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The first 40 and dance off fix row: 5 things we learned from 'Strictly' this week

Top scores and fix rows are in this week's 'Strictly' headlines. (BBC)
Top scores and fix rows are in this week's 'Strictly' headlines. (BBC)

Halloween week is always a favourite in the ballroom, and this year was particularly special as Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice got the earliest full marks of any series.

But while one couple was enjoying victory, another sadly had to go home as we waved goodbye to Judi Love and Graziano Di Prima, leading to claims of a dance off fix row.

Read more: Has Oti Mabuse danced on Strictly for the last time?

Strictly fans have been sending their best wishes to head judge Shirley Ballas after a health scare that was spotted during a live show.

Here's the week in Strictly news as we get set for another live show this Saturday.

The 5 biggest stories from Strictly Come Dancing this week, 30 October - 5 November

Rose Ayling-Ellis gets the earliest ever 40 points

Programme Name: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 - TX: 30/10/2021 - Episode: Strictly Come Dancing - TX6 LIVE SHOW (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: **LIVE SHOW** Rose Ayling-Ellis - (C) BBC - Photographer: Kieron McCarron
Rose Ayling-Ellis is the queen of the leaderboard. (BBC/Kieron McCarron)

John Whaite and Johannes Radebe have come close to winning the first 40 points of the series a couple of times, but Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice pipped them to the post in Halloween week.

The couple danced their perfect Tango dressed as an ice queen and her servant, bagging the earliest full marks from the judges there has ever been on the show.

Read more: Strictly Curse 2021 - What is it and who's fallen for it?

Pernice broke down in tears as the scores came in and judge Motsi Mabuse said: “Rose, you know I’ve been sitting and judging for 14 years, and I’ve seen a couple of numbers, but this one will remain epic. This was absolutely one amazing dance from the beginning."

Let's see how the pair's well-deserved high score ups the game of the other couples this week.

Motsi Mabuse denies dance off rigging claims

Motsi Mabuse has shrugged off fix claims. (Getty Images)
Motsi Mabuse has shrugged off fix claims. (Getty Images)

Strictly viewers love a good conspiracy theory when it comes to the voting and this year's arrived in Halloween week when Motsi Mabuse's comments after the dance off were misinterpreted.

Talking about her decision to save Adam Peaty and send Judi Love home, Mabuse said: “The decision was made for me and so I have to say that the couple that I will be saving is Adam and Katya.”

Unfortunately, some viewers took that to mean that Mabuse had been told who to get rid of - but she quickly clarified that she had meant Love made so many mistakes that her choice was obvious.

Mabuse tweeted: "What was So obvious to me , because the mistakes where so clear !! In times of some crazy conspiracy theories …….. lol."

Shirley Ballas health scare latest

Get well soon, Shirley. (BBC)
Get well soon, Shirley. (BBC)

Head judge Shirley Ballas has been undergoing tests after concerned fans spotted a lump under her armpit in a recent live show.

The viewers got in touch after she raised her arm to show a dance move, prompting her to see her doctor who found some worrying results in a blood test and has referred her for further hospital investigations.

Ballas is having her tests done this week, but told Good Morning Britain she was trying not to dwell on what might happen.

She said: "I try not to worry because it's so busy and there are other people relying on me.

"I just keep moving forward. Don't dwell on it because it will be what it will be."

Judi Love says goodbye to the dance floor

WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 20:55:01 on 30/10/2021 - Programme Name: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 - TX: 30/10/2021 - Episode: Strictly Come Dancing - TX6 LIVE SHOW (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: ++DRESS RUN++
*NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL 20:55HRS, SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER, 2021* Judi Love, Graziano Di Prima - (C) BBC  - Photographer: Kieron McCarron
Sadly we won't see Judi Love and Graziano Di Prima this week. (BBC/Kieron McCarron)

Comedian Judi Love and her partner Graziano Di Prima made a brief return to the dance floor after she had to take a week off with COVID, but unfortunately their time back on the show was short-lived as they were voted out at the weekend.

Love's tough recovery from the virus had left the couple with very little time to rehearse and sadly they were knocked out of the dance off by Adam Peaty and Katya Jones.

Read more: Adam Peaty lost confidence after dance off shock

Talking on Strictly: It Takes Two about being sent home after her Cha Cha, Love said: "I feel good! I appreciate all the judges, they’re professionals.

"That’s their expertise, but what I would say to Craig is that his expertise is ballroom so I would challenge him to a little twerk off and let me lift up my scoreboard!"

Dan Walker's lobster costume explained

Programme Name: Strictly Come Dancing 2021 - TX: 30/10/2021 - Episode: Strictly Come Dancing - TX6 LIVE SHOW (No. n/a) - Picture Shows: ++LIVE SHOW++ Nadiya Bychkova, Dan Walker - (C) BBC - Photographer: Kieron McCarron
Dan Walker doesn't celebrate Halloween. (BBC/Kieron McCarron)

If you tuned in to the Halloween live show and wondered why BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker was dressed as a lobster while everyone else had dressed in the spookiest costumes possible, he has explained the thinking behind it.

The TV journalist is an Evangelical Christian and told viewers of his show on Monday morning that his family didn't celebrate Halloween - so he couldn't be a hypocrite to his kids.

Walker, who has talked previously about not working on Sundays, said: "Lots of people did ask me actually about what have lobsters got to do with Halloween.

"I should tell you. So we don’t celebrate Halloween in our house and I’ve got to say a huge thank you to Strictly because they enabled me to be a part of that programme without sort of doing Halloween.

"Our kids, they would normally go to a light party on Halloween weekend or whenever that might be, and I couldn’t go on that programme and be a disingenuous dad.

Read more: Gordon Ramsay 'proud' of daughter Tilly for hitting back at chubby comments

“Anybody who’s got children and they talk to their children about what they can do and what they can’t do and why they do things a certain way… And I can’t go on there and say, 'Do as I say but not as I do'."

He added: "So that’s where the lobsters came from. Strictly were brilliant, Nadiya embraced it and I'm very thankful to have made it through to another week."

Watch: Tilly Ramsay and Nikita Kuzmin spending Christmas together?