It was the paella which did it, rather than the paso doble. The VT before their performance of Kirsty and Brendan cooking the Spanish dish in the kitchen drew gasps from the British public which turned into posts on the twittersphere. “I’ve never done this before” said Kirsty, even though she must have tried the dish as she was married in Spain and her family have a home there. “Ainsley Harriott might have something to say about this”. Even if he didn’t the great British public did. “Carrots in the Paella??” they cried. Finally it was women who were talking about Kirsty on social media rather than men making men comments. So some of the core voters were concentrating on her cooking rather than her dancing and not voting for her.

A floor length frumpy dress and an odd hairstyle showed the wardrobe and make up departments were still not helping Kirsty to shine. But she tackled the paso doble with attack and finesse and her dramatic face which shows every emotion fitted the mood of the dance well. But, apart from a sympathetic Darcey Bussell who said she should be proud, something she says to different competitors each week, the judges disagreed. Len brought up the paella again. He said the dance was like the dish, “tasty in parts but with a few funny bits floating on the top”. Craig fell short of calling it a di-saaaster, but said she had as much shape as a broomstick. She’ll be alright for Halloween night then.

The scores came in 4,6,6,5 total 21, two points lower than last week. Kirsty pulled one of her faces.

And so the following night she was in the dance off. She braced herself to go, saying nice things about Brendan, and prepared to watch the incredibly popular Daniel O’Donnell dance to Come Fly With Me again. But this was a judges vote rather than the public. Kirsty drew herself up and performed something way beyond what we have seen from her before. It was accurate, flowing and fighty. And she took the judges with her. All respect, she survived. It was a Beautiful Day after all.