'Strictly' Week Six: What the judges said

The remaining 11 Strictly Come Dancing celebrities took to the dancefloor tonight to perform either a samba or an American smooth. Keep reading to find out what Craig, Alesha, Len and Bruno made of their performances.

Here's what the judges had to say:

Len: (8) It is a very tough and frustrating dance to get to grips with. But I think you did it marvellously well, Jade. It had good control and lots of rhythm. It was a little bit flat-footed so you lost your balance for parts, but overall - very good.

Bruno: (8) Oh Jade, you fierce exotic Amazon. Talk about women on top. You were driving him! I got scared a little bit. Let me tell you, you were showing beautiful things - plenty. You managed to control the fire... Hot!

Craig: (8) I thought it was absolutely great. It was full of attitude. Great control of the running promenades into the pivots. It was really confident, really well-informed, so well done. But I would have loved one more revolution from Ian at the end on the floor.

Alesha: (8) Ian has definitely given you a great routine, which showcases you really well. Your timings are brilliant, you are on the beat, nice shaping and movement around the floor. A couple of weeks ago I told you to reign it in a bit with your Latin and get a bit messy, but you have done that - well done. She came and gave us the wow factor.

Total: 32

Len: (7) I thought that was an improvement on the last couple of weeks, Chris. I think you were trying really hard not to forget your routine, so it all became a little bit careful... but much better than we have seen for the last three weeks.

Bruno: (7) It was still much more Ealing than Hollywood. It lacked drive, it lacked glamour. It came from a good place because you were trying, but because you were trying it looked like you had a migraine. You have to balance the two.

Craig: (7) I won't be agreeing with Bruno, because I think you did fantastic. I loved it. I do, however, have a few slight problems. Your hands are really bothering me, they were splayed across Ola's back. It lacked a little bit of smoothness. It was a little bit edgy, but still definitely one of your best dances to date.

Alesha: (7) Well done for getting through the routine Chris, because when you have made a mistake it plays on your mind. Nice lifts, good basic steps, but for me it was a bit serious because you were worried and over-thinking. Just try to relax, enjoy it, bring on next week.

Score: 28

Bruno: (6) It was daddy-well-oiled anything goes. You have thrown it together and it looked messy. It was flat-footed, you like moving your bum, but we've seen that before. In fact you almost repeated the salsa. It's fine, great to watch and people are laughing, but it's week six and I know you can do better than this. That's why I'm having a go at you.

Craig: (6) I have to agree with Bruno. All that pumping and grinding has become quite tiresome. Hip action - a lot of it was missing throughout, and it was sticky and flat-footed. However, you did well to move that fast around the floor, because that was a really speedy number.

Len: (7) I can't agree with Bruno and Craig. What I like is your attitude. You come out and say to the judges, this is what I can do. You don't come out timid. You come out full-on, you did the two key steps in samba and I think your technique was quite good. You are on the right track.

Alesha: (6) It wasn't as bad as you made it out to be on your VT, but you can't keep relying on your buttocks. No matter how much we like a bit of bum action. And stop counting out loud, it's really distracting. Count in your head please.

Total: 25

Len: (8) Well, your sleeve fell off and it got tangled up in your foot and it went a tad wrong, but I'm not going to worry about that. If you two are in the bottom two after that then I will do the lambada next week with Craig,

Bruno: (8) Beautiful dance, beautiful partnership, and what I love about you two is that you really project. You connect with each other and give a really good performance every time.

Craig: (8) I thought it was a very well-balanced routine. I thought it was simple and effective. What I loved the most was that it was sophistication that was really beautiful.

Alesha: (9) It was classic, it was graceful, it was a fantastic American smooth. I adore your partnership and that's how you come back fighting, Zoe.

Score: 33

Len: (6) As Craig knows, this is a tough dance. I admire your pluck, because you get a lot of abuse from us judges, but you go away and keep trying.

Bruno: (5) Craig, you are like the Royal Mail. I am beyond it. Despite many attempts you can still not deliver. It's like you have a total music bypass. At times it looked like Irish dancing. You were stood for five minutes while Flavia was going crazy around you. I've had it!

Craig: (3) You were forcing your hips into submission. You were stiff and you were miming. It was a bit awkward, I'm afraid.

Alesha: (4) As much as I'd like to say you'd improved, the answer is no. You are so cute and you are trying, but your body has a mind of its own. I can you see you trying to do all the classic samba moves, but you weren't quite pulling it off, darling. It's a lot tougher than people realise.

