Alex Kingston tops Strictly leaderboard with a 10 and a kiss from Shirley Ballas

Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston earned a 10 and a kiss from judge Shirley Ballas as she became the latest celebrity to top the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard.

The 62-year-old performed the rumba to Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car with partner Johannes Radebe on Saturday’s episode of the BBC dancing show, scoring 36, and getting Ballas on her feet applauding.

After the performance, the judge said: “I have to tell you, in all my time on Strictly, I have never seen a pair of legs work like that.

“Every closing place, every forward walk, turning, just an absolute perfect routine for me. Your choreography was stunning, the way the temperature between the two of you was portrayed beautifully.

“May I give the queen a kiss?”

Ballas then awarded Kingston her first-ever 10 for a rumba on the show following her feedback.

Just behind them with 34 points was former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope and his partner Katya Jones with their foxtrot to L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole, which judge Anton Du Beke called “super duper”.

The judge said: “Oh, what a song, oh, what a dance, I could talk to you for 10 minutes, but I haven’t got time to talk.

“Beautiful movement, beautiful, the feel was gorgeous, smooth, all the beautiful things you want from a foxtrot. I love the musicality, stylisation, characterisation, great.”

In third was former Love Island winner Amber Davies and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, who scored 33 for their Argentine tango to Angel Of My Dreams by Jade, which judge Motsi Mabuse said featured lifts that were “on a whole different level”.

At the bottom of the table in last place, and facing the threat of Sunday’s dance off, was drag artist La Voix and their professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec, who scored just 14 for their cha cha to Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood said “so much went wrong” in the dance, while Ballas described it as “one of those days”.

Also facing the threat of the dance off was former England rugby player Chris Robshaw and his professional partner Nadiya Bychkova, who scored 24 for their Salsa to Ricky Martin’s Maria, which Revel Horwood said “lacked any rotation” but featured “extraordinary” lifts.

Elsewhere, model Ellie Goldstein, who is the first person with Down’s syndrome to compete on the main series of Strictly, and her partner Vito Coppola, scored 31 for their couple’s choice routine to Golden by HUNTR/X from the Netflix film K Pop Demon Hunters.

Du Beke said: “You are amazing, Ellie, you’re incredible, Vito, I literally love you, well done.”

Former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and his professional partner Lauren Oakley earned a standing ovation and scored 29 for their couple’s choice performance to a mix of soca songs that were important to him.

Mabuse said: “Very emotional and first of all thank you for sharing, and I think you are a role model, and even on the show, you’re a role model, all those soccer boys, we need them in the dancing hall so they can watch you here and see what you’ve done.

“And you’re improving every week, even your showmanship is improving every week, and I’m certain so many people, even I feel, so proud to see you represent that on the dancefloor.”

Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis, who was forced to sit out last week’s show due to health issues, and last year’s Strictly champion professional dancer Dianne Buswell, scored 26 for their Charleston to Dance Monkey by Tones And I, which many judges said was the pair’s best dance.

But Revel Horwood said: “I think you need to find a little more musicality in your body, and by that I mean your torso, it’s a little bit stilted, you need to dance it more, this is a dance where you can be absolutely over the top.”

Former England Lionesses footballer Karen Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu scored 27 for their quickstep to Marvellous Party by Beverley Knight, despite a small slip, which judge Craig Revel Horwood said “happens to the best of us”.

Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and partner Karen Hauer performed the rumba to It Must Have Been Love by Roxette, scoring 26 and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, while Vicky Pattinson and her dance partner Kai Widdrington scored 29 for their samba to La Isla Bonita by Madonna.

Social media star George Clarke and his dance partner Alexis Warr performed a tango to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, scoring 30, while EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal and her dance partner Julian Caillon scored 28 for their paso doble to Diablo Rojo by Rodrigo by Gabriela.

Strictly Come Dancing will return on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One for its results show, where its latest elimination will be revealed after a dance off, with Revel Horwood having this week’s casting vote.