the singers, Dave Arch & his band are fabulous!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #Strictly 💃💃
— Airy Fairy Sue (@Iamariposa1234) December 7, 2016
#ItTakesTwo the strictly singers are superb,absolutely great vocals 😁👏👏🎤🎵🎶
— 🎄JO🎄 (@Jomacsnow) December 7, 2016
Loved seeing more from Hayley, Lance, Andrea and Tommy on #ItTakesTwo , someone please please give them a record deal so we can hear more!
— Sarah Hanson-Morris (@semsem814) December 7, 2016
Fave bit of current series of #ItTakesTwo is watching Lance, Tommy, Andrea & Hayley of @SCDband These guys nail it EVERY Saturday! 👏🏻👏🏻
— Louise Turner (@loucloverturner) December 7, 2016
And when they performed a little a cappella rendition of Winter Wonderland – which brought Zoe to the edge tears – in the studio, it basically confirmed the official beginning of Christmas…
@bbcstrictly #ItTakesTwo next year, Christmas Number 1: the Strictly Singers! That exert was a beautiful taster #sing #loveit #christmas
— Jasmine Griffiths (@Jazz_Griff) December 7, 2016
#Strictly #ItTakesTwo Brilliant singers best by far ..#Winterwonderland
— Richardjlove (@dich62) December 7, 2016
Loving the #strictlysingers put me right in the Christmas mood 🎼 #ItTakesTwo
— Sally Bucknell (@SallyBucknell) December 7, 2016
But the series has not been without its challenges for the singers – especially Lance, who was tasked with singing Gangnam Style for THAT Ed Balls dance. Apparently he “had to turn the page around on stage to work out the lyrics.”
Of course, it wasn’t just about the singers, as Zoe was also joined on the sofa by Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse, who topped the judges’ leaderboard for the fourth time in a row last weekend.
Both dancers revealed they were sure their performance would go wrong as they stepped on to the stage, but did not tell their partner.
“I had a terrible feeling it would be the foxtrot all over again,” said Danny.
The pair will be performing both an American Smooth and a salsa for the semi-final, and will be the only remaining contestants doing lifts in both dances.
Oti promised viewers: “We always try to do something different. It’s difficult, but we’ll get it.”
