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C For Cynthia (And E For Exclusive!)

It鈥檚 Musical Week on Strictly Come Dancing as Kim and Joe chat to guest judge Cynthia Erivo and it鈥檚 time for Rose and Gio to take on Joe鈥檚 weekly quiz.

2018 Strictly finalist Joe Sugg teams up with producer Kim Winston to bring the fans an Access All Areas backstage pass to the show.

Kim has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Strictly, having worked on the show since 2009, and Joe knows first-hand what all the couples are going through, making them the perfect duo to give the listeners an exclusive insight of what really goes on backstage.

In this episode it鈥檚 Musical Week on Strictly Come Dancing as Kim and Joe chat to guest judge Cynthia Erivo and it鈥檚 time for Rose and Gio to take on Joe鈥檚 weekly quiz.

The Strictly Come Dancing Official Podcast is made by 主播大秀 Studios, produced by Kim Winston and edited by Jonathan O鈥橲ullivan. Listen now on 主播大秀 Sounds.

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23 minutes

Episode Transcript

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[00:00:12] KIM: I've done the show for a long, long time. That was the most tense I have ever been watching a dance off.

[00:00:20] JOE: I'm still shaking. Can you see? I'm physically like holding my mic and I'm shaking from watching that it was TV gold!

[00:00:26] KIM: You just didn't know what way it was going to go and because there were such different dances. I think Anton said as well, both of them on Saturday kind of liked something 鈥 Rhys went, a little bit wrong and they felt that Tom lacked a bit of emotion, but then in this dance off, |Rhys didn鈥檛 go wrong and Tom gave all the emotion the judges were looking for. 聽So, so hard to compare.

[00:00:50] JOE: This has now become a benchmark, but in years to come, Kim will be saying that was almost as close as the Rhys and Tom dance off. We couldn鈥檛 call it. That鈥檚 a Rhys and Tom鈥

[00:00:58] KIM: I dreamed a dream that no one left the show. See what I did there?

[00:01:04] JOE: Oh yeah!

[00:01:05] KIM: But sadly, we did have to say goodbye and to Tom and Amy!

[00:01:14] TOM: Honestly, I've had the best time. I've loved every second of it. I made the best friend and Amy you've been amazing. Thank you so much for teaching me how to dance. I know it was a struggle at times, but I've had the best time. This is an amazing show. All of you guys have been amazing.

[00:01:39] KIM: After strictly you went on to have a career on the West End. Would you ever have believed that?!

[00:01:50] JOE: I've never even sung in front of my family properly. So even during musicals week, I had no idea that there were West End scouts scattered amongst the crowd being like, oh, that Joe Sugg... Yeah. He could be a, a great Ogie.

[00:02:04] KIM: Nuts.

[00:02:05] JOE: That's not how it happened, but it brings something out of you. Definitely musicals week is a very, very special week on the show.

It's one of those weeks where not only are you playing a character like you do in movie week and stuff, but you've really got to, you have got to show your emotion and really bring that extra bit that you necessarily don't have to give in earlier stages like movie week.

[00:02:25] KIM: Yeah. So you did Joseph on musical week and always like, I remember just the lift with Johannes, like that is etched in my mind.

[00:02:33] JOE: I think that the previous week Johannes said, it's the furthest he's gotten the competition. And I was sat at home thinking, oh no, Johannes you've been in musical week before. Cause you you're in my dance. You, you lifted me for the first time. Um, it was a strange to watch it back, but it just brought back so many good memories and it is those key dates in the diary, your movie week, your Blackpool, your musicals week, they are such special moments in the show. So to get to those weeks, it really does mean a lot for all the celebs and all the pros.

[00:03:04] KIM: Do you know what the next theme is?

[00:03:06] JOE: uh, final?

[00:03:07] KIM: Yeah. This year, it's the final

[00:03:10] KIM: You want to get to movie week, then you want to get to Halloween. Then you want to get to musicals. And now all that's left is the final! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We shouldn't be mentioning that word.

[00:03:19] JOE: a big hurdle stepping in that way. Semi-finals week with the double dances, but don't get too excited guys. Cause you've got all that to come!

[00:03:26] KIM: Tilly and Nikita. She's like the comeback kid.

