"A-MA-ZING!": Delta Goodrem tops leaderboard for second week running and dazzles with a disco-inspired salsa on Strictly Come Dancing
Following last week's leaderboard-topping performance from Delta Goodrem, the Aussie superstar took to the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor for the third week, continuing to wow the judges with a dazzling performance of the salsa to a mashup of Always There by Incognito ft. Jocelyn Brown and Ain't Nobody by Chaka Khan.
The dance earned Delta and professional partner Kai Widdrington a score of 33 out of 40, putting them in first place overall on the Strictly leaderboard this week.
A stellar performance
This week, Delta and Kai brought the "D-I-S-C-O" to the Strictly stage. The pair's routine combined salsa moves with disco flair, Strictly sparkle, and a lot of lifts.
Delta and Kai received plenty of praise from the judges this week following their performance.
Motsi Mabuse commented that she "absolutely loved" the dance, telling her:
"You have been giving with Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, for me this was the highlight 'til now, you did an amazing job!"
Shirley Ballas was equally impressed, saying: "For me, that was absolutely great...you trust yourself, you trust your partner, your awareness skills are exceptional! Keep it up, I think you're gonna go all the way!"
Anton Du Beke added: "You're setting a very very high bar! You are very very good, well done!"
Delta even earned one of Strictly's highest honours: Craig Revel-Horwood's trademark "A-MA-ZING!"
The judges awarded Delta and Kai 8, 9, 8 and 8 points, giving them a total of 33 for the night, including the first score of 9 in this series of Strictly.
Delta finishes at the top of the leaderboard for the second week in a row
Delta's performance this week saw her finish at the top of the leaderboard for the second consecutive week.
Behind her were Winter Olympian Tabby Stoecker and her dance partner Mark Karmalita, as well as Love Island winner Cach Mercer and his dance partner Maddie Ingoldsby, who both finished on 31 points overall.
It extends an impressive start to the competition for Delta, who has continued to cement herself as one of the leading contenders in this year's series.
The Australian singer has now scored 29, 30, and 32 points across her first three dances, placing her consistently near the top of the leaderboard.
The public gets to have its say
Every week, the public gets to have its say and help decide the show's results in the public vote.
Following the 14 performances, viewers were able to vote for their favourite couples, with the results of the public vote combined with the judges' scores from this week determining which two couples are at risk of being eliminated.
The two couples at the bottom of the combined results will face each other in the dance-off, with one celebrity ultimately being eliminated.
At the end of Saturday night's show, football pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips and his dance partner Alexis Warr were at the bottom of the leaderboard on 15 points for their quickstep to I'm A Believer by The Monkees.
Actress Melanie Walters of Gavin & Stacey fame and her dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec were just above them on 17 points, climbing away from last place on the leaderboard after their dance-off appearance last week.
The Strictly results show will take place on Sunday evening in the UK, with the two lowest-ranked couples going head-to-head in the dance-off.
What's next for Delta?
Delta and Kai will return to the Strictly dancefloor next Saturday for Week Four, as the competition continues to heat up.
After three strong performances all ending up at or near the top of the leaderboard, expectations will be high for the Australian superstar as she looks to continue her impressive run in the competition.
Read more: Delta Goodrem tops Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard after dancing American Smooth to Lady Gaga
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