Score: 18

Len: (8) That was very inspired. I liked the whole Cockney geezer feel. The other judges are right though. You either need to change your tailor and get a different sort of jacket or do something with your shoulders. You must improve there.

Bruno: (7) Plenty of content. Some surprisingly good turns. Watch your topline though. In hold you fall to pieces and disappear like an owl. But overall, well done.

Craig: (7) A most enjoyable routine. Bruno is right about your posture in hold, but a prodigious effort.

Alesha: (7) Good mix there, Ricky, between the personality and the technique. Really nice balance, good song choice, good mix of steps. I love the fact it went into a quick-step as well. Really well done, because you really take on what we tell you.

Score: 29

Len: (8) You came out and attacked the dance. What a shame you went wrong on those rolling promenades. Other than that, it's right on. Well done.

Bruno: (8) Ricky, you sexy beast. You were working those hips to the point of meltdown. You have to start making things right all the way through. You are so good, but it's not all about sex appeal and bashing it out there. I'm saying this because I know you are good.

Craig: (8) Not perfect, you were late to the floor, your timing got out... but what a samba, I have to say. It was electrifying. I loved the series of rolls. Overall effort, extraordinary.

Alesha: (8) Negatives first: I would like to see you soften up a bit more. Sometimes I feel with your Latin, you are a little hard. The samba is a fun, light dance and I would have like to have seen you relax a little more. On the positive, your rhythm was fantastic and you have now proved you can match your ballroom with your Latin.

Total: 32

Len: (8) How you feel about a dance comes out in the performance and I could tell you enjoyed that. You started a little dubious, but once you got cracking out came the smile - well done.

Bruno: (7) It was easy and pleasing, but you didn't sell it as much as I know you can. It didn't travel and it didn't reach me. I know you are very well-endowed, but you must look up. You are a beautiful girl, rejoice in it and don't hide it.

Craig: (7) I thought the timing and balance throughout was very, very good. It was delicately danced throughout which was equally brilliant. The leg extension, I know you were having trouble with your heel getting caught, but you got out of that problem quite well. You do need to not sickle the foot as well when you're pointing it.

Alesha: (7) Natalie, I think we have found your dance. However, we didn't see your usual sparkle. You didn't look as happy as you normally do. But it was effortless, it was ladylike and you did bring some Hollywood glamour.

Score: 29

Len: (5) If we were handing out awards for services beyond what's expected, then Brendan, you should get one. What you have done with Jo is little more than fantastic. She is very loose in the core - you were dragging her through it. You are performing and showing off Jo in the best light possible. It would be very easy for you to show yourself off, but you haven't - you have given up your talent for Jo.

Bruno: (4) You dragged poor Brendan into samba hell. In spite of his valiant efforts, this was damned.

Craig: (2) Futile and ineffectual, actually I thought it was a complete dance disaster.

Alesha: (3) I'm sure when you found out it was samba week, you thought, 'Great, it's a party'. But it is a really hard dance, the samba, and honestly it was a mess. You need to get those hands sorted out. Place them and just work on your hands. Last time it was balance, this time, work on those hands.

Total: 14

Len: (9) Three words. Your. Best. Dance.

Bruno: (10) Ali, I knew you had it. I've been waiting six weeks for this, it's magic time! Thank you very much!

Craig: (9) Stylish, classy, absolutely stunning. Brilliant.

Alesha: (9) Very simple, well-executed dance. The best American smooth of the night.

Score: 37

Len: (7) If that routine was a colour, it was beige. It wasn't bright and colourful. There was no red, white and blue. The whole thing needed some sparklers in there. It was a little bit flat. This girl has got a lot of potential and I'm sure she can be pushed more. If she comes back in any more Latin, push her, Anton - she can do it.

Bruno: (7) Laila, OK is not good enough for now. As Len says, you have everything it takes and this was a wasted opportunity. Why do all the disco moves for eight counts in the samba. It's not really satisfactory in week six of Strictly. You've done it for a long time, Anton, you know you are not going to get away with it.

Craig: (7) For me, it had rhythm and it had some bounce. I would have liked to have seen some more movement in that spooning move you did and overall it lacked any real wow factor due largely to the content. Too much disco.

Alesha: (7) I thought you captured the fun of the samba and the good news is that it was a lot better than last week. I think the dance suits you and you have a nice natural feel for it. You are definitely more focused this week, so keep it up, girl.

Total: 28

All pictures Copyright: BBC