Strictly Come Dancing 2022 week two review: Not even this show can resist Liz Truss banter

One usually does not look Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One) for topical satire, but that didn’t deter co-host Claudia Winkleman. “Still coming, Tyler West and Dianne Buswell play bank robbers,” she said. “My advice? Go get the dollars. Kilograms, not so much.” Maybe Liz Truss was watching from Birmingham with a face like thunder.

This Bonnie and Clyde jive was among the highlights this second live show. Jazzy and packed with substance, it had head judge Shirley Ballas calling West “the real deal.” It is impressive that he is running the London Marathon in the morning. I just hope he has some energy left after all that punching and kicking.

West was outshone only by CBBC’s Molly Rainford, who closed the show with the dance of the night – a smooth, elegant quickstep with an umbrella that fairly flew across the floor. Rainford was last week’s highest-rated celebrity. She was now the top performer and the finishing touch, making her the only competitor to score 30 points both weeks so far. The 21-year-old already looks like a likely finalist. The only thing she could count against her was Rainford’s relative lack of fame.

There has been much debate about how Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and her partner Nikita Kuzmin would cope with the height difference in a traditional indoor event. Now we found out and it was great to see. For the romantic waltz, Kuzmin cleverly adjusted the steps to suit their different stride lengths, revealing a special bottom grip. Without full-body contact, the Ukrainian pro couldn’t guide her like he would otherwise, but their routine was expressive and full of emotion.

Dance may be a different discipline, but Simmonds doesn’t let her disability hold her back on land either. She has been the target of online trolls and admits that the cruel comments hurt her, but you would never know it here. Judge Motsi Mabuse got goosebumps. Ballas was visibly moved. It was a magical milestone.

Former footballer Tony Adams was threatened with relegation but gave himself a fighting chance with the comedy Cockney Charleston. Set to My Old Man’s a Dustman, it was full of lifts, tricks and all sorts of “messin’ abaht” with dustbin props. “I haven’t been this happy since I threw Ann Widdecombe on the ground,” smiled referee Anton Du Beke. Not a bad result, especially on a day when Arsenal won the North London derby.