Delta Goodrem tops Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard after dancing American Smooth to Lady Gaga
Following last week's impressive performance from Delta, the Aussie superstar took to the Strictly dancefloor for the second week, continuing to surprise the judges with a heartwarming performance of American Smooth to Lady Gaga's I'll Never Love Again.
The performance earned Delta and professional partner Kai Widdrington a score of 30 out of 40, putting them in first place overall on the Strictly leaderboard when including last week's score.
A stunning performance
Performing third this week, Delta and Kai showed us a more elegant and softer side than last week's samba.
The pair gave a stunning performance of American Smooth to I'll Never Love Again from the 2018 film A Star Is Born, as part of this week's Movie Week theme.
For Movie Week, all 15 couples took part in the themed week of the competition, with each pair performing a dance inspired by a famous film. It marked the first time the show has held the theme so early in the series.
Delta and Kai's routine combined elegant ballroom choreography with several lifts, while Delta brought plenty of emotion to the performance.
The judges were particularly impressed with Delta's ability to connect with the song and tell a story through the dance.
Motsi Mabuse praised Delta for having a "special talent to give feeling", telling her:
"You've got everything it takes. I believe in you."
Head judge Shirley Ballas was equally impressed, describing Delta as a "force to be reckoned with" following her second performance of the competition.
Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke also praised the routine, with both judges saying they loved the performance.
The judges awarded Delta and Kai 8, 7, 7 and 8 points, giving them a total of 30 for the night. Combined with their 29 points from last week's samba, the pair now sit on 59 points at the top of the overall leaderboard.
Delta on top
Delta's latest performance saw her move from second place after the first week to the top of the leaderboard.
Behind her were Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola and Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley, who both finished on 55 points overall. Graeme recorded the highest individual score of the night with 31 points for his waltz to The Godfather Waltz.
It continues an impressive start to the competition for Delta, who has quickly established herself as one of the leading contenders in this year's series.
The Australian singer has now scored 29 and 30 points across her first two dances, placing her consistently near the top of the leaderboard.
The public gets to have its say
This week also marked the beginning of the competition's public vote.
Following the 15 performances, viewers were able to vote for their favourite couples for the first time, with the results of the public vote combined with the judges' scores from the first two weeks.
The two couples at the bottom of the combined results will face each other in the first dance-off of the series, with one celebrity ultimately being eliminated.
At the end of Saturday night's show, Melanie Walters and Aljaž Škorjanec were at the bottom of the leaderboard on 30 points, following another score of 15 for their waltz to Edelweiss from The Sound of Music.
Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden were just above them on 33 points, while Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr climbed away from the bottom after scoring 25 points for their salsa.
The first results show of the series 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 Three, as the competition continues to heat up.
After two strong performances and now sitting at 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: “I got goosebumps”: Delta Goodrem impresses Strictly Come Dancing judges with her first samba
For continued updates on all Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. All the links can be found at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet
