To get to the bottom of the scandal, we sent The FIX's roving reporter Jordan deep into So You Think You Can Dance HQ to ask Penny how she felt when she saw her cha-chas splashed over the pages of a lad's mag. She also quizzes Penny and her partner Charlie on why they're the hot favourites to win the competition, and asks Charlie why host Nat Bass is obsessed with his abs...

Read the full post to watch the video!

No: the shock comes when Nat Bass introduces judge Jason Coleman, and for the second night in a row he fails to greet the crowd with one of his ridiculous, snippy sideways peace signs. Instead, he merely waves to us with an open palm. Um, excuse me, Coleman, but what the eff is going on here? I feel like there's a ridiculous-snippy-sideways-peace-sign-shaped hole in my heart.

Did you miss last night's show? Click here to catch up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MS MURPHY

Anyway, guest judge Mary Murphy — TV's most fabulous loudmouth — tells Nat she's feeling "ter-RIFFIC!" You rule, Mary Murphy. Jason lets slip that today is actually Mary's birthday; per Wikipedia, it's her 50th birthday. Mary's a cougar, you guys!

Before Nat reveals the bottom three couples, Mary has a surprise: turns out that the eventual winner will get to go to Hollywood, hang with Mary, and perform on the American So You Think You Can Dance. Neat.

Nat assembles Gianne + BJ (who looks especially Zach Braff-ish tonight. Also: hee, "BJ"), Kat +Danny, and Pania + Ben, who get a particularly loud cheer from the audience. Despite their apparent popularity, they're in the bottom three.

Next up are Penny + Charlie, Damien + Amy, Lamb + Tim, and Talia + Loredo. No surprise that Penny and Charlie are safe, but so are Talia + Loredo. Good on them — their new partnership is clearly working, because it's revealed soon after that their routine in Sunday's show was voted the audience favourite.

After the break there's a performance from Kaz James and Macy Gray. How random.

DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES

• Pania dances an awesome hip-hop routine, but her strength in this genre kind of highlights her weakness in others.

• Amy is dancing... actually, I have no idea what genre this is. European? Anyway, she's totally safe.

• Lamb surprises everyone by not dancing hip-hop, instead doing a light contemporary number. It's not what I'd expect from her, which is a good thing.

• Ben, who reveals that he idolises Bob Fosse, dances an appropriately showy Broadway number, complete with jazz hands. Love the flip he pulls out at the end.

• Damien's ballroom number is full of vim and vigour. Afterwards, he tells Nat he thinks he was sexy — it's good to have confidence.

• Tim also does hip-hop, but like Pania, it only serves to highlight his weakness in other genres. But honestly... I think the judges will keep him around just so they can milk his and Lamb's non-romance a little longer.

THE DANCE DREAM ENDS FOR...

Bonnie, as usual, whines that it's "impossible" to boot someone. (Given that all the eliminated contestants have told me that the judges offer almost no words of comfort or constructive criticism to the dancers after they're booted, I find it hard to believe Bonnie's grief is genuine.) Jason says the judges will make their verdict based on the dancers' choices, not their commitment.

The girls line up first. Der: Amy is safe. Jason praises Lamb for dancing outside her usual genre; Pania, who stayed in her comfort zone, is booted.

Surprisingly, Tim is the first boy who's safe. (How come Pania is booted for dancing yet more hip-hop, and not Tim?) Even though Jason says the decision wasn't unanimous, it's completely obvious that it's Damien who's out. Some girl in the audience shrieks "NOOOOO! NOOOOO!" when the verdict is read out. LOL! Mary's screams are rubbing off on people.

Farewell Mary: we'll miss you! Next week's episode will be totally boring without you (though I am looking forward to seeing Amy + Ben pair up...).

Did the judges make the right call tonight? And will you miss Mary Murphy next week? Have your say in the comments.

Also notable: when Nat Bass introduces the judges, Jason Coleman doesn't greet the audience with any ridiculous sideways peace signs. Huh? Is it possible that I've been transported to the parallel universe where Jason isn't a goofball, and didn't realise?

