Karim Zeroual, 19, and Amy Dowden, 28, have been putting in the hours to perfect their Tango to Paradise by George Ezra for tonight’s fourth live show.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2019 star and CBBC presenter looked to be mastering the moves well in backstage pictures from their training session which showed him getting up close and personal with his professional partner as he got into the character of the dance.
The passionate number saw Karim, who appears to have become firm friends with Amy, pressing himself against Amy and holding one of her hands down by his hip, while the other draped around his neck.
He appeared to be channelling his inner dancer and leading his partner proficiently in the photos.
One shot showed the Strictly hopeful cracking a smile as they held an elegant pose.
In another, the duo got into the Ballroom hold to show off his ever-improving frame.
Karim has been suffering with ill-health this week having been struck down with “the lurgy”, as Strictly – It Takes Two host Zoe Ball, 48, put it.
As a result, Amy appeared on It Takes Two on her own earlier this week, telling the presenter: “He’s resting up because, obviously, we need him fighting fit ready for Saturday night.”
Because of falling sick, Karim is a day short on training for his Tango this week.
“We haven’t been able to put in the hours we have done other weeks,” Welsh-born dancer Amy explained. “But he’s working really, really hard.
She also made light of the fact she had to work on getting her naturally cheerful celebrity partner not to smile through the dramatic routine.
Last week’s Movie Week special saw Karim and Amy slip down the leaderboard somewhat as many of their competitors upped the ante.
Their Kung-Fu Panda-themed Samba was packed full of plenty of tricky moves and technique and scored them an excellent 26 points but, nonetheless, they finished eighth on the leaderboard.
They received a standing ovation from the audience and Karim was praised buy new judge Motsi Mabuse, 38, for nailing his solo parts.
“You had strong lines and it was very flowing,” she added, advising him to co-ordinate his upper and lower body more going forward.
“There’s no mistaking you’re a great dancer,” Shirley Ballas, 59, said. “But, for me, if I was judging everything that was solo, one would have to give you a 10, but if I’m judging the Samba parts, it doesn’t have enough rhythm in the body for me.
“It does not absorb through the standing leg so, therefore, it can look a little bit jilted and little bit stiff.
“Keep working on the quality and the fundamentals,” she added.
Bruno Tonioli, 63, also said the Strictly star lost the “softness of the bounce”, while Craig Revel Horwood, 53, said his clean, sharp attack went against him a little in the Samba.
“It looked a little bit spiky but your isolation, your tricks — absolutely phenomenal,” he gushed.
Strictly Come Dancing 2019 continues tonight at 6.40pm on BBC One.
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