EastEnders actress Lacey Turner praised for ‘best dance of night’ on Strictly

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner was told her dance was the “best of the night” after performing a “stunning” routine with Vito Coppola on Strictly Come Dancing’s Halloween week.

The 38-year-old impressed with a Charleston to Crazy Stupid Love by Cheryl and Tinie Tempah while channelling gothic glamour in an all-black outfit.

They soared to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 36, and judge Motsi Mabuse described the routine as the “best dance of the night”.

Former Love Island winner Dani Dyer also wowed the judges with her “best dance yet” after performing a Viennese waltz with Nikita Kuzmin.

The pair danced to My Favourite Things by Rodgers and Hammerstein while dressed in ghoulish Victorian-style costumes, earning 32 points.

Anton Du Beke called it her “best dance yet”, and Craig Revel Horwood said: “I can’t add much to that, apart from brilliant.”

They are tied on 32 points with Will Best and Dianne Buswell, who performed their Couple’s Choice dance to Nu Flow by Big Brovaz.

Australian singer Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington scored 33 for their Viennese waltz to Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers while dressed as Morticia and Gomez Addams from The Addams Family.

Revel Horwood called the routine “absolutely gorgeous”, and Du Beke said: “It was incredible, I loved that dance. It was sensational.”

Also scoring 33 points were Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby, who performed an Argentine tango to Pas De Deux by Michael Abels.

Social media star John Nellis and Katya Jones secured second place after earning 35 points for their tango to Dance… by Slayyyter, which Mabuse described as “great”

Saturday’s episode opened with TV dog trainer Graeme Hall and professional partner Lauren Oakley dancing the samba to Coconut by Harry Nilsson.

The pair scored 25 for their routine, which Revel Horwood said “needs finessing”, leaving them joint bottom of the leaderboard with Olympic medallist Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita.

The latter couple also scored 25 for their quickstep to Black Magic by Little Mix, which head judge Shirley Ballas said “wasn’t your best”.

Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystal scored 26 for a tango to Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

The episode was filled with elaborate costumes, with Du Beke dressed as an angel and Revel Horwood looking like a devil.

“The roles you were born to play,” presenter Josh Widdicombe joked at the start of the show, while his co-host Emma Willis said the judges looked “amazing”.

Mabuse opted for a green butterfly ensemble, and Ballas wore an elaborate ice queen outfit which Willis described as “slightly terrifying”.

The next couple to be eliminated will be revealed during Sunday’s show, which will feature Strictly’s first triple dance-off.

Three couples will perform, with the judges voting to eliminate one pair from the competition rather than choosing which couple to save.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One on Sunday at 7.10pm.