‘Strictly Come Dancing’s Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton have been rehearsing long into the night to ensure they cement their place at the top the leaderboard.
The hip-snaking pair scored a near-perfect mark of 39 out of 40 in last week’s live show – putting them in the top spot above favourite Danny Mac – and they’re determined to keep hold of their position by training for 15 hours a day.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz on the red carpet at the premiere of ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’, held at London’s Leicester Square on Thursday (20.10.16), Joanne said: "I love him. He works really hard, he’s so determined, he tries everything that I say to him and at the same time we’ve become like best friends. And the worst part of working with him is that [he works really hard] because then I don’t get a break.
"He’s been working this week as well as rehearsing so we’ve been dancing until 10 and 11 o’clock at night so we’re quite tired but today it all came together and we are really happy. We’re doing a waltz, it’s quite a different thing to the jive last week."
And, although they’ve only been dancing together since the beginning of September, the pair have already managed to carve out a close friendship.
Ore explained: "Working with one of your best mates every day is just incredible but working with one of your best mates is hard because you can’t get rid of her."
Ore and Joanne may have been reduced to tears after the judges awarded them with three 10s – the top score available – and one nine last week but they remain modest about the possibility of winning the gliterball trophy at the end of the year.
Joanne added: "We’re just going to try our best whatever happens, happens."
Strictly’s Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton working into the night