RIDING THE HOT TAMALE TRAIN

• Damien + Amy kick things off with a jazz number that isn't immediately recognisable as jazz: for starters, it has an awesome emo/goth (apparently I'm too elderly to tell them apart) wedding vibe. I love these guys — they always look like they're having fun up there. "YOU NAILED IT! YOU ARE A STAR!" Mary bellows to Amy. I feel kind of sorry for Matt Lee, who's sitting right next to Mary and her megaphone mouth.

• Lamb + Tim go slow and steady with a contemporary number. It's nice, but it's also unpolished — I'm not sure it'll be enough to rescue them from the bottom three again. The judges like it but don't love it; weirdly, Mary makes a comment that "something special" is going on in their partnership... the second time someone has suggested there's something going on between them. Hmm.

• Gianne + BJ (hee, "BJ") draw hip-hop, something they've never attempted in this competition. Can they make it work? Well, der. Of course they can — they rock. At one point in the routine they literally simulate sex onstage... kinky! Mary loved it, but thought some of their kicks and lifts needed a little work. Jason goads her into giving a tiny scream anyway. Hee.

• Penny + Charlie dance the waltz under the guidance of Jason Gilkison. It's nice, but it's not as nice as the routine he choreographed for Damien and Amy last week — I think the problem is that Penny and Charlie have very little romantic chemistry. The judges liked it, but agree that from a technical standpoint it needed work. Midway through Bonnie's verdict, Penny gets something (make-up? A false eyelash?) caught in her eye. She blinks painfully, and the judges all laugh at her cruelly instead of letting her go offstage to sort it out. Poor Penny!

• Pania + Ben do a jazz number with a burlesque twist. It's sexy, energetic and passionate... though it kind of loses steam at the end. I like these guys — I don't think either of them will win, but they're always consistent. Predictably, Mary goes crazy: "You nailed it!" The other judges crap on about how Pania didn't look comfortable dancing a non-hip-hop routine.

• Kat + Danny do a hip-hop routine that I think is my favourite dance of the night. He's dressed as the Joker, complete with smeared-on make-up, while she plays his adorable victim. It's a tonne of fun, and Kat is so cute. She should bottle her cuteness and sell it to the Japanese. Surprisingly, the judges generally don't seem to love it — Jason doesn't think they danced well outside of their usual genres — though Mary lets out one of her trademark crazy-screams for Kat.

• Talia + Loredo pair up for the first time with a fiery salsa routine. If you were new to this show, you wouldn't know this was their first week as a couple: their chemistry is great, and there's a real flair to the routine. Predictably, Loredo dances without a shirt again. That boy is never fully clothed. The Aussie judges agree that it was great, though controversially, Mary says it left her a little cold. Though she nevertheless gives Talia a ticket on the hot tamale train. Heh.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM...

Hilariously, Nat screams like Mary when Matt presents her with a gold record to commemorate the success of her album. And then the real Mary screams like Mary to close off the show. Awesome.

So, who'll be in the bottom three this week? I predict that Lamb + Tim, Pania + Ben and Talia + Loredo will all dance for their lives come Monday.

Did Mary Murphy's screams permanently damage your hearing? And who do you reckon will land in the bottom three? Have your say in the comments.

The crowd screams rabidly for Nat Bass, who's wearing a much-less-horrible version of the fashion disaster she appeared in last night. The crowd screams rabidly again for the judges. Wow, calm down, crowd. Bonnie moans again about how much she hates Mondays and how awful it is to eliminate someone. Sympathy = zero.

WHO'S IN THE BOTTOM THREE?

Nat lines up Damien + Amy, Penny + Charlie (who get an especially wild scream from the rabid audience. Ew), Lamb + Tim, and Chanelle + Loredo. For the second week in a row, Chanelle and Loredo are in the bottom three couples. Ba-bow.

Gianne + BJ, Talia + Emmanuel, Kat + Danny (who receive far fewer cheers than the other couples. Burn), and Pania + Ben are assembled next. I'm shocked when Gianne and BJ wind up in the bottom three — they're one of the strongest couples in this competition — along with Talia and Emmanuel. Who, frankly, deserve to be there.

PAD-O-RAMA

Then some random padding happens, including...

• Damien + Amy's dance is voted the best of the top 16. Keep an eye on those two — even though they wound up in the bottom three in week one, I reckon they're gradually gaining support.

