Strictly’s Ian Waite on who he’d like to win and how Rhys could have made the final

By Grace Henry

Published: Monday, 13 December 2021 at 12:00 am

It was the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final this weekend, meaning the four remaining celebs in the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up would be performing two routines each for the first time in the series.

After all the Strictly Come Dancing songs and dances were performed, the scores were added up, with AJ Odudu and Rose Ayling-Ellis topping the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard with an impressive 79 points each.

Unfortunately, this meant that John Whaite and Rhys Stephenson were in third and fourth place, and during Sunday night’s results show, they were asked to perform again.

As a result, Rhys Stephenson became the 11th celebrity to be voted out of Strictly 2021, narrowly missing out on the final.

That leaves us with this year’s finalists – AJ, Rose and John – who will return to the dance floor on Saturday 18th December, where one of them will lift the Glitterball. But who will it be?

Here, RadioTimes.com columnist Ian Waite shares his predictions for the final and reveals what could have kept Rhys and Nancy in the competition.

Ian Waite on the Strictly 2021 semi-final

I was predicting this final way back in the first week. These were the three I was expecting to make the final, so I’m not surprised at all. If you’d have said to me on Week Two, ‘Who’s your three favourites?’ – these would have been my favourite three.

How did the Strictly couples do this week?

Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu’s Tango- In the last two weeks, this boy has improved beyond belief. Wonderful, crisp heel leads and the frame was impeccable. He’s the Tango King all the way!
AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington Quickstep – This song, Sing, Sing, Sing, brought back so many memories of dancing with Denise Lewis in the Blackpool Tower back in series two. AJ looked a million dollars, and how she kept the speed and the stamina of this Quickstep is beyond me. It was simply stunning!
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe Couple’s Choice – This dance actually made me cry. I connected with it on such a deep level. It didn’t matter to me what the technique was, or it could have had more sweep and flow. As Craig said, it was exactly what a contemporary piece should be. Thought-provoking, lyrical and extremely emotive.
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice Waltz – For me, it was the subtle tone of this dance, which made it so special. Rose has a maturity of poise, which is beyond her years and capability as a beginner dancer. I began to forget about the technique and enjoy her performance.
Rhys Stephenson and Nancy Xu’s Samba – This was full of rhythm and fabulous content! I felt this was Rhys’ chance to show off his flexibility and fluidity. At times, there were empty spaces that could be filled, whether it be choreographically or with body action.
AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington’s Rumba – Another stunning dance from these two, although I would like to have seen more rotation in the hip to create a more earthy looking rumba.
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe’s Jive – John has such a natural way of moving his body and it’s very muscular and masculine, which I find very appealing. However, for this Jive to look lighter, John needed to pitch his weight further forward to allow the legs to move freely under the body.
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice’s Argentine Tango – I loved the complete attention that Rose gave Giovanni throughout this number. Her eyes never left his gaze from start to finish. In places there could have been more swivel. Although it was danced very well, for me, it lacked some passion.