November 21st 2024.
It's no secret that being a fan favorite on Strictly Come Dancing can have a negative impact on a contestant's chances of winning. It's a strange tradition that has developed over the years on the show - the couples who excel in the iconic Blackpool episode rarely go on to take home the Glitterball trophy. In fact, scoring highly in this particular round can actually be detrimental to their overall standing in the competition.
Recently, Sarah Hadland and Tasha Ghouri blew everyone away with their near-perfect scores of 39 for their Couple's Choice and Pasodoble routines. But history has shown that this early success in Blackpool does not guarantee a win. Previous top-scoring couples like Fleur East and Vito Coppola, Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev, and Alexandra Burke and Gorka Marquez have all fallen short in the end. Even the impressive performances of Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse, and Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice couldn't break the curse.
It's worth noting that the Blackpool episode has not always been a yearly tradition on the show. In fact, there have only been 12 Blackpool specials in total. The event was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic and also took a break from 2005 to 2008 due to logistical reasons, as it was used as the filming location for the final in some seasons.
But the data tells us that there have been three exceptions to the rule. Last year, Ellie Leach and Vito managed to break the curse after topping the leaderboard in Blackpool. And all the way back in the second series, Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett also managed to do it. So there's still hope for the current top-scoring couple, Sarah and Tasha, and their partners Vito and Aljaž Škorjanec, who will undoubtedly be hoping to replicate the success of these Strictly marvels.
However, it seems like comedian Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell, who came in third place in Blackpool, are the ones to beat this season. According to the bookies, Chris is standing at 1/5 to win, with Sarah at 9/2 and Tasha at 10/1.
While Tasha may not take home the ultimate prize if Chris does indeed secure it, she is still making history on Strictly. Her impressive performances week after week have earned her and Aljaž a new title - the highest scoring couple in the show's 20-season history after just nine weeks of competition. The couple only found out about this achievement after a post on social media caught their attention.
During an appearance on This Morning, Aljaž excitedly shared, "Someone said that we are the highest scoring couple in twenty seasons after nine weeks." Host Cat Deeley confirmed that it was indeed true, and all those 9s and 10s have certainly added up! Aljaž couldn't contain his excitement, exclaiming, "It is correct. Thank you very much!" He also couldn't help but praise Tasha for her dedication and hard work, saying, "How she can learn to the standard we're doing every week is unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it."
Unfortunately, Sarah's future on the show may be cut short after receiving a "major blow." But the competition continues, and the remaining contestants will have to give it their all if they want to follow in the footsteps of previous Strictly champions like Stacey Dooley, Kelvin Fletcher, and Bill Bailey. Tune in on Saturday at 7.05pm on BBC One and iPlayer to see who will come out on top. And if you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, be sure to get in touch with the entertainment team at The Agency - they'd love to hear from you.
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