The latest episode of Strictly Come Dancing saw a heated exchange between judges Shirley Ballas and Craig Revel-Horwood following George Clarke's Viennese Waltz performance with partner Alexis Warr. The contrasting opinions highlighted the ongoing debate among the judges regarding the quality of the performances. Shirley Ballas commended George's footwork, stating he was "back with a bang for sure". She praised his "natural turns, reverse turns" and noted the good stride on his first step. "You had a lovely shape while dancing, and this was some of the best footwork I have seen in a Viennese Waltz. Your best dance," she declared. In stark contrast, Craig Revel-Horwood expressed his discontent, saying, "I don't agree. I don't think the footwork was that perfect, I've got to be honest." He suggested that George relied too much on his thighs and knees rather than his feet, prompting Shirley to defend her assessment. "We're just going to have to agree to disagree on that," Craig replied, insisting that the rise and fall in George's dance was excessive. As the competition reaches its halfway point, several records have already been set this season. Lewis Cope and Katya Jones achieved the first perfect score of 40 for their Couple's Choice routine during Halloween week, marking an earlier milestone than usual. Former England Lioness Karen Carney made history by becoming the first footballer to top the leaderboard in 18 years with her Jive alongside partner Carlos Gu. Additionally, professional dancer Dianne Buswell is the first pregnant star to compete on the show, performing with Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis. In a significant moment, model and actor Ellie Goldstein, paired with Vito Coppola, became the first contestant with Down's syndrome to compete in a main series of the show. However, Ellie was eliminated last week after facing a dance-off against EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon. Judges Anton du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig opted to save Balvinder, while head judge Shirley Ballas stated she would have made the same choice. She acknowledged Ellie’s outstanding performance throughout the competition. Following their elimination, Vito expressed his pride in Ellie, saying, "Honestly, there are no words I can use to describe how proud I am of you. You made me such a better person." An emotional Ellie responded, "I've enjoyed it so much! He is a kind person and all I wanted from day one. You have been so heartwarming, thank you to you [Vito]." Looking ahead, contestants are set to perform at the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom on November 22, with hopes of securing a spot in the historic venue.