[00:03:29] JOE: I was like, wow. To be fair. Matilda is actually one of the more recent, newer musicals on that lineup. So you have to have that thought of like, will it be as recognised as well?

As you know, like an Edelweiss or, or a Frozen track, but it just goes to show she absolutely did herself proud and produced an incredible dance.

[00:03:58] KIM: An amazing, I mean, like two dance offs comeback best attitude week after week, and then she gets a 40, and Shirley said this:

[00:04:06] SHIRLEY: Absolutely first class. How you come back from being in the bottom to, performing like this, to be honest, I never say this, but I couldn't tell you who the professional was. That's how good you were.

[00:04:19] KIM: No offence to Nikita, but that is just how good she was. Then we had AJ and Kai, that was her first ever time opening the show, which I think she quite enjoyed. She could just sit back up popcorn. Watch a musical special. She was really emotional. Wasn't she? After that dance.

[00:04:34] JOE: It's been a few times now. I think it's just the build-up of that week. It's enough to make anyone cry. I feel like from day one on Monday to that performing that dance live, it really is a weight off the shoulders. And especially when it goes to plan and it all works out.

[00:04:50] KIM: And Joe, we've not even discussed, Cynthia. How incredible was she? Gutted, obviously, that Craig couldn't be with us, but, um, Cynthia was amazing. This is what she said after AJ:

[00:05:01] CYNTHIA: Well, how do you solve a problem like Maria you cast AJ that's how!

[00:05:07] JOE: She kept it themed to Musical Week. That's what I like in a stand in judge

[00:05:10] KIM: She was brilliant. I think, cause she鈥檚 been in their position. She is the actual queen of musical theatre and yet she just stepped into the role 聽so easily caught up where they're actually a little bit later on. 聽

Brilliant addition to the panel but Craig get well soon. Then we had Rose and Giovanni - so cute, like Anton was saying as a parent of four-year-old twins, he's watched that film so many times and on as another parent of four year old twins, I can relate - 聽me too. It was brilliant. Wasn't it?

[00:05:42] JOE: It was great. You know what? I've never seen Frozen all the way through and earlier in the day, Gio was so shocked at me for not having watched it. And he actually said, when you get home, watch both of them. I'm sorry, Giovanni. I still haven't done it yet, but what a dance, what a team.

And I loved how he was like, that was my mistake. He did. A great partner would do in that situation. Uh, they've really got each other's backs and just, they're just great. Aren't they?

[00:06:07] KIM: Yeah. I love that as well. And I love that like upstairs Rose was saying to him, don't worry, you know what It's like鈥 the pro could just not say anything. And then the celeb might be left thinking, oh, that was me, but no鈥 hands up, Giovanni 鈥 he did it.

[00:06:19] JOE: And then the judges were really split on Rhys and Nancy. Anton said this:

[00:06:24] ANTON: Wow. I'll have to say this has given me a real problem watching you dance because your feet are a bit too Footloose. Everything else is so brilliant. I'm a bit overwhelmed. I struggle which way to go.

[00:06:39] JOE:聽Which way do you think he went? Cause he gave an eight. Do you think he would have given more or I wonder鈥. We鈥檒l never find out.

[00:06:46] KIM: We鈥檒l never find out. And do you know what, we could ask him next week but I don't want to, I always want to be left thinking. I don't know. I'm not sure which way he would have gone.

[00:06:53] JOE:聽Do you know what, I'm still on edge after that dance off. Still, so like on edge!

[00:06:59] KIM: and you're still shaking.

[00:07:00] JOE: I'm still not calm Kim, but early on the day, I did actually catch up with Rhys and Nancy and I brought goodies with me鈥.

***

Rhys and Nancy Chat with Joe

[00:07:16] JOE: First things first, I've got some sweets to congratulate you

[00:07:22] NANCY: Oh!

[00:07:23] JOE: For being record breakers, fastest ever 40!

[00:07:25] NANCY: Thank you.

[00:07:31] RHYS: It had to be a C主播大秀 presenter doing that. I'm basically a glorified clown. 聽

[00:07:37] JOE: I never got a 40. But so, uh, so what's it like guys?

