Strictly Come Dancing 2022: what happened in the semi final, leaderboard and when is Strictly results show?

The Strictly Come Dancing finale is almost here, with the five remaining couples battling it out for a chance to make it into the final four.

The semi-final took place on Sunday (11 December) instead of Saturday (10 December) due to the World Cup match between England and France. This means that fans are still waiting to hear the results from the public vote and see who will take part in this week’s dance off.

Competition was fierce, with the celebrities and their professional dancers wowing the judges with not one, but two performances.

Hamza Yassin stunned the judges with his Charleston in a kilt, with judge Craig Revel Horwood telling the wildlife cameraman: “Those lifts were absolutely crazy spectacular. You were very brave, darling, wearing a kilt in a Charleston.”

Whilst, Will Mellor was met with harsh criticism from judge Shirley Ballas following his Pasa Double.

So, what happened in the Strictly semi-final and when can I watch the results show? Here’s everything you need to know.

What happened in the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final?

The five remaining celebrities are pulling out all the stops to reach the final. Each performing two dances, competition in the semi final was tight, with Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal wowing the judges with their version of the Charleston, complete with Yassin sporting a kilt.

Molly Rainford impressed judges with her Paso Doble to Survivor by 2WEI ft Edda Hayes and American Smooth to Easy On Me by Adele and Fleur East and professional dancer Vito Coppola took on both the Charleston and the Paso Doble.

Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez performed the Argentine Tango to Here Comes The Rain Again by Eurythmics and a Waltz to Only One Road by Céline Dion.

Whilst Will Mellor and professional dancer Nancy Xu found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard this week, following harsh criticism of their Paso Doble by judge Shirley Ballas.

When is the Strictly results show?

The semi-final results show will air tonight (Monday 12 December) at 8.15pm on BBC One. The Strictly schedule has seen a shake-up with episodes being moved from Saturday to Sunday due to the World Cup.

Fans will find out tonight which celebrities are in the bottom two and who will be making their way to the final.

The Results show will also feature a performance from Lewis Capaldi and special routine with the professional dancers which features judge Craig Revel Horwood.

Who is at the top of the scoreboard?

Yassin and professional dancer Jowita Przystal topped the leaderboard with an impressive score of 76 out of 80. Yassin and Przystaol wowed the judges with their Charleston to Pencil Full Of Lead by Paolo Nutini whilst wearing a kilt and a Waltz to What The World Needs Now by Burt Bacharach.

Yassin was met with positive comments from judges, with Horwood saying: “That was full of detail. Those lifts were absolutely crazy spectacular. You were very brave, darling, wearing a kilt in a Charleston.” Whilst Motsi Mabuse said: “You were so alive, present and you really had everything in control. You guys have lifted the levels of lifts in Strictly. Everything was on point. Guys, exceptional.” And Anton Du Beke added: “You brought everything. That was amazing. Well done.”

Here is the Strictly semi-final leaderboard:

1. Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal -76
2. Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu - 75
3. Fleur East and Vito Coppola - 74
4. Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez - 72
5. Will Mellor and Nancy Xu -70

What did Shirley Ballas say to Will Mellor?

Mellor and professional dancer Xu found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard this week, despite finishing on top the week prior. They danced the Couple’s Choice to Know How, Fools Gold, Step On Young MC, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and took on the Paso Doble to Uccen (DWTS Remix) by Taalbi Brothers and DWTS.

The actor received some tough criticism from judge Ballas, speaking to him about his Paso Doble, she said: “There were quite a few things missing for me in this dance. You had the arrogance part, you came out and you delivered a good strong message. I’m going to give you that... but Paso Doble is very much built – and has been – on an oval shape. It collapsed every time you picked her up, the arms were too straight when they were out to the side.”

She added: “These are basic fundamentals from the very very beginning that were very much missing for me, and when you choose to use a cape at the beginning you have to extend it, it can’t feel like it’s a little scarf around your neck, it is an extension that reaches and goes. So I didn’t get a good start from the beginning. I do believe you give 100% of your heart – I love that. But this is the semi-final and those are the things that I saw.”

Mellor was visibly disappointed with the comments following his performance, telling Strictly host Claudia Winkleman that he felt “rubbish.” Adding: “I worked hard and just I’ve let her (Nancy) down a little bit there. Because she taught me right and I’ve just...forgotten a few fundamentals.”

When is the Strictly final?

The Strictly Come Dancing final will air on Saturday 17 December on BBC One at 7.05pm.