Strictly Come DanceThe Blackpool special always has a standout star and the eight remaining couples certainly gave it their all as they battled it out for the title on Saturday night.

Chris McCausland set the bar high opening the show with a stunning American Smooth while Tasha Ghouri brought the drama with a near-perfect Paso Doble and Jamie Borthwick got into the Blackpool spirit by descending from the ceiling on a giant, glittery ketchup bottle.

But the night belonged to another of Strictly stars: Sarah Hadland.

THE Miranda The actress has delivered many stunning performances so far in this series, topping the charts with the debut Argentine tango of Strictly 2024 in the Halloween special and transforms into Madonna for Icons Week.

Couple’s Choice dances are often moving, barefoot numbers, but with her Fosse-inspired routine to Kylie Minogue’s hit “Padam Padam,” Hadland served up a powerful celebration of femininity.

She performed an ambitious choreography, complete with lifts and table dances, alongside not only her partner Vito Coppola, but a troupe of backup dancers – and made easy work of matching the professionals’ moves.

The breathtaking performance (called “too perfect” by Craig Revel Horwood, who gave it a nine) also sent an empowering and inspiring message to viewers and women around the world.

In his VT, Hadland became emotional as she explained how Strictly changed his life. “I would tell any woman if you think you can’t do something, you can always push yourself,” she said. “You set your own limits.”

As she began to cry, the actress continued: “These are tears of joy. I didn’t expect to get this at a dance competition. It came at just the right time in my life, when I didn’t know it was what I needed.

After Hadland and Coppolla’s dance, Shirley Ballas perfectly summed up what the performance meant by telling the actress, “You represent all women in what you can achieve if you believe in it.” »

What else could Hadland achieve, I wonder? On Strictly, she should be a safe bet for the final. JB Gill and Tasha Ghouri have always dominated the rankings (and the Miranda actress shares top spot this week with the former Love Islander) and Chris McCausland’s achievements are phenomenal. But Hadland’s spirit, confidence and most importantly’Strictly journey’ makes her worthy of a place in the final three.

And when the glitter settles and returns to the BBC’s coffers, I can’t wait to see what Hadland does next.