Entertainment

This 'Strictly' Pair Will Get Matching Tattoos If They Make It To The Final

by Emily Dixon
Guy Levy/BBC

Strictly fans, it's getting ever closer: there's only two weeks left until the final, and every couple's desperate to secure a spot. But here's a statement of commitment that might just outstrip the other contestants: Strictly Come Dancing's Charles Venn and Karen Clifton have pledged to get matching tattoos if they make it to the final, according to the Radio Times. They're already tantalisingly close, with only two live shows standing between them and a place in the grand finale. Nearby tattoo artists? Might be worth prepping your needles.

Clifton told the magazine that the couple have an appropriately Strictly-themed design in mind: "We're both getting 'S'," she said. And that 'S' stands for more than you think. "'S' for Strictly, six pack and success," Clifton explained. I mean, they've already ticked off all three items on the list, final or no final. Why not just get the tattoo now?

As the Radio Times points out, the duo wouldn't be the first to commemorate their Strictly Come Dancing experience with a bit of body art. Last year, comedian Susan Calman promised she'd get an "I Love Grimsby" tattoo if she made it to Blackpool, a nod to pro partner Kevin Clifton's hometown. Calman and Clifton did indeed win a spot at Blackpool (in fact, they made it to the week after), and in May, Calman made good on her pledge.

The tattoo, inked on the comedian's foot, also featured a little sun, a reference to Morecambe and Wise's "Bring Me Sunshine" which she and Clifton performed a quickstep to in Blackpool. "It’s full of joy and a reminder of what I can achieve if I dance outside my comfort zone," Calman tweeted. "I love it!" And Clifton evidently felt similarly, tweeting, "There's just nobody more awesome than my friend."

As the magazine also notes, that tattoo could have been a tad more intense had Calman and Clifton won: Calman promised to get Craig Revel Horwood's face permanently etched into her back if she lifted the glitterball trophy.

Back to Charles and Karen: what will the duo be dancing to impress the judges and the voting public this week, after last week's tango earned them 30 points? Well, it's Musicals Week, and the couple have secured a classic: they'll be performing a rumba to the iconic West Side Story number "Maria."

Other dances to anticipate? Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev will be dancing a quickstep to Funny Girl's "Don't Rain On My Parade," while Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice will Charleston to "Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music. Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton will dance what sounds like an extremely intense American smooth to Les Miserables' "I Dreamed A Dream," and Lauren Steadman and AJ Pritchard will also perform an American smooth to "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy," from South Pacific. As for Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell, they'll be dancing a salsa to "Joseph Megamix" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Fingers crossed for Charles and Karen tonight: after all, two tattoos are at stake.