[00:07:45] RHYS: I had a suspicion that Craig was going to do 10 when, you know, when they go Craig Revel-Horwood he always pauses before he does a 10. Any other time, it鈥檒l just go nine , nine, eight Craig Revel-Horwood, beat鈥 10. And I heard the beat

[00:07:58] RHYS: And Nancy was like, how could you tell鈥.. I watched this show a lot. I know, I know his behavioural patterns.

[00:08:05] JOE:聽For this week's dance, how does it feel to be going off the back of a 40 into this week? Has it made it more difficult?

[00:08:11] NANCY: We didn't much about that 40 when preparing for this week. So We literally just focus on this week, because for me, I know Rhys loves the Jive. and he really wanted to do good. He鈥檚 working so hard to give all his energy. But I think after the Charleston week, it probably takes all of it!

He picks up the steps so quick. For me, I see a professional dancer standing in front of me.

[00:08:58] RHYS: 聽The adrenaline proper kicks in, and then you're finished training and then it's when you're in the taxi, going back to where you staying at and then you go, oh, I'm in pain. My thighs hurt my feet hurt. And I was saying, it's the first time that I've really felt pain鈥

[00:09:31] JOE: Your dance this week is set in a school, school prom. Right. So I want to know what were you like at school? Growing up?

[00:09:39] NANCY: Really focused on like dance and trying to beat one another really!

[00:09:57] RHYS: Nancy went into the Chinese version of Fame.

That's essentially what Nancy did. There've been times we've been in taxis and we see school kids walking back and that. I envy that she goes, I really wish I knew what it felt like to go to a normal school.

I was a big teacher's pet, big time.

Like the idea of upseting the teacher terrified me. I always wear my tie, the right length. I was a proper goody two shoes as well, but I think kids respected me for that because I didn't, I never let peer pressure control me. So. So in school. Yeah, it was very funny and goofy, but I worked hard.

[00:10:36] JOE: I'm going to end the chat with a little game as is your prom night tonight. We're going to play the yearbook game based on last few questions. And you have to tell me who from the class of 2021 matches each description the best and would win the award.

Are you ready? Most likely to keep dancing after strictly?

[00:10:54] RHYS: think AJ came to my head鈥

[00:10:57] JOE: Yes. I, you say 鈥榶ou鈥 Rhys?!

[00:10:59] RHYS: I thought, I couldn't say me! Yes, me!

[00:11:01] JOE: Best Dressed?

[00:11:05] RHYS: in terms of performances or just in real life? Because I'm thinking about like a normal day, like our own clothes.

[00:11:11] JOE: A normal day

[00:11:12] RHYS: Nancy!

[00:11:15] JOE: Teacher鈥檚 Pet?

[00:11:16] RHYS: Sara! Sara Davies. When we all met each other on the zoom for the first time and we'll meet in like, you know, all the people were behind the scenes and so on鈥 Sara was taking notes and she shared them with us!

[00:11:26] JOE: Oh, that is so cute.

[00:11:27] RHYS: like the people's names and so on!

[00:11:30] RHYS: Like she and Dan, it was so funny. Cause like Dan was, he created the WhatsApp group and then Sarah was like taking minutes. They鈥檙e like head boy and girl!

[00:11:38] JOE:聽That's like the business mind isn鈥檛 it. The business mind kicking it in. Oh, that is brilliant.

[00:11:42] JOE: Um, funniest laugh?

[00:11:44] RHYS: Judi Love

[00:11:54] NANCY: Yes! oh my.

[00:11:57] JOE: And lastly, who is the loudest?

[00:12:00] RHYS: Well, I've been there a lot of contenders, right? AJ there's you [Nancy] right? 聽You greet people by going 鈥楪ood Morining, Good Morning!鈥

[00:12:24] JOE: Perfect. That sums up our class at 2021. Yeah. But thank you so much, really looking forward to your dance tonight. Wish you all the best. Thank you!

***

[00:13:15] KIM: Craig, we miss you. We hope you get better. It's the first show he has ever, ever missed. He's like the star employee - never, ever misses a shift at work. We kind of mentioned the incredibleness of Cynthia. I kind of snuck into her dressing room as she was getting her makeup done. And she's got this real presence about her. Musical royalty!

***

Kim chat with Cynthia

KIM: We're so thrilled that you're here for the show. How does it feel actually being here in hair and makeup strictly come dancing?

[00:13:48] CYNTHIA: It's pretty cool. I鈥檓 really excited about it!

