Strictly Come Dancing spoilers follow.
Strictly Come Dancing has announced a brand-new challenge for its contestants, to be completed in next Saturday's live show. The 'Instant Dance' challenge, which has never been done before, will see the stars choosing a random dance style from sealed envelopes, which they will then have to perform on the spot.
The couples will compete to win extra marks in order to cement their place on the all-important leaderboard ahead of the upcoming quarter-final.
"It's the ultimate test of how much they have learnt and how in tune they are with their dance partner," explained the VT. "And with a place in the quarter-final at stake, the spotlight will be on them, more than ever."
The challenge was announced during tonight's results show, which had a surprisingly upbeat atmosphere due to the lack of dance-off. As La Voix and pro Aljaž Škorjanec had to exit the competition after an injury, the remaining six couples were safe from elimination, with their scores being carried over to next week's episode.
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Speaking about the 'Instant Dance', co-host Claudia Winkleman explained that the couples had already picked and signed their envelopes, and will discover the contents on Saturday (29 November).
"It's going to be fantastic," Claudia beamed, before a visibly worried Amber Davies questioned: "Is it going to be fantastic?! It's going to be chaotic!"
Fortunately for the Love Island star, her pro partner Nikita Kuzmin was characteristically giddy about the task. "We love chaos!" he laughed. "Imagine: live television, you don't know the dance, you don't know the costume, you don't know the song. You know nothing and the best part - nobody can stop you!"
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Meanwhile, George Clarke shared that he was also excited as he believes it will be "a laugh", though he clarified that the surprise task will likely "go awfully". He reasoned: "Either it goes awfully and I'm upset about it or I'm having a good time. So I'll just try and smile."
As well as dealing with a new dance style, the celebrities will also face a surprise costume - something Emmerdale's Lewis Cope is quite concerned about. Referring to his pro partner Katya Jones, he admitted: "She's quite rogue in the dress sense and she might layer some jeans with a skirt. I think [she'll] have about five different layers."
The competition continues next Saturday when the six couples will perform their practised routines, as well as their Instant Dance. Then it will be business as usual on Sunday night, as one more celebrity will leave the show.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
