The two have wowed fans with their progress in the race for the Glitterball so far
Excitement is building as the race for the Glitterball enters its next stage on tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing. The remaining 11 contestants will take to the dancefloor on Saturday for Halloween Week.
The celebrities and their professional partners will don spooky costumes on the BBC show in celebration of the scary season. Sam Quek and Nikita Kuzmin have thrilled fans with their performances in the competition so far.
The two will aim to progress to the next round tonight when they Jive to Time Warp by the Rocky Horror Picture cast. Sam and Nikita have been a hit with fans so far as they have comfortably progressed through each stage without having to contend with the dreaded dance off.
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However, they have been dealt a surprise blow this week as the latest betting odds have Sam and Nikita second favourites to be eliminated. The two are narrowly behind Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Marquez in the latest odds from BetMGM.
UK Director at BetMGM, Sam Behar, said: “Punam Krishan might be the favourite for the next Strictly elimination at 6/4 but, unlike in previous weeks, we haven’t got anyone who is odds-on so it’s not a full-gone conclusion by any means.
“The Scottish doctor is 6/4 to go home on Sunday, but Sam Quek (6/4), Pete Wicks (5/1), Shayne Ward (11/2) and even JB Gill (8/1) are all considered contenders for the exit door.”
Although Sam and Nikita have emerged as surprise contenders to be in the bottom two this week, it is unlikely this will impact their preparations. The two have been training in Liverpool so Merseyside native Sam can remain close to her family and two young children.
Sam and Nikita spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview earlier this month and the professional dancer said embracing the journey is the key to being on Strictly. Nikita said: “For me it’s just about people enjoying themselves and having a good time.
“It’s very important that, yes, we are doing Strictly. Yes, it’s a competition and, yes, now it’s getting tough. But let’s be honest, there is life outside of this. She has kids, she has a husband. I have a life.”
He added: “You always just need to be on your toes and enjoy the weeks that you get because that is a blessing to be still here. People are getting eliminated so the fact that people even vote for us and we can be here is already so lucky.”
Nikita is staying in the city centre when training with Sam and he is loving his time in Liverpool so far. He told the ECHO: “The people are great and there is so much to do here. The whole Albert Dock is gorgeous. I love the city centre and there is also a lot of history.”
Away from the dancefloor, Nikita is also renowned for his stint on Celebrity Big Brother when he finished in second place. The dancer also uses his extensive platform to raise awareness of Type 1 Diabetes which he was diagnosed with as a teenager.
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Nikita has previously spoken about how he thought his career would be over when he found he had the condition. However, he has come to realise the condition is his superpower as he hopes to be an example to people that Type 1 Diabetes does not limit what you are capable of.
He has previously told Morning Live: “I mean, first of all, the message I would really love to send to all the kids and general people is that this is our superpower. We get to learn how to be responsible from a young age. How to deal with problems with the condition. And second of all, it’s really important that we find someone with the same condition that we can look up to.”
He added: “Like when I found out, I was 13 and I just came back to Ukraine and at that time, I’d been dancing already for nine years. I lived in three countries and everything because of that.
“So when I found out, I thought, ‘My career’s over,’ and the next morning I woke up and I saw all those kids smiling and they were happy and they were diabetics just like me.” Strictly Come Dancing airs tonight on BBC One at 6.25pm