• There are some total molls in the audience, many of them waving suspiciously well-made signs supporting various dancers. I never trust audience signs ever since I went to see Australian Idol a couple of years ago and saw them being handed out to cheerful audience members.

• Lily Allen sings her latest single 'The Fear', accompanied by some truly weird back-up dancers: first spinning waiter-types, then girls dressed in balloons. Seriously. Lily just kind of smiles in this bemused way, and (unfortunately) doesn't say anything hilariously cheeky when Nat Bass interviews her.

• Nacho Pop is allowed to have a microphone, again, which should never ever happen.

DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES

• Loredo's personality is a little laid-back for TV. He life-dances shirtless, again, which seems to be his strategy.

• BJ (hee, "BJ") does a spinny, frenetic, ballet-type routine. He seems pretty sure he's safe.

• Emmanuel is very entertaining performer. But. He's a little one-note. Once you've seen one talented B-boy, you've seen them all, you know?

• Chanelle looks very disappointed with herself when she completes her prancey routine. Poor Chanelle... she's so beautiful!

• Gianne is awesome, raw and energetic. The dance floor turns to gold where her feet touch it.

• Talia does an unexpectedly energetic, ballet-themed routine. I kind of agree with the commenter who gets Nikki Webster vibes from her.

THE DANCE DREAM ENDS FOR...

Before the verdict is announced, two phenomenally talented ballet dancers (one of whom is a muscly dude wearing nothing but his undies) demonstrate that they're way better than all the contestants on this show. Their routine is beautiful, emotive, and makes me believe in all that "power of dance" crap the judges are always spouting.

The judges return to reveal their incredibly difficult, tough (boohoo) decision: Emmanuel is out, and so is Chanelle. I'll miss Emmanuel's fun chipmunk face, but I'll miss Chanelle's gorgeous smile most of all.

Next week: Talia and Loredo team up, but better yet... MARY MURPHY IS BACK! Bring it on!

Did the judges make the right call, or would you have axed another dancer? Does Talia look like Nikki Webster? And were you perving on the ballet dancer in his undies, or should he have put his pants on? Have your say in the comments?

Also, tonight • Nat Bass is wearing an enormous frilly purple sash with a bit of dress at the bottom. I declare it her first major fashion faux pas of the season.

Forgot what happened last week? Click here to catch up.

EIGHT GREAT DANCES

• Chanelle + Loredo, who survived the bottom three last week, kick off the show with an Aladdin-themed hip-hop number: he's the Arabian knight, she's his sexy genie. (Gee, it must be a stretch for Chanelle to act sexy.) They're okay, but they need a touch more magic. The judges say nice things, though they're not going crazy over it. Sidenote: Loredo dances half-shirtless, making him possibly the least-clothed contestant thus far.

• Penny + Charlie are next, with a contemporary routine. Okay, I don't usually like this pair... but tonight, they're pretty good. Their dance is light, there's a nice story to it, and they don't touch till the very end, which is kind of clever. The judges go ga-ga: Bonnie says it's "intoxicating", Jason "beautiful" and "joyous", Matt "impressive". Jeez — it wasn't that great, was it?

• Gianne + BJ (hee, "BJ") draw ballroom, but really they're dancing salsa tonight. They knock their routine out of the park — the only stuff-up is a botched, awkward lift right at the end. Jason blabs on for several minutes in his verdict, but he basically means that he liked it except for the lift. Bonnie reckons they're "spicy and saucy". I agree.

• Kat + Danny dance the second contemporary routine of the night: an edgy, Reservoir Dogs-ish number. Even though Kat is trying to act like a hard-ass, she's still adorable. Bonner offers some blah-blah about gender roles in dance, but concludes that she liked it. Matt and Jason agree it was "amazing" and "fantastic".

• Talia + Emmanuel draw jazz. Which worries me, because he is not a jazz dancer. Nevertheless, he's not too bad here, even if their routine does come with crazy yellow outfits and an even crazier vaudeville soundtrack. It's kind of weird, but they're much better than last week. Jason and Matt give E-Man props for proving he's more than just a chipmunk B-boy.

