Source: Daily Mail
It was Blackpool boy Craig Kelly’s dream to perform in front of his hometown crowd at the Tower Ballroom.
But while he got his wish, it was destined to be his last time on Strictly Come Dancing.
After scoring just 17 points from the judges, the former Coronation Street star needed a huge proportion of the viewer’s vote to remain in the competition.
Instead he came in the bottom two, alongside Ricky Groves, and was promptly sent home by the panel.
Earlier he and dance partner Flavia Cacace danced the cha cha cha to Easy Lover by Phil Collins.
Len Goodman said: ‘I know your goal was to make it to Blackpool and you’ve done that but this is a dancing competition. Yours was the weakest performance.’
And if he was blunt, Alesha was blunter.
‘I can’t believe Zoe’s gone and I had to endure that. You’re not as good as you think you are.
‘Last week there was a glimmer of hope, this week, Dad’s back.’
But Craig held on to his confidence, against overwhelming odds.
‘I thought it went great, I was doing it and I was thinking, this will show them!’ he told Tess Daly backstage. ‘It felt good, didn’t it Flavia’.
But, perhaps aware her time was up, his laughing dance partner simply grimaced and hugged him.
While Craig was sent home, it was a better week for Ali Bastian, who came in the bottom two last week.
In a change of fortune she scored a perfect 40 for her Viennese Waltz to Do Right Woman, Do Right Man by Etta James.
Even notoriously hard-to-please judge Craig Revel-Horwood told her: ‘I’m very disappointed. I could not find a single thing wrong with that.’
And with partner Brian Fortuna actress Ali was soon celebrating her safe place in the competition.

Ricky W and Natalie also impressed the judges with their passionate tango but failed to get a perfect score.
Eastender’s favourite Natalie Cassidy and Vincent did a complicated quickstep and scored their highest marks yet with 31!
Phil Tuffnel and Katya impressed judges with a rumba and scored 28.



