[00:13:50] KIM: Where were you when you got that call?

[00:13:53] CYNTHIA: I think I was on set shooting Luther.

[00:13:55] KIM: And is it one of those calls that you kind of instantly you're like, okay, I have to drop whatever I'm doing.

[00:14:00] CYNTHIA: Well, yeah, it was sort of excited to just be a part of it. So I was like, yeah, absolutely.

[00:14:04] KIM: The show is in about an hour's time, but you've been down on the set. You had a little walk, so you could see what it was like at the judges seat. How did it feel? Did it feel bigger or smaller?

[00:14:13] CYNTHIA: Um, I think it felt a little bit bigger than I thought it was, to be honest, you can't really guess what it's going to look like until you're there, but it felt a little bigger.

[00:14:19] KIM: I mean, you are the queen of musical theatre. If there was one bit of advice that you could give all the contestants backstage, what would you say? Cause you know how they're feeling.

[00:14:29] CYNTHIA: Yeah, I would say, um, think about the story that you're trying to tell. Think about the thing that you're trying to communicate and concentrate on the partner that you're with and what is the story between the two of you? I think sometimes people get in their heads about how perfect the thing has to look, but actually what we're all looking for is what are they trying to communicate.

[00:14:48] KIM: And behind the desk, obviously you're sitting in Craig鈥檚 seat. Will you have snacks under the desk? Will you be toe-tapping? Will you be dancing or are you just going to chill and enjoy a night of musical theatre?

[00:14:59] CYNTHIA: Can it be all of the above?! I might have like a snack but I鈥檒l definetly probably have tea or something. Um, and I want to just enjoy, I want to sit back, relax and enjoy everything that's going on, but I'll probably be tapping my toes as well as music is something that I love!

[00:15:13] KIM: Enjoy toe tapping! We are so thankful and grateful that you're here. I can't quite believe that I'm actually chatting to you. So thank you so much, having the most amazing show on as Craig would say, you will be fabulous!

[00:15:23] CYNTHIA: Thank you for having me today. Thank you.

***

[00:15:26] KIM: I love that she was literally on the set of Luther when she got the call. Where were you when you got that call?

[00:15:33] JOE: I was sat in a car park on the floor I had lots of questions.

[00:15:53] JOE: I was kind of like, Mmm, okay. Right. But, so what happens next? How is, oh, no, this is all too much. I need to know every single bit of information.

[00:16:01] KIM: I love that you had so many questions. One of my jobs was to phone the pros and tell them we're going to give you the job. And my best ever phone call was telling Giovanni that he was going to be a pro on the show. And just like you, honestly, he had, I genuinely think he had about 77 questions. 聽

And anyway, you played the J word with him and Rose earlier?

[00:16:23] JOE: I did and he had quite a few questions even before the game had started!

***

The J Word Quiz with Rose and Giovanni

[00:16:26] JOE: Okay. We're going to play a game. It's called the J word. What I'm going to do is ask you questions about your journey so far. So questions from previous dances for the previous weeks. First up is Rose. What colour dress are you wearing in the first ever picture you put on social media of you and Giovanni

ROSE: Gold!

JOE: Yes. Correct. For an extra point, what was Giovanni wearing?

ROSE: He was wearing a black suit, wasn鈥檛 he?

[00:17:10] JOE: Yes! I鈥檝e got here a black suit with gold through the jacket.聽

[00:17:11] JOE: Gio, back to the ballroom tonight. Can you tell me the combined score for all of your ballroom dances?

[00:17:17] GIO: Combined Score鈥. So we got four nines on week three with a Foxtrot. Then we go 9, 10, 9, 9 on the Viennese waltz. And then we go four 10s for the tango And then four 10s for the Quickstep tonight.

So depends. I don't know the maths, but this is what we got. but I mean鈥

ROSE: You need to do the maths.

GIO: Yeah, you do it!

ROSE: So four nines鈥. What鈥檚 that?

[00:17:43] GIO: there you go see you next week Podcast people!

[00:17:47] ROSE: 36 plus 37 is鈥an someone help me with the maths?!

[00:17:52] JOE: Don鈥檛 look at me, I鈥檓 not good at maths!

[00:17:57] GIO: 73. Plus 40 is 113.