• Damien + Amy dance a rumba under the tutelage of Jason Gilkison, who is always on this show. They're playing a husband-and-wife who are separating, and it's sultry, but also genuinely pointless and sad. It's probably their best routine so far... but unfortunately Damien makes an offhand comment in his introduction package about how he's just an 18-year-old boy, and Jason and Matt jump all down his throat about how he has to act like a man now and quit trying to gain sympathy. Jeez — relax, guys. Aside from that, they liked it a lot.

• Pania + Ben do a hip-hop routine choreographed by Nacho Pop (who , let's face it, is kind of annoying). They're both really great, and lots of fun — and surprisingly, it's jazz-dancer Ben who's the stronger of the pair. Bonnie congratulates him for successfully dancing outside his usual genre, and I wish the judges would stop acting so surprised that the well-rounded dancers they selected for this competition are such well-rounded dancers.

• Lamb + Tim stretch themselves with a jazz number. I don't really feel the love story in their routine, but they're both pretty good — they're another couple who are much better than they were last week. The judges agree that Tim is the stronger dancer of the two. "A really good finish to a really great evening," opines Jason.

TRICKY PREDICTIONS

Um, all the couples were kind of awesome tonight — no trainwrecks, for a change. (I do enjoy a good trainwreck, though.) If you ignore Nat Bass's hideous dress, this is probably the best episode ever. It's tough to predict the bottom three, but I'll do my best: Talia + Emmanuel, Chanelle + Loredo, and Lamb + Tim.

Seriously: was this the best ever episode of So You Think You Can Dance? Who were your favourite couples? Sound off in the comments.

Missed the top 18's dances? Click here to read the recap.

Nat Bass, who's so stunning that she even looks great in the grey bedsheet she's knotted around her shoulder tonight, reveals that guest judge Jason Gilkison choreographed the routine. He's sitting at the table again, along with the usual suspects: Matt Lee, Jason Coleman and Bonnie Lythgoe.

(Who, it has to be said, is especially manic tonight — she switches between rabid excitement and saddened concern in seconds.)

After a few minutes of jibber-jabber, Nat is ready to reveal the bottom three couples: Lamb + Tim (which...isn't that surprising), Chanelle + Loredo (which is a surprise!), and Stephen + Ash-Leigh (again). Wow, I'm a little stunned that Talia + Emmanuel escaped so easily, given they were the worst of Sunday night's performances.

Nacho Pop reveals that Gianne and BJ (hee, "BJ") were voted Sunday night's favourite couple. Then, in order to fill out the hour, someone called Cassie Davis performs. What's a "Cassie Davis"? Is she, like, the 2009 version of Gabriella Cilmi?

DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES

• Lamb's dance is pretty awesome: it's loaded with popping and crunking, or whatever all those hip-hop moves are called. She looks like she's having fun.

• Chanelle is rool purdy... and alarmingly flexible. She spends most of her routine with her legs spinning around like helicopter rotors. She is waaaaay too beautiful to be sent home tonight.

• Ash-Leigh does a ballroom number, and wow: when she dances in her element, she is fantastic. Her routine is full of fire and spice — it's like we're seeing a new side of her.

• Tim, dancing sans shirt, demonstrates that he's really quite good at breakdancing. And at doing the robot.

• Loredo one-ups Tim's shirtlessness by dancing in his undies. Like, he is literally wearing almost nothing at all. Anyway, he does a quietly intense routine that I would describe as "a ballet spider dance".

• Stephen's routine is... um, weird. He dances to Queen's 'Bicycle Race' in a cycling outfit — the second week in a row he's worn a weird outfit for his life-dance — and it's all a little too twee and cutesy for my tastes.

THE DANCE DREAM ENDS FOR...

The Shaolin Monks come out and do lots of karate chops and flying kicks while the judges go backstage to make their decision. Because the judges are moaners, they go on at length about what a tough, terrible job they have. Shut up, judges.

Finally, they're ready to announce their decision. The bottom three couples are assembled onstage (I have to mention the shirts Lamb and Tim are wearing, which read 'Lambomatic'. Ha! Awesome), and Jason reveals that the dance dream ends for... Ash-Leigh and Stephen.

