'Perfect' routine from Ellis-Bextor

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor was compared to a heroine from the Great Gatsby as she danced her way to glowing praise from the judges on Strictly Come Dancing.

The songwriter and model, dressed in a gold tasselled 1920s flapper-style dress, performed the Charleston on the hit BBC One show with dance partner Brendan Cole, to the music of Rock it To Me by Caravan Palace.

The pair were given the score of nine - a total of 36 - from all four judges in spite of Cole admitting that he had never danced the Charleston on the show before.

He told Ellis-Bextor he had "never really liked it" - but added "I do now, now I am dancing it with you."

Strictly's judges gave the pair's performance rave reviews last night, with Darcey Bussell describing 34-year-old Ellis-Bextor's performance as "just perfect" and Cole's choreography as "brilliant". Len Goodman said: "It was a great routine and it was just beautifully done, full stop."

Bruno Tonioli told Ellis-Bextor: "Scott Fitzgerald himself could not have drawn a better image of a flapper, stylistically perfect. Y ou popped out of the Great Gatsby, all guns blazing."

The couple's performance put them in second place behind former Coronation Street star Natalie Gumede and her dance partner Artem Chigvintsev in a league table of combined scores including those from last weekend.

Gumede, who has complained of dizziness during rehearsals, and who performed a waltz with Chigvintsev to Alicia Key's If I Ain't Got You had her performance described by judge Craig Revel Horwood as "breathtaking". Goodman said: "As a dance, and as a performance, absolutely corking."

Sir Bruce Forsyth, who pulled out of hosting the show last night after being taken ill with flu, was wished a "speedy recovery" by co-host Tess Daly.

The 85-year-old showbiz veteran, who has hosted the series since 2004, was replaced by Claudia Winkleman, who usually co-hosts the results programme and has stood in on other occasions.

Hairy Biker Dave Myers, who performed the American Smooth with Karen Hauer to Dean Martin's How Do You Like Your Eggs in the Morning, was commended by the judges for enjoying his performance.

Goodman told him: "It as a bit like a flight on a budget airline, a little bit uncomfortable here and there but you landed safely and got through it."

Golf legend Tony Jacklin, 69, scored only 13 points from the judges after dancing the Charleston with partner Aliona Vilani.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood told him: "The Charleston should be lively, energetic, frenetic. Unfortunately yours was limp, lame and lacklustre."

But Goodman defended him, saying: "You have only been dancing for about five weeks... I've been golfing for 50 years and I am still terrible. You are the same age as me, at 69 to come out and dance a very energetic dance, I commend you for that."

BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid and dance partner Kevin Clifton scored a total of 31 from the judges after performing the Tango to Bruno Mars Locked Out of Heaven.

"You have the fire, you have the flare you have the attack," Tonioli told her.

Bussell told Reid: "You went out there, you sold it... I think you should give up your day job - you have got it," she said.

But Countdown host Rachel Riley, 27, fared less well with judges, scoring 20 for her salsa routine with Pasha Kovalev.

Revel Horwood observed: "I thought you were wriggling around like a slug in salt actually..." prompting Riley to respond: "I had fun!"

Bussell said: "There is lots of sugar and not a lot of spice."

Presenter and broadcaster Vanessa Feltz was moved to tears after dancing the waltz with James Jordan. Goodman observed: "I thought it was heart felt. It was poignant."

Last night the 15 celebrity couples faced the public vote for the first time. Viewers will learn which couple will be the first for the chop during this evening's results show.