Strictly Come Dancing's 5 biggest stories this week: Helen Skelton's revenge dance sees her into the semi final

Strictly Come Dancing's semi finals week is here, which means double dances for the lucky couples still in the competition.

It's been a gruelling road for the contestants to get here, but Helen Skelton secured her place with one of the most memorable moments the ballroom has ever seen.

Read more: Who is the favourite to win Strictly 2022?

However, former winner Kara Tointon has warned that the glitterball trophy isn't quite as glitzy as it looks...

Strictly Come Dancing's 5 biggest stories this week

Helen Skelton's revenge dance

Countryfile star Helen Skelton has made no secret of how transformational Strictly has been for her after husband Richie Myler left her in April when their third child was just four months old.

However, she has also made it clear she doesn't want anyone feeling sorry for her, which was beautifully demonstrated in her couple's choice routine to Cabaret's Mein Herr which fans instantly labelled her "revenge" dance.

Read more: Who's in the Strictly Christmas special?

Skelton's co-stars and the audience screamed and cheered as the star, dressed in a black leotard, danced to the musical hit with lyrics including: "Farewell, mein lieber herr/It was a fine affair, but now it's over/And though I used to care, I need the open air/You're better off without me, mein herr."

The TV presenter's routine included waving at the camera and enthusiastically singing along to the line: "You're better off without me, mein herr."

Viewers called the dance "iconic" and viewed it as a clear reference to Myler, who announced his new relationship with a younger woman shortly after leaving Skelton.

Did the Hamilton number include swearing?

Some viewers thought last week's change to a Friday night and a later time meant a not-suitable-for-families version of the live show when they tuned in to the musicals week special.

The episode opened with the pro cast dancing to a medley of West End show numbers sung by musicals performers and viewers were a little shocked by what they thought they heard in one song from Hamilton.

One of the songs featured was Right-Hand Man from Lin-Manuel Miranda's historical musical Hamilton, sung on Strictly by Trevor Dion Nicholas.

Viewers on social media were surprised when it appeared that Nicholas sung the original lyrics, including the phrase "boom goes the cannon, watch the blood and the s*** spray".

However, in a statement to Digital Spy, a BBC spokesperson clarified that the lyrics had been subtly altered and there was no swearing.

They said: "There was no swearing. The lyrics were changed from the original and the singer said 'ship spray'."

Who's in the semi final?

Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima waltzed out of the ballroom last weekend, leaving five couples in the semi final.

Lining up this weekend in the hope of making the final are Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez, Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal, Will Mellor and Nancy Xu, Fleur East and Vito Coppola, and Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu.

The pressure has ramped up for the couples this week, who will be required to dance two different routines each for the first time this series.

Who will crumble and who will rise to the top of the leaderboard? Tune in on Sunday...

Strictly moves to Sunday

Again, Strictly fans will have to keep a different schedule in mind this week to make sure they don't miss anything.

The World Cup continues to play havoc with the rest of the TV schedules and England's quarter final match airing on BBC One on Saturday means that Strictly has been bumped once again.

Couples will get an extra day to rehearse as the live show airs on Sunday this week, with the results show set for Monday night.

The glitterball trophy is actually cardboard

Strictly 2022's couples have one goal now - to make it to the final and lift the glitterball trophy.

However, 2010 winner Kara Tointon has warned that the moment might not be quite as glamorous as they expect...

Speaking to podcast Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did about her time on the BBC One dance show, Tointon said that the mirror tiles had fallen off her glitterball trophy leaving her with a much less luxurious memento.

"It’s now bald," she said. "It’s a bloomin’ bald, grey cardboard ball. I feel like saying to the BBC, ‘I need some maintenance on this please! If you can get round here and shimmy it on together again’.

"It should come with a lifetime guarantee."

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One.

Watch: Who is Strictly's Helen Skelton?