Each of them looks crushed, but you know what? They weren't exactly my favourite couple in the competition, so I don't think I'll miss them too much next week.

Did you agree with the judges' verdict, or would you have sent someone else home? And exactly how much will you miss Stephen's bizarro outfits?

Check out the official SYTYCD site for more recaps, pics and videos.

Nat Bass materialises, looking radiant (as always). She introduces the regular judges, as well as special guest judge... Jason Gilkison?! He is on the show every other week — how is he "special"?

HOT

• Danny + Kat kick off the show with a disco-themed jazz number, complete with robot/sexy stripper theme. They're a strong couple, though they need to dial their manic grins just a little. The judges go ga-ga.

Gianne + BJ

• Gianne + BJ (hee, "BJ") are one my fave couples, and they increase their standing with a contemporary routine that's simple, but light and joyful. The judges run over with praise: "mesmerising", "beautiful", and "gorgeous".

• Chantelle + Loredo draw ballroom Latin and dance a sexy, slinky salsa. It's campy and ridiculous and dizzyingly fast and I love it. Gilkison, Matt and Bonnie froth with compliment, though Jason reckons it was "a mess". Oh, shush.

•  After dodging elimination last week, Damien + Amy dance hip-hop, though neither of them are hip-hop dancers. It kind of shows — it's not a great routine, but I like them a lot. Matt and Gilkison are "meh", but Bonnie and Jason liked it.

• Pania + Ben dance the rumba after drawing ballroom Latin. They have such a great connection, which powers their routine — it's simple, but compelling. The judges kind of botch it by making stupid comments, but overall I think they liked it.

NOT

Lamb + Tim

• Lamb + Tim draw ballroom Latin and dance a cha-cha that doesn't look very cha-cha to me. They're a good couple but there's something missing here — Gilkison and Matt nail it, saying there wasn't enough personality or attack in the routine.

Huh?

• Ash-Leigh + Stephen, who survived the bottom three last week, appear in loud costumes which they apparently stole from 16th century Versailles. I honestly can't decide if I love the costumes or hate them. Maybe both. Either way, the outfits distract from their contemporary routine, but the judges all agree they've improved.

• Penny + Charlie are completely overrated. There, I said it. They dance jazz dressed as a stewardess and an aeroplane captain; I think it's kinda sloppy, but the crowd and the judges love it. Also, Nat is obsessed with Charlie's abs.

Talia + Emmanuel

• Talia + Emmanuel end the show with a hip-hop number that is... kind of a trainwreck, actually. E-Man is fine, because this is his genre, but T-Girl (I'm calling her that now) is way out of her depth. She struggles to keep up. The judges try to say nice things, because Talia is impossibly sweet, but overall they're very meh.

THE WORST

None of the dancers bombed this episode, but there were nevertheless some serious lowlights:

• There were three ballroom Latin routines. Note to producers: there are lots of dance genres which aren't ballroom Latin. Please include them in future episodes.

•  Do the judges get paid extra every time they ask the contestants a stupid question? Because every single verdict included at least one boneheaded, pointless query about how the dancers were feeling or what they were thinking. No more!

• Padding. At two hours, the show is unforgiveably long — and I'm not just saying that because I'm recapping it. This is meant to be a show about dance, but all the packages and highlights reels and ad-breaks occupy waaaaay more time than the actual dancing, and it's boring.

Prediction: Ash-Leigh + Stephen, Talia + Emmanuel and Damien + Amy will dance for their lives on Monday.

Who are your picks for the bottom three... and do you agree with our verdict on the top 18 dancers? Have your say in the comments.

Check out the official SYTYCD site for more pics and videos.

Both denied it, but is there love brewing on Dance? To find out, I checked in with two people very close to the top 20: eliminated contestants Jesse and Max (it doesn't get much closer than that!).

"I think it was because their routine was very lovey-dovey," says Jesse, explaining why Bonnie thought Lamb and Tim had a thing happening. "But they're just good friends."

Just good friends?! So there's no backstage pashing?

"Everyone's got partners!" Jesse says. "Everyone's coupled up."

So it doesn't look as if there are any sizzling So You Think You Can Dance romances blossoming... yet. I'm keeping my eye on the remaining dancers!

