Strictly Come Dancing: Maisie Smith tops the leaderboard after bagging a PERFECT score of 30 points

Strictly Come Dancing’s Maisie Smith topped the leaderboard during Saturday night’s semi-final with a perfect score of 30 points.  

The latest installment of the BBC show saw the competition step up a gear as the remaining five couples were tasked with learning not one but two dances in a bid to make next week’s grand final. 

And EastEnders star Maisie, 19, got off to a brilliant start as she and pro partner Gorka Marquez, 30, wowed with the Couple’s Choice hip-hop routine to Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith. 

Though HRVY had previously bagged 30 points earlier in the series (and another perfect score this week), it was Maisie’s turn to shine in the semi-final as she gained high praise for her performance.  

The actress gave it her all on the dance floor as she and Gorka pulled off a perfectly choreographed routine full of fancy footwork, tricks and plenty of attitude.

The dance left the newly-returned socially-distanced audience on their feet, with judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse particularly excited.

Head judge Shirley hailed Maisie as the ‘Queen of Pop’, gushing that it was ‘flawless’, ‘spectacular’ and will ‘go down in history as one of the best ones I’ve seen.’

While Motsi said: ‘You did a great job, that was out of this world!’, while Craig Revel Horwood simply said: ‘I’ve been waiting all series for that, thank you!’

And the judges were true to their word as they all gave Maisie and Gorka 10 points, giving them a total of 30. 

Speaking after the scores, Maise said it was ‘incredible’, adding she was ‘so happy’.

While Gorka added: ‘It’s been a difficult week, she’s been so busy, this means so much to us.’

Meanwhile, the pair’s second dance, the Viennese Waltz to the song A Thousand Years by Christina Perri was just as impressive, with the two getting just shy of the the percent 30 with 29 points.

Craig excitedly said of the routine: ‘That whole dance, absolutely stunning.’

While Shirley said: ‘You covered all the things I like to see in this dance’, adding that it was a ‘huge performance’ and ‘one of the most beautiful Viennese Waltzes I’ve seen.’

While Motsi gushed that she was so ‘excited’, she felt ‘like a little girl’. 

She then left the pair stunned as she declared: ‘If it was up to me, that was certainly the dance that would put you in the final!’

Meanwhile, Jamie Laing and his partner Karen Hauer opened the show with a very colourful salsa to Last Dance by Donna Summer, with the reality star pulling out all the stops with a jazzy, floral shirt and hot pink trousers.

The Made In Chelsea star, 32, gave it his all as he was hoping not to land in the dreaded dance off for a fourth time. 

Commenting on their routine, head judge Shirley said: ‘Thank you for opening with a joyous performance.’

She added that she could tell that being in the semi-final meant so much to him, adding: ‘You give everything on dancefloor, you give 100%.’

Motsi gushed: ‘It felt like Saturday night fever, I love the energy you bring’.

She told Jamie that he had ‘improved the focus to your dance partner’ and that the dance was a ‘great start and set the stage for tonight.’

Craig meanwhile was less positive as he drawled that the dance needed ‘more rotation in the hip’ and that Jamie’s ‘free arm needs a little bit work’ and has a ‘mind of its own.’

As he continued to moan, he got booed by the audience, with the choreographer eventually ending on a positive note, saying: ‘It did take me back to Studio 54 or the Embassy club in the 70s, you’re probably a bit too young for that – it was joyous darling!’ 

Jamie and Karen earned a respectable 24 points after getting three 8’s, with Jamie commenting that they were at least ‘consistent.’ 

Consistency was certainly the word for the pair on the night as their second dance – a Quickstep to Thank God I’m A Country Boy by John Denver – also earned them 24 points.

Craig quipped that the star had ‘nailed the hoedown darling!’ adding: ‘I thought that was never going to be a quickstep but you turned it into one, and very very well. I’m surprised!’

Shirley declared that she ‘really liked’ the routine and that they ‘pulled it off’, describing it as ‘creative and interesting.’

While Motsi said: ‘We can always count on Jamie for entertainment, for fun, and your heart? You left it on the dance floor!’

JJ Chalmers became the sixth celebrity to depart the dance floor in Strictly Come Dancing 2020 during Sunday’s results show.

The TV presenter, 33, who is set to remove shrapnel from his inflamed leg next year, faced Made In Chelsea’s Jamie in the dance-off after landing at the bottom of the leaderboard with 20 and 24 points out of 40, respectively.

Despite missing out on reaching the semi-finals, the Invictus Games star praised his professional partner Amy Dowden for ‘not letting him down’ amid her Crohn’s disease.  

JJ and the Welsh choreographer, 30, performed their Charleston to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang again in a bid to stay in the competition, while TV star Jamie, 32, and Karen Hauer, 38, showcased their Jive to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood chose to save the Candy Kittens entrepunuer as he explained: ‘Well I think both couples danced to the best of their abilities and both couples upped their game considerably. 

‘But for me the best couple on the night that I would like to go through to semi finals – Jamie and Karen.’

Fellow panellist Motsi Mabuse, meanwhile, voted for JJ after observing a ‘little hiccup’ with Jamie’s routine. 

Head Judge Shirley Ballas, who had the overall say, shared her verdict: ‘Both couples lifted their game, I adored both performances very very much, and both couples made small mistakes, both couples. 

‘But on a more powerful and through difficulty of choreography and through sheer determination, I’m going to save Jamie.’