Strictly Come Dancing Halloween special – live

Jojo leads a mass samba up in the Johannexe/Jojo’s Dojo/the Johannesphere. Infectious fun.

Judges’ scores: 6, 7, 5, 7 for a total of 25 points. He thought opening the show would be daunting but instead it was haunting. Oh, dad!

Judges’ comments: Shirley says “nice steps but double-stuttering feet and needs more flexibility”. Anton says “not a bad effort, want more power across the floor”. Craig says “needs fluidity, needs finessing and footwork was sticky but every time, you come out here and go for it”. Motsi concludes “lots of basic steps and different rhythms, good leading skills, I still need a better upper body”.

Getting the green-faced pair out of the way first, in case their facepaint runs. Canine expert Graeme Hall scored his first nine last week, with Anton hailing his atmospheric tango as “the best ballroom dance of the series so far”. Now the Dogfather and pro partner Lauren Oakey attempt an undead samba. It’s set at a zombie beach bar with Graeme as the bartender, cheering up sad customer Lauren by mixing her a mocktail. Green-faced and Hawaiian-shirted, looking a little like Shrek on his holidays. A sped-up version of the song for that Rio carnival feel. Rhythmical and fluid but lacking a little suppleness. Improved after a slow start but a bit too flat-footed and walky-aroundy for me. Needs more bounce, hips and sexy sizzle.

Song: Coconut by Harry Nilsson. The 1971 novelty hit was used during the end credits of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and also appeared on the soundtrack of cult 1998 romcom Practical Magic.

First look at our couples and they’ve all raided the creepy costume box. Ghostbusters! Green-faced zombies! Addams family members! Little monsters! S&M sex people, Lynne! It’s like a rowdy gaggle of Haribo-crazed trick-or-treaters.

Anton is an angel to go with Craig’s devil. Who knew? I prefer Liberace. Or possibly Bob Downe.

The paddle-raising quartet arrive in full fancy dress. Craig Revel Horwood is the devil, obv, Motsi Mabuse is a faerie queen, Shirley Ballas is the ice queen and Anton Du Beke is… Liberace maybe? Never knowingly under-themed.

Here come our Halloween hosts, so let’s compare their fright night finery. Emma Willis in fill-length blood red. Josh Widdicombe in a navy blue suit. Johannes Radebe in a black, tiered, ruffled lace two-piece. Jojo wins.

Cue clapalong title sequence, complete with… distracting pause midway through the music.

Cue the compulsory spooky-themed montage. Most Haunted meets Blair Witch styling this year.

Insert your joke shop fangs and nibble on someone’s neck. We’re about to go live to the haunted ballroom…

Our couples are bidding to get through to week seven, which marks the halfway milestone of the 13-week contest. But one pair will fall just short, of course.

Just five minutes until we hear those ba-ba-das and bwa-ha-has.

The Celebrity Inner Circle just winding up on BBC One. Last episode of the series, mercifully.

There always seem to be some Strictly alumna among the guests and this week is no different with Katie Piper (eliminated third in 2018) and Claire Sweeney (eliminated fourth during the first ever series in 2004). Not long to wait now…

As well as the three-way dance-off, tomorrow’s results show will feature a Dracula-themed routine from the pros, complete with a vocal cameo from Sir Ian McKellen. You shall not pass, Van Helsing.

A mere 10 minutes until trick-or-treat time…

Some doubling-up tonight, with the Halloween hoofing including two tangos and two Viennese waltzes.

We’ll also see several speciality dances, with a Charleston from Lacey Turner, an Argentine tango from Cach Mercer and a Couple’s Choice by Will Best.

It’s a mere 15 minutes until waltzing and witching hour…

Tick them off as you spot them on-screen! Drink a bubbling potion for each! End up with the munchies and scoff all the Halloween “candy”!

Here’s your 10-point spotter’s checklist for tonight’s Strictly spooktactular:

Judges wield pumpkin/ghost/bat-shaped scoring paddles

The three hosts make a nod to fancy dress by wearing black and red outfits

Celebrity starts routine by flying down from the ceiling or climbing out of a coffin

Prop overload means too much “faffin’ abaht” (copyright Len Goodman) and dances take ages to get going

Routine “enhanced” and “augmented” by dodgy CGI creatures

A poor celebrity has their face painted green to play Frankenstein/Shrek/a wicked witch

A routine is described a “horror show” with “frightening footwork” or “zombified hips”

Band leader Dave Arch is dressed as a baton-wielding vampire

Craig says a Charleston needs to be “wild and kooky, you can’t go far enough with it”, before slating the ankle swivel

Production team’s names are “spookified” with Halloween puns on the end credits

Bethany Antonia is bookies’ favourite for the next elimination, followed by Lawrence Robb, with Jaime Winstone third in the betting.

Can they defy the odds? Will Halloween characterisation help this trio to safety? It’s 25 minutes until the fancy-dressed frenzy…

For the first time in Strictly history, tomorrow’s results show will feature a triple dance-off. The three couples with the lowest combined total from the judges’ scores and public votes will go head-to-head against one another.

The judges will then vote to eliminate, rather than save. Talk about adding more fear factor to Halloween.

Less than half an hour until fright night kick-off…

Footwork tricks and technical treats. But who’ll be flying home on a ballroom broomstick?

Good evening, one and all, and welcome to the sixth live weekend of Strictly Come Dancing 2026. I’m Michael, your diabolical dance partner for tonight’s Halloween Spooktacular. You are warmly invited to watch along with me as our 11 pro-celebrity couples cook up a bubbling cauldron of choreography.

Last week, we saw the first perfect 10s of the series – one for Delta Goodrem and two for Tabby Stoecker. Down the bottom, Jaime Winstone was surprisingly consigned to her second dance-off but it was Shaun Wright-Phillips who was sent home.

Now our surviving 11 pairs undergo terrifying transformations to perform paranormal routines, hoping to cast a spell over the judges and voting viewers alike. But who will be kept alive and kicking in the competition? And who will be doomed to the show’s first ever three-way dance-off?

It’s supernatural showtime at 6.30pm on BBC One. I’ll be liveblogging from 6pm, providing build-up, rolling coverage, analysis, reaction and pumpkin-spiced asides. So fish the floating plastic spider out of your drink, remove the fake eyeball from the nibbles bowl and I’ll see you on the sofa.

As always, I’d love to hear from you too. You can tweet me @michaelhogan, contact me on Bluesky or Threads @michaelhogan100, email me michael.hogan.freelance@guardian.co.uk and the comments section is at your spectral service. I’ll float down there occasionally like a glittery ghost to peek at your reactions and report your Halloween wit and wisdom up top, so please do share your thoughts.

It’s week six and it’s going to be a scream. Nearly time to staaaaaart spooky dancing!