Jesse added that he's "disappointed" to have left the competitions first, reasoning that he and Max got a "bum deal" with their first dance together.

"It wasn't one of the strongest pieces," he says. "The routine we got wasn't as great as the other ones, and the song wasn't as 'pop', as 'hip' as the other ones. I felt like a 15 year old could've done [the routine]. I wanted a more advanced piece to make people say 'Wow'."

Max doesn't know why the judges chose to boot her and Jesse, but she has a couple of theories. "It might have had something to do with our duo piece. Or maybe there are too many hip-hop dancers in the competition... It could be for the ratings, or it could be for the dancing."

And though it's early days, they both think they know who's going to emerge the winner: Max thinks Stephen's "kooky ways" could earn him the title, while Jesse has his money on Amy.

Did you miss the top 20's performances? Click here to catch up on what happened.

Nat Bass struts onstage in a slinky black number. I forgot to mention this earlier, but her hosting skills have improved out of sight — she's so relaxed and comfortable (even if she is a bit squinty). Love her.

She introduces the judges, who bitch and moan about the terrible decision they have to make to get rid of someone tonight. Boo hoo — I'm so sure they'll all go home afterwards and weep into their pay cheques.

Nat announces that it's time to reveal who's in the bottom three. Since this is reality TV, it takes about a billion years for her to get to the verdict, but I'll cut to the chase: Ash-Leigh + Stephen, Amy + Damien, and Max + Jesse will be dancing for their lives tonight. Amy + Damien are a bit of a surprise. The others, not so much.

Former choreographer Nacho Pop (who has been allowed to have a microphone, for some reason I can't fathom) reveals that Charlie + Penny's routine was voted the best of the top 20. Huh? Seriously, if they had not danced to the amazing 'Single Ladies', no one would care about their routine.

Sam Sparro performs. How unfortunate that such a good-looking popstar has decided to grow such an unflattering pornstache.

DANCING FOR THEIR LIVES

Now the bottom three couples dance for their lives. You know, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be in the bottom three — you get to show off your skills. On the other hand, Neither last year's winner Jack nor runner-up Rhys were ever in the bottom, so it's not a great sign.

THE BOYS

• Stephen wears a ridiculously loud costume consisting of a sparkly maroon shirt and cat-eye glasses. He could pass for Dame Edna's son. It detracts from his dancing, which I don't notice at all.

• Damien claims to be dancing for a "very special girl", though I'm not sure if he means an actual girl or if it's just part of his dance's story. His routine pops — it's sharp, fun, and best of all, no weird costume.

• Jesse, dresses up like Justin Timberlake and does a JT-inspired routine. He is kind of awesome, and much much better than he was in Sunday night's episode.

THE GIRLS

• Ash-Leigh is wearing a sexy dress that's billowing on one side and ultra-revealing on the other. But Amy danced nearly-nude last night too, and she's also in the bottom three — proof that showing off your bod isn't necessarily enough to keep you safe.

• Amy just seems like such a sunny gal. Her routine is a bit formless, but she's just having fun rocking out to The Killers.

• Max's dance is... good, but it's "high school eisteddfod" good, not "So You Think You Can Dance" good. Not my favourite.

The judges go backstage to decide who to cut, but not before complaining again about how awful it is to have to do the job they're paid for.

The Sydney Dance Company performs. Dance overload!

THE DANCE DREAM ENDS FOR...

Finally, it's verdict time. Nat lines up the boys, and Jason reveals that the judges' decision was not unanimous, perhaps hinting at some behind-the-scenes tension.

The first safe boy is Stephen... which is a shock, because judging strictly on the quality of tonight's life-dances, he deserved the boot. Unfortunately, the dance dream ends for Jesse, who looks crushed. Aww, poor Jesse — not cool, judges.

It's the girls' turn. Because the show is running overtime and everyone watching wants to switch channels to Underbelly, Jason super-quickly reveals that Max is going home. That's rough, but I think the judges did make the right call there.

Interesting that the first bootees were a couple... it makes me wonder whether Jesse and Max really were the worst dancers in the top 20, or if they just got gypped with some bad choreography. What do you think?

Check out the official SYTYCD site for more recaps, pics and videos.