[00:18:02] JOE: I鈥檝e got 103, oh wait! Kim got it wrong!

[00:18:08] GIO: Yeah. There you go. Thank you.

[00:18:11] JOE: Oh, okay. Do you know what I think is that an extra point!

[00:18:15] ROSE: Extra point because you got your maths wrong!

[00:18:17] GIO: There you go.

[00:18:18] JOE: Rose, week one of the competition, what position in the running order did you dance?

[00:18:23] ROSE: 翱丑鈥

[00:18:24] GIO: that's a good one.

[00:18:25] JOE: Tom and Amy opened the show and Adam and Katia closed the show.

[00:18:29] GIO: 7?

[00:18:34] JOE: Correct! It was seven!. Love that! Gio, week four 鈥 what colour beret was Rose鈥 four. 聽

[00:18:41] GIO: Raspberry Beret!

[00:18:43] JOE: Correct! Didn鈥檛 have time to finish the question straight in there! Gio, when you first met rose for your VT, she took you out for lunch in a local cafe. What did you eat?

[00:18:52] GIO: Oh, the horrible thing. Um, what's his name? I know鈥

[00:18:57] ROSE: no, come on.

[00:18:58] GIO: I know it's horrible. I don't want to eat that one again.

And this was, um, something with pie鈥.

[00:19:05] JOE: Yeah. Yep. That's half a point. He鈥檚 really struggling!

[00:19:13] ROSE: Tell me what else you had with it鈥

[00:19:19] GIO: Mash pie?

Rose: Now swop those two around!

Gio: Oh! Pie鈥檚 Mash?

[00:19:21] JOE: Yeah! I'll give it to ya. He struggled, but I will give that to you. Pie and Mash. Well done. Rose, name three things you've learned about the Quickstep from Giovanni this week.

[00:19:31] ROSE: I learnt that you hold your petition while you're running, and it's a very high, um, stamina and you run with the ball off your feet, not on your heel.

[00:19:42] JOE: There we go! Boom. Points. Gio, who said this for what dance? 鈥淭hat was a number that will be etched in my heart for a long time. It was absolutely beautiful.鈥 聽

[00:19:53] GIO: Oh, that鈥檚 Shirley! 聽

[00:19:53] JOE: Correct. Shirley鈥 I won鈥檛 do the voice! Rose, what did Craig sign after your tango?

Rose: SMASHED IT!

Yes. Correct. Gio finally, what did Claudia rename you after your tango?

[00:20:07] GIO: What, the king of Halloween?

[00:20:08] JOE: Boom. And after that in total, your score is鈥. 11!

[00:20:16] ALAN鈥橲 VOICE: Outstanding!

[00:20:17] JOE: It鈥檚 the highest we've had - you're in first place!

ROSE: Because we remember everything!

JOE: Pie and mash all round! 聽聽

ROSE: No, no! We鈥檙e going to rename it 鈥榤ash and pie鈥!

***

[00:20:29] KIM: They're current top! Bye Dan and Nadiya! 聽We've now got a new top of the leaderboard for the J word!

[00:20:35] JOE: And is that everyone now?

[00:20:36] KIM: No, we've actually only got one couple left to play - John and Johannes!

[00:20:41] JOE: yes.

[00:20:42] KIM: Tom and Amy never got to play it.

[00:20:43] JOE: Oh no. We've got to track them down. I'm going to head to, it takes two on Monday and try and get them to do it!

[00:21:10] KIM: It takes two is on Monday. They鈥檒l be chatting to Tom and Amy. If John and Johannes don't get 11, then yeah, we're going to have to think of a price for Rose and Gio.

[00:21:22] JOE: And also we're going to try and think of a line for when Dan finds out, they got an extra point 鈥 he won鈥檛 like that.

[00:21:27] KIM: yeah,

[00:21:27] JOE: I do not want to face the wrath of Dan and Nadiya.

[00:21:34] KIM: Me neither. And I think he really plays by the rules as well.

[00:21:37] JOE: It鈥檚 going to get messy, Kim!

[00:21:39] KIM: It鈥檚 your game, not mine. Anyway, that is it from us. We're back next week.

[00:21:43] JOE & KIM: in the meantime, keep鈥︹

[00:21:45] JOE & KIM: 鈥.